Why study  Engineering Management?

Engineers and computer scientists need management skills to successfully perform their jobs. This graduate program provides a comprehensive approach to:

• Supervise other engineers using effective people management and negotiation skills,
• Plan and organize resources to deliver on-time and on-budget results through proper project management and engineering economics,
• Recognize product liability issues from both the manufacturer and customer perspectives, and
• Successfully communicate the benefits and challenges associated with a project to upper management and marketing team. 

Engineering managers combine their technical expertise with knowledge and skills in management. This enables them to work on difficult or complex projects. They define problems and determine goals. Their work leads to the development and creation of new products, processes or designs within technical, fiscal, human resource and other constraints.

 

Program of Study

The Master of Science in Engineering Management program is offered with both thesis and non-thesis options. Students selecting the thesis option generally conduct thesis research that integrates their engineering management knowledge with their technical area of expertise. Major components of the program include:

• 15 credit hours of core and elective engineering management courses
• 9 credit hours of business electives
• 6 credit hours of either thesis or additional engineering electives
• A comprehensive exam

Coursework covers topics from managing product development and optimizing resources to providing leadership in making economic decisions and negotiating new projects. The  curriculum includes the following major subjects:

• Management of Engineering Projects
• Engineering Risk and Reliability
• Legal Aspects of Engineering
• Corporate Communication
• Financial Accounting
• Competing through People
• Marketing Management

Visit Graduate Handbooks and Curricula for additional detail.

Faculty

The director of the Master of Science in Engineering Management program is Dr. Hanif Chaudhry, Associate Dean for International Programs in the College of Engineering and Computing. Classes are taught by professors in the College of Engineering and Computing, the Darla Moore School of Business, the USC School of Law and the College of Information and Communications.

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Admissions

All applications must be submitted to through our online application site. Admissions are competitive. It is generally expected that successful applicants will meet the following admissions criteria:

• A Bachelor of Science in engineering, computer science, or the equivalent, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants with other degrees and academic attainment will be considered on a case-by-case basis, based on management and work experience.
• At least 2 letters of recommendation
• A personal statement
• The GRE exam is only required for applicants with GPAs less than 3.5. Minimum scores are 143 Verbal, 148 Quantitative, and 3.5 Analytical Writing.

For international students: Applicants that do not have a degree from a U.S. university must take the TOEFL or IELTS and score a minimum of 80 on the TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS. Applicants who already have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a U.S. university do not need to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam.