Best Online Degrees in: in Engineering Management

Editor's Picks: Online Schools for Engineering Management

Value
Arizona State University‘s (ASU) online Bachelor of Science in Engineering program in engineering management wins the award for best value. According to the compensation data company Payscale, the annual return on investment (ROI) for ASU graduates is 8.2% for students who do not receive financial aid, and 10.1% for students who do receive financial assistance. Payscale also states that 69% of students receive some form of financial assistance.

Career Support
ASU Online offers year-round career services-related support to students, including job search advice, resume reviews, interviewing tips, and more. Career advisors are available to chat online three hours every day of the week. Known as "Ask the Career Advisor," this online chat lets students ask questions and speak with seasoned counselors. Live webinars on job search-related topics are also scheduled throughout the semester, and students can also use the Sun Devil Career Link to find information about job postings, workshops, and job fairs.

Technology Support
ASU is recognized for its technical support services, and its Help Center provides articles, tutorials, FAQs, and more pertaining to software and technology services. Students can submit a ticket to report issues, and support is also available via email, phone, or live chat, 24 hours a day, every day.

Student Engagement
ASU fosters a community even among its online students, realizing that this is a fundamental key to success in the online environment. Students can connect with their ASU peers through Spark, a mobile check-in app that lets users find other ASU students and alumni in their area. Students can download the app onto their smartphones and computers. ASU also maintains enthusiastic communities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Foursquare.

Disability Support
ASU Online‘s Disability Resource Center provides support to all students who have documented disabilities. It wins this category, because its center will work directly with the individual to create an online environment that is "accessible, inclusive, and supportive." Students can call or email ASU's Tempe office for additional information.

Library and Research Support
ASU ranks the highest for its library and research support services among schools that offer bachelor's degrees in engineering management. Online students have access to all of the library resources that on-campus students have through the ASU Libraries website. Available resources include research databases, electronic journals, e-books, and more. Students can contact librarians assigned to specific disciplines, or speak to librarians via email, live chat, or phone. Chat services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Librarians will respond to emails within 24 hours.

Learning Support
ASU‘s engineering program ranks the highest in this category. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranks ASU No. 1 in its list of the top online bachelor's programs for student services and technology. This category evaluates the services, such as live tutoring, that schools offer students. ASU students can receive tutoring in subject areas including science, math, business, and writing. A wide variety of other resources are also available, from the Academic Refresher Program that helps students if they are struggling in a course, to online guides to APA, MLA, and the Chicago Manual of Style.

Faculty Credentials
At ASU, 79% of instructors have at least two years of online teaching experience. The school finances online instructor training, which is required to teach. U.S. News & World Report ranked ASU No. 37 among the top online bachelor's programs in this category nationally.

Faculty Accessibility
ASU Online wins this category, ranking first among schools that offer online programs in engineering management. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranks ASU Online No. 36 on its list of the top online bachelor's programs in the student engagement and assessment category, which rates faculty response rates and availability. According to U.S. News, online students can expect faculty to respond to emails within 24 hours, and instructors hold one office hour per week. The faculty also tracks student logins.

Prior Learning Options
ASU Online is a top ranked research university in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. ASU Online accepts transfer credits for traditional course work successfully completed at regionally accredited colleges or universities. To learn more about how credits transfer to ASU, please view the Transfer Credit Guide.

New Online Student Orientation
ASU Online offers a number of materials that will familiarize students with the online learning environment, and their comprehensiveness is the reason that ASU ranks No. 1 in this category among schools that offer online bachelor's programs in engineering management. First, the Learning Studio tour will familiarize students with what the virtual classroom looks like, how courses are structured, how to interact with professors, and how to turn in assignments. The online student orientation includes step-by-step video tutorials.

Explore a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering Management

Engineering management teaches practices in management, business performance improvement, finance and accounting, research and development, and ethics, for engineering professionals advancing in the fields of engineering and business. Engineering management degrees tend to be available at the master's degree level, and require an undergraduate background in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, or another related field. An undergraduate degree in engineering teaches the application of science and mathematics for the design, manufacture, and operation of machines and structures, and comprises several disciplines, including, chemical, civil, architectural, electrical, and mechanical engineering.

Class Curriculum

Undergraduate course work for engineers includes calculus, chemistry, physics, computer science, and biology. Advanced course work depends on the engineering specialization, but undergraduate students planning on entering an engineering management degree program may consider business course work in accounting, management theory, and business ethics. A master's degree in engineering management will consist of course work in accounting, engineering economy, financial management, industrial and human resource management, industrial psychology, and quality control. The following courses may serve as a foundation for an advanced degree in engineering management:

• Calculus. Students learn single variable differentiation, function integration, infinite series, and mathematical concepts applicable to engineering. Advanced calculus introduces vector and multi-variable calculus, matrices, partial derivatives, and double and triple integrals.
• Engineering Systems. Engineering systems covers general engineering systems applications, including principles of computational modeling and simulation. Students learn parametric and non-parametric modeling, system simulation, parameter estimation, linear regression, and numerical issues in system theory. Engineering systems builds on concepts learned in linear algebra. Engineering management may require advanced course work in systems modeling.
• Statistics. Students learn data set structures, histograms, standard deviations, correlations and regression, and significance tests. Statistics also covers binomial and normal distributions, probability, sampling, and hypothesis testing. Statistics course work provides a foundation for several engineering management courses, including economic analysis and industrial applications courses.

Undergraduate engineering course work will require reading assignments, problem sets, projects, presentations, and laboratory course work related to class lecture. An engineering management program will require reading in management, accounting, and economic strategy. Students may be required to collaborate with peers, including engineering and business students through projects practicing concepts learned in course lecture.

Building a Career

Factors like employer, location, experience, and position affect wage and employment opportunities for engineers, and average pay is also impacted by the engineering discipline chosen. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that agricultural engineers had a median annual wage of $71,090 and petroleum engineers had a median annual wage of $114,080. Other disciplines usually have an annual wage somewhere in between. A master's in engineering management degree may lead to advancement opportunities. The BLS reports that the median pay for architectural and engineering managers is $119,260 per year. Employment for architectural and engineering managers is expected to increase by 9%.

Government engineering contracts require engineers to obtain licensure. Engineering licensure requires a degree from an engineering program accredited by ABET, a passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, and a passing score on the Professional Engineering (PE) exam. After obtaining a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program, the FE exam may be taken; the PE exam may be taken after successfully completing the FE exam.