Pursuing an advanced degree can help you move your career to a new level. “A Master of Science degree in engineering or an advanced education is often required and expected for advancement opportunities in most industries today,” says Jeff Beavers, assistant dean and director of Engineering Career Services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The College of Engineering at UIUC enrolls 2,500 graduate students (including many international students) and is consistently ranked as one of the top engineering programs in the country.
The time commitment for a master's degree is significantly shorter than that required for a bachelor's degree. Master's programs at UIUC can be completed in one year of intensive study, though students typically take 18–24 months to complete the program. “For those who cannot commit to full-time programs, our college also offers online master's degree programs,” says Beavers.
Online learning is popular at many schools, including The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT engineering students in the System Design and Management Program can take courses via video conferencing, an option that is popular with international students (one semester of on-campus study is still required). Graduates of the program earn a Master of Science degree in engineering and management, thanks to a cooperative partnership with MIT's Sloan School of Management.
Consistently recognized for technical excellence and leadership, MIT is on the leading edge of engineering education. “The field of engineering is evolving, and there's a new field that is emerging,” says MIT's Lois Slavin. That field, Slavin says, is engineering systems: a field centered on the philosophy that students should be educated not just on the technical aspects of engineering, but also on the social, political, and economic impacts of technological advancement. “Engineers really need to be able to understand and lead across these boundaries,” says Slavin, who serves as communications director for MIT's Engineering Systems Division.
Established six years ago, MIT's Engineering Systems Division has a dual mission: to define the emerging field of engineering systems and to transform engineering education. “People who are thinking about engineering education really should look for programs that offer interdisciplinary engineering education,” says Slavin.
Several of MIT's graduate programs incorporate the engineering systems philosophy. Engineering students truly interested in management can pursue a dual MS/MBA degree at MIT in the Leadership for Manufacturing Program. This elite program accepts approximately 50 students each year; the class of 2007 includes 46 students, five of whom are international students. Competition for this program is intense, as each student accepted receives a 70 percent fellowship.
