Why the MEM (not the MBA) is the degree of choice for you!
A common mistake is thinking that “management is management.” Indisputably, challenges and difficulties in managing people, projects, and finances are not the same across all industries. Just because someone is great at managing in environments like non-profit, retail, warehouse, advertising, or HR does not mean they can be as successful as technology and engineering managers.
An MBA does not require a technical background; it is open to applicants with any undergraduate degree. People with any degree from A to Z may earn the MBA. This wide variance in background and academic preparedness of those in an MBA program is precisely why, as an engineer, scientist, or technology professional, the Master of Engineering Management should be your degree of choice.
With the MEM, you will learn business and technical skills that make you a successful manager for the engineering, sciences, and technology environments and industries. While 91 percent of those holding the MEM work in technology, less than 30 percent of those who earn the MBA work in the same industries.
To earn the MEM degree, you must have an engineering-focused (STEM) educational background; and these are ways this requirement makes the MEM the right degree for you.
- The MBA curriculum caters to a wide variety of aptitudes and backgrounds; therefore, it cannot be focused on the needs of those in technical and engineering industries. With the MEM, instruction, resources, assignments, activities, and projects are tailored to those who work in STEM organizations.
- The peer-to-peer interactions and collaborations in the MEM program are practical, relevant, and meaningful because students face similar challenges in their work environments; the cross-pollination that occurs in discussions with peers adds perspective and is invaluable to solving problems.
- Credit hours and time-to-completion for the MEM are considerably less than the MBA because all MEM students have a technical background. The MEM’s focus is to prepare students to be managers of engineering and technology, not just a manager.
Our Customized MEM is the ideal graduate degree
There is something to be said about being in the company of the right people. The MEM at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln requires an engineering or a STEM degree. Designed for working professionals, you will interact with peers who have relevant work experience and face similar issues at work. Our fully online delivery lets you continue working full-time while pursuing your dream of earning a master’s degree. The degree is non-thesis and national admission tests like GRE or GMAT are not required for admission.
We have just the right formula to make this degree fit your career plans and interests. Highly customizable, you will tailor your education with a combination of technical and business classes to pave the path for your career success. You will earn your degree in just 30-credit hours (10 courses). Our four core classes are carefully designed to help start you off on a successful journey, and you have the independence to pick six remaining courses from among several engineering management and business electives.
Today’s organizations need engineers with a systems perspective and business acumen who can interact and communicate professionally with their constituents and customers, manage technical projects, and lead successful work teams. Our MEM curriculum fuses business and technical knowledge and skills that are aligned with applications in engineering and technology environments. Commonly known as the Engineers’ MBA because it is customized for and open only to engineers and technology workers, the MEM is preferred to help individuals become successful engineering managers and leaders.
With our fully online eight-week mini-session courses, you can immerse yourself in one topic at a time and internalize the subject for full understanding and effective application. Assignments, activities, and assessments emphasize critical thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, and decision making.
What’s it like to enroll in an online program?
Quality learning experience
The University of Nebraska has offered distance education courses for more than 100 years so you can expect a quality, rigorous experience. Online courses are often highly interactive, with faculty and students communicating through e-mail, discussion forums, and chat groups. You’ll have direct access to world-class faculty: researchers who are experts in their fields and practitioners with real-world experience. You’ll be part of a community of learners and will benefit from the perspectives of students from across the globe.
Flexibility
Online learning provides the flexibility and freedom to attend your classes wherever is convenient for you. You can save time and money by continuing to work and avoiding relocation or travel costs. You will be required to complete assignments in a certain time frame; in most instances, you can log in and complete coursework during the time of day that works best for you. You aren’t tied to a specific class time.
Service you expect from a leading university
Online learners through the University of Nebraska have access to the same student services available to on-campus students. An academic advisor will guide you along your journey, library services are available to help you excel in your program, and career services specialists can assist when you are ready to take your next step. These are just a few of the services in place to help you succeed.
Articles on popularity and relevance of Engineering Management as a degree of choice for engineers and technology professionals:
ü April 6, 2019, IEEE USA InSight, “Engineering Management Programs: The right move for you?” (https://insight.ieeeusa.org/articles/engineering-management-programs/)
ü May 2018, American Society for Mechanical Engineers. The Rise of the Master of Engineering Management Degree (https://www.asme.org/career-education/articles/career-and-education/rise-master-engineering-management-degree)
ü Nov. 28, 2018, The Chronicle of Higher Education. Their Graduates in Demand, Engineering-Management Programs Gain in Popularity (https://www.chronicle.com/article/Their-Graduates-in-Demand/245185)
Jena Asgarpoor, Ph.D., serves as director of the Master of Engineering Management program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering and is associate professor of practice in the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction. She has more than 25 years of experience in online programs and program development and teaching. Dr. Asgarpoor’s interests lie in quality control and quality management, pedagogy, online teaching, and assessment of student learning. As the President of the Council of Engineering Management Academic Leaders (CEMAL) she serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM). She has served as Education Chair on the Board for Nebraska Section of American Society for Quality (ASQ) since 2014, and is active in the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
