Online Master’s Degree in Engineering Management (MS)
Tickle College of Engineering
Program Overview
Looking for a program that will allow you to continue working full-time while earning your master of science in Engineering Management?
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, offers an online master's degree program for Engineering Management (MS-EM.) Ideal for working professionals, this degree can be completed in two years and applied to careers in engineering, managerial, and other fields. Upon graduation, you will have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet modern engineering management career needs.
Credit Hours
30
Cost Per Credit Hour*
In-State $815
Out-of-State $890
Modality
Asynchronous & Synchronous
Admission Terms
Fall, Spring, Summer
*Cost per credit hour is an estimate based on maintenance and university fees. Some programs may have additional course fees. Please contact your department for additional information on any related fees, and visit Tuition and Fees in Detail at One Stop.
Ignite Your Career in Engineering Management
The Master of Science in Engineering Management (MS-EM) at the University of Tennessee is a 100% online program that started in the 1980s. The program evolved from an EM concentration in an Industrial Engineering Major to a freestanding EM program in an Engineering Management Major. The program is designated for engineers, managers and other professionals working fulltime who could complete the program in a typical two-year cycle. The curriculum for the EM program consists of 30 credit hours in total with nine 3-credit-hour required courses and three 1-credit-hour seminars. The curriculum balances the best practices and knowledge in industry and the latest technology and innovation in engineering and management. The curriculum covers a wide variety of topics including project management, financial management, technology management, organizational behavior and team relations, supply chain and manufacturing, and engineering data analytics.
The MS-EM program will be accredited by SACSCOC like other graduate programs on campus. Upon graduation, students will be able to apply modern engineering tools, and theory to analyze engineering problems, conduct financial analysis for engineering problems and projects, plan and manage engineering projects effectively. The master’s degree in EM will help students grow in their careers such as joining an engineering project management team, becoming an engineering project or team leader, or becoming an administrative leader for engineering firms or manufacturers.
Our unique online master’s program in EM is built based on 30+ years of experience, designed for working engineering professionals who will be able to complete it in a typical two-year cycle while still working full time and designated for engineering professionals to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to become the leaders of modern engineering projects, teams, and firms.
Featured Courses
Students in the MS in Engineering Management program have the opportunity to take a wide range of courses, including the following:
IE 533: Theory & Practice of Engineering Management
Principles of engineering management, including: business and organization design, culture, leadership, marketing and competition in global economy, motivation and performance management, empowerment, organizational behavior, and diversity. Systems thinking, learning organizations, and systems dynamics modeling. Principle application to work settings and case studies.
IE 536 Project Management
Development and management of engineering and technology projects. Project proposal preparation; resource and cost estimating; and project planning, organizing, and controlling: network diagrams and other techniques. Role of project manager: team building, conflict resolution, and contract negotiations. Discussion of typical problems and alternative solutions. Case studies and student projects.
IE 537: Analytical Methods for Engineering Managers
Survey of management analysis and control systems through industrial engineering techniques. Qualitative and quantitative systems: methods analysis, work measurement, incentive systems, wage and salary development, production and inventory control, facility layout, linear programming, and applied operations research techniques.
IE 539: Strategic Management in Technical Organizations
Strategic planning process and strategic management in practice; corporate vision and mission; product, market, organizational, and financial strategies; external factors; commercialization of new technologies; and competition and beyond.
Ready to lead the way in engineering management?
student testimonial
The UT Industrial and Systems Engineering/Engineering Management graduate program has been a game changer for me. The methodologies and leadership skills I learned help me daily in my career in the auto industry.
In many situations, real-life experiences have allowed me to solve challenging issues. However, when new issues arise that I have not experienced nor have my team members, I am able to utilize the methodologies and leadership skills I learned at UT to find the solutions. This has granted me the opportunity to move between different business functions at Nissan. I started the graduate program in the fall of 2014; since that time I have moved from Quality Manufacturing to Quality Engineering, and I recently moved to a new position, Sr. Manager Test Lab Operations at Nissan Technical Center North America in Farmington Hills, MI.
I would encourage anyone who wants to improve his or her career opportunities to consider UT. The Engineering Management Faculty and Staff are true professionals, and they care about their students. The flexibility to complete the coursework at the beautiful campus or online, is great too!
– Ben Gassman, Sr. Manager QA, Nissan North America
Student Testimonials
The breadth of the Industrial Engineering with Engineering Management degree program allowed me the opportunity to focus on areas in engineering/management that were important to me, while ensuring a basic understanding of engineering and management. This degree program has increased my opportunities for job growth and development. With this degree (in process) I was able to move into a continuous improvement roll that I would not have had the opportunity to do without this degree program. I constantly apply the tools I have learned from ENMG 541, 534, 601, 536, IE 516, and 518 in my continuous improvement role. The feedback I have received from the professors, both knowledgeable and experienced in their fields, has molded me into a better engineer.
– Sarah Fried
The Master of Science degree in the Engineering Management program at UT was an invaluable program in that it provided a clear and concise perspective of how the manufacturing industry currently operates. As a practicing engineer of over twenty years, the curriculum paralleled activities I face in my day-to-day responsibilities and allowed me to not only succeed in completing the tasks at hand but offered a broader viewpoint of how to address them. Each professor provided a wealth of knowledge for their given course and demonstrated knowledge predicated upon real-world experiences.
– Jason Brawner, M.S., Product Engineering Specialist, ABB Installations Products
The Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management program was very valuable to me. The classes allowed to improve my repertoire of analytical, finance, and economic-related tools. Some examples are: I now better understand the terminology and the finance calculations used in our budget sessions. I am better able to use my economics knowledge to put together project justifications. I use FMEAs and fishbone diagrams with more frequency to help me with problem solving, etc. Overall, the program was worth it. I want to thank the faculty for working with me and allowing me to mold my curriculum with classes that actually related to my job.
– Paul Rengifo
After completing my undergraduate degree in the UT system, I knew that UT would be my only choice for graduate-level education. The professors at UT are not only experts in their fields of study, but they have real-world work experiences that directly related to me as a practicing professional. The distance education option allowed me to attend classes on my terms and it was a perfect fit for my chaotic schedule. The virtual classrooms, along with the one-on-one instruction from the professors, made me feel like I never left campus. If you’re looking to create value for yourself, while also developing the expertise necessary to lead technical organizations, then the Engineering Management program at U is the place for you.
– Nicholas Stephens, Civil Engineer, TDOT
I chose to pursue the engineering management degree at UT because of the convenience of its online format. Being employed full-time, the ability to view the classes when I wanted was invaluable. I also enjoyed having an actual instructor teach each class instead of only having reading requirements and writing assignments. The convenience was why I started, but the faculty and staff were the reasons I finished. They are very attentive to the student’s needs and provide a great environment for distance learning. The degree has helped me to pursue the career I never envisioned I would be able to achieve. It has allowed me to become an assistant professor in Construction Management. Without UT and the convenience of the Engineering Management program, I would never have been able to reach this position that I envisioned many years ago as an undergraduate engineering student.
– Phil Buell, Assistant Professor, MTSU
UT Engineering Management Program has been extremely helpful in my professional career. My current position requires me to work closely with strategic planning for my company. Many of the classes gave me the knowledge of the data and analysis required to make informed decisions. Dr. Simonton’s classes were very practical. He dealt with real-world problems that I face every day in my current position. Another focus that has been extremely helpful was the business and accounting classes. We built our knowledge to better relate with the accounting department. I would encourage any engineer interested in getting their MBA to instead consider getting a Master’s in Engineering Management at UT.
– Shane Buchanan, GM of Corporate Production Engineering, Kasai North America
About a month after graduation my company came to me to see if I’d be interested in a new job that would be a promotion. Before I could get started a Sr. VP was brought in and began making changes and restructuring several departments including mine. Because of that my promotion was put on hold. I was since offered an even better position as a project manager by the Sr. VP despite several co-workers seeing their positions cut. I’m going through the hiring process to satisfy HR requirements, but it looks as if I’ll be in my new role within the next month. I’m very grateful that I completed the EM program because I was immediately presented with a new career opportunity, and ultimately it is helping me to a promotion and new career path when others are leaving the company.
I was not an engineer and did not have an engineering undergraduate degree. But I believed that the EM program would allow me to pivot into a new career path and give me the needed skills to compete for jobs requiring an engineering degree. It has 100% helped me achieve my goals even sooner than I anticipated.
– Jared McCoy, EPB, Product Manager, Chattanooga
The UT Engineering Management degree has been immediately impactful and very pertinent to my current and future work, benefiting me and my employer. For years I had worked for the same employer and through experience had come to develop a range of skills and techniques that I would use in the multiple projects I have been assigned to. With the UT Master’s degree program, I have learned several other techniques for project management and managerial skills that I have been able to utilize on an urgent, high impact project driven by top management at my employer. The skills and techniques I learned through this program have enabled me to not only provide better project and technical management but have enabled me to discuss the project in terms and details that top management is familiar with, and even greatly advance the project in the eyes of top management.
My employer has been immediately satisfied with their investment in my education and successful performance due to my enhanced skills and knowledge has had a positive impact on my career path. On top of these benefits, the offering by UT was less expensive than an alternate format offered by my employer and the flexibility of online courses allowed me to maintain a positive work-school-life balance with my wife and young child. I am proud of what I have accomplished and feel anyone looking to better their technical skills when it comes to engineering management would ultimately be happy with their decision to pursue this worthwhile degree.
– Benjamin Rothrock
