Top 8 things to know about Masters in Engineering Management (MEM)

What is Masters in Engineering Management?

A Masters in Engineering Management is a program designed especially for those students who are interested in both technology and management.

The degree is two-fold – it provides students with knowledge about all the traditional and emerging technologies and also enables them to acquire leadership roles that focus on technology; like that of a Chief Technology Officer or a Project Manager!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s important to understand several details about MEM before talking about the possible job opportunities (which we’ll cover in the end). Let’s get started!

MEM vs MBA

There are 4 major differences between MEM and MBA. Once you know these in detail, it’ll be much easier to decide if you want to go for MS, MBA, or MEM.

1. Eligibility
   While an MBA degree can be pursued by graduates from any discipline, a MEM course requires you to have technical knowledge beforehand.
   Therefore, MEM programs are mainly for engineering, mathematics, and science graduates. 

2. Curriculum
   So the syllabus of an MBA course comprises a variety of subjects, including ethics, analytics, market research, and sometimes even operations management.
   This is not the case with MEM, where students learn not only the general subjects taught in MBA but also cover topics like System Architecture, Risk and Operation Analysis, Development Management, and more.

3. Tuition
   The average range of tuition fees for an MBA is higher than that of a MEM degree.
   
4. Job opportunities
   Since a Master’s in Engineering Management program is tailor-made for STEM students and has an entirely different curriculum as compared to an MBA course, it naturally follows that the kind of job opportunities you get after graduation will be different for both these courses.
   You will find a comprehensive list of jobs you can get after your MBA here. And we will cover the MEM job opportunities towards the end in this blog.

So if you’re an engineering student interested in technology leadership, industrial management, R&D management, or tech entrepreneurship, MEM is for you.

Subjects covered by MEM Courses

As we’ve already discussed, the curriculum of Masters in Engineering Management courses is quite different from other management courses.

It focuses on a bunch of aspects – engineering, mathematics, technology, and management.

But exactly what kind of subjects will you have in college?

Let’s take a look-

1. Engineering management
2. Accounting for engineers
3. Financial management
4. Marketing issues
5. Decision tools
6. Leadership and organizational behavior
7. Strategic management
8. Negotiation
9. Technical entrepreneurship
10. Project management
11. Product development
12. Organizing for innovation
13. Supply chain management
14. Managerial analytics
15. Operations management, and much more!

It’s important to note that even though there’s a lot of theory you might have to study, MEM programs make internships compulsory.

You also get hands-on practical experience and opportunities to grow by implementing what you have learned in the classroom.

Another benefit of such opportunities is that they give you a chance to establish yourself and grow your network. 

But how long do you have to do that?

Duration of the degree

A Masters in Engineering Management can be pursued in many ways.

You can-

1. Attend your lectures on-campus full-time
   Such courses last anywhere between 12 to 24 months and often include an internship as part of the curriculum.

2. Attend your lectures on-campus part-time
   Such courses will definitely last longer than a full-time course and might take double the time, depending on your speed. That doesn’t mean you don’t get to do an internship.

3. Online distance learning
   Online courses are of short duration as compared to the other two and would lead to you missing out on the classroom experience. But the subjects you study will remain the same.

It’s best to weigh the pros and cons of all these options according to your situation and then decide what’s best for you.

Top universities for MEM

You now know what you’ll be studying while pursuing a Masters in Engineering Management and what else the course curriculum comprises.

But that should not be the sole factor when you’re shortlisting universities.

Use the step-by-step process given here and choose the right university for your MEM degree.

To start with, you can consider some of the top universities for MEM-

1. Stanford University
2. MIT
3. Georgia Tech
4. Duke University
5. University of Pennsylvania
6. Columbia University
7. Virginia Tech
8. Cornell University
9. Texas A&M University
10. Johns Hopkins University
11. North Carolina State University
12. University of Texas
13. University of Florida
14. McGill University
15. University of Ottawa
16. The University of Windsor
17. University College London
18. RMIT
19. University of Melbourne
20. RWTH Aachen

Now, moving on to one of the most important questions about MEM you may have…

Cost of studying MEM

The cost of studying MEM is lower as compared to pursuing an MBA.

Your final cost will depend on the country and the university you choose. For example, living and studying in Singapore is more expensive than doing so in, say, Texas, USA.

However, the overall range for a Master’s in Engineering Management is-

• $29,460 to $70,920

Add to that the cost of living, food, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses, and you’ll have a good idea of how much studying MEM will cost you.

Job opportunities after graduation

After you complete your degree in Engineering Management, an infinite number of opportunity windows will open.

You can be-

1. A Project Manager
2. An Operations Manager
3. A System Analyst
4. A Technical Manager, and
5. Even a Project Engineer!

Your average salary package?

Between $65,000 and $90,000 per annum!

Now, coming to the most important question-

How to apply for Masters in Engineering Management?

After you’ve shortlisted the universities you want to apply to, you will have to go through their websites and find out the admission requirements.

However, a few requirements are common across all universities.

You will need to provide-

1. Transcripts
2. Statement of Purpose
3. 2-3 Letters of Recommendation
4. Resume
5. Proof of language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS)
6. Standard test scores (GMAT or GRE)

There are also two additional admission requirements for a MEM course, including-

1. Work experience of 2 to 5 (or sometimes more) years
2. Knowledge of certain subjects you might not have learned during your undergrad course

Start preparing these documents 6 months before you have to apply.

After you submit your application, it is time to wait.

If shortlisted, you will receive a letter of acceptance, which you can then use to apply for a student visa (and even a scholarship)!

And in case you get stuck or need any kind of help, feel free to drop a comment or reach out to us!

We’d be very happy to help.