Master of Science in Engineering Management

Minimum number of credits required to graduate:  32 (33 for the Product Management Concentration)

Students may transfer in up to two (3 or 4 credit hour) approved graduate courses from a separate institution.  These transfer credits may reduce the required total credits to 30 (or 31 for the Product Management Concentration).

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate:  3.0

 

Program Director:  Jeff Hovis, Product Management (online) Concentration

Program Advisor: Torrey DiPalma, Academic Program Manager (online)

Program Director:  Christopher Stuetzle, Associate Dean, Project Management Concentration

Program Director:  Marc Veletzos, Ph.D.

Program Advisor: Sadegh Asgari, Ph.D.

Program Advisor: Kathleen Makiver, Academic Program Manager

 

The Master of Science in Engineering Management provides engineers and scientists with the advanced skills needed to advance in technical management careers.  Employers seek engineering managers with advanced technical abilities that are supported by skills in leadership, communications, and project management.  Engineers and scientists often have the technical training, but typically no formal training in business or management.  The MS in Engineering Management will produce technical professionals who not only understand the concepts of technology and management, but who can contribute to the leadership of their organizations by displaying critical thinking, analytical skills, and judgment.  Students in the program select one of the following concentrations to complete:  Product Management, Project Management, or no concentration.

The Product Management (online) concentration is designed to help graduates become specialists in creating and developing innovative products, seeing this process advance from the initial design of innovative solutions that meet customer needs through to successful production of products in the market. It will be aimed at equipping a diverse audience with the skills necessary to develop, launch, and successfully scale products and services. Being developed in cooperation with leading companies, it will focus on highly sought-after skills, including providing the necessary hard tools and soft skills to successfully lead diverse, global teams. Students will gain the expertise to confidently lead teams in software, hardware and service offerings, employing best practices from the most successful companies in the world. 

The Project Management concentration is designed to graduate professionals with the knowledge and ability to initiate, plan, and execute projects while leading a team to achieve goals through decision-making and timely delivery within the scope of a budget.

 

Admission Requirements

In addition to the College’s requirements, including English proficiency test scores if necessary, applicants must hold a Bachelor of Science degree in a science, engineering, technology, mathematics, business or a closely related field from an accredited college or university. Submitting a GMAT or GRE score is optional.  Two years of related work experience is highly desirable. Merrimack undergraduate seniors will be allowed to take classes through the Double Warrior program if they have relevant internship experience.  Non-Merrimack applicants with less than 2 years of work experience will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with close attention paid to the strength of their undergraduate academic program and any internship or professional experience.  It should be noted that applicants with extensive industry experience have reduced GPA expectations under these requirements.

Transfer of Credit from other Institutions

For transfer credit, see transfer policies in the graduate academic catalog. 

 

Program Outcomes

Students in all concentrations within the M.S. in Engineering Management program will develop skills to:

• Communicate effectively with a clear message and purpose for the intended audience. 

• Create value along the supply chain by applying effective and efficient practices that are used in managing world-class operations. 

• Design effective work teams and both motivate and facilitate teams to achieve high performance. 

• Facilitate the process of generating and implementing novel and useful ideas. 

• Apply important marketing concepts such as buyer behavior, market research, and market segmentation and positioning to develop solutions to marketing situations in the digital and social media domains. 

• Design decision models based on data and logic to assist with critical real-world engineering and business decisions related to resource allocation, capital investments, and repair or replacement of equipment. 

• Optimize the efficiency of engineering and/or business networks by developing models based on optimization and operations research theory. These models will assist in solving problems related to resource allocation, scheduling, transportation, transshipment, and investment.

• Effectively manage engineering projects using the principles, theories, and best practices of engineering project management, including human resource management, entrepreneurial skills, decision-making and mathematical/scientific methods. 

• Demonstrate knowledge of the legal and ethical environment impacting business.

• Lead and undertake projects to progress strategic and entrepreneurial goals into innovative and tangible solutions.

• Demonstrate communication and leadership skills to promote success in competitive and shifting technology-driven industries.

• Implement strategic goals that emphasize the optimum use of available resources to meet business goals.

 

Students in the Product Management (online) concentration will additionally develop skills to…

• Plan and develop the specifications for a range of products or a product portfolio that meets a long-term strategic plan.

• Use marketing analysis and analytics tools to ensure that products meet or exceed customer and market requirements.

• Envision, design, and develop products that address user needs, while promoting aesthetics, economics, and practical constraints.

• Lead and undertake projects to progress strategic and entrepreneurial goals into innovative and tangible solutions.

• Demonstrate communication and leadership skills to promote success in competitive and shifting technology-driven industries.

• Implement product programs that emphasize the optimum use of available resources to meet business goals.

 

Students in the Project Management concentration will additionally develop skills to… 

• Identify project goals, constraints, deliverables, performance criteria, and resource requirements in consultation with stakeholders. 

• Align the project throughout its lifecycle to the organization’s strategic plans and business justification. 

• Manage the scope, cost, timing, and quality of the project, at all times focused on project success as defined by project stakeholders. 

• Adapt projects in response to issues that arise internally and externally. 

 

Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Engineering Management requires students to complete 32 credits, consisting of a combination of 2-or 4-credit courses.  Note the Product Management (online) concentration includes a 1 credit professionilsm seminar and requires students to complete 33 credits.  

 

Business Core:  Total Credits Required = 8 

   Any MGT 5000 or 6000 level course with adviser approval

 

Engineering Management Core:  Total Credits Required = 12 

  CEN 5050 - Construction Planning & Management (SP) (4 cr.)

  GEN 5055 - Decision Analysis (SP) (4 cr.)

  GEN 5057 - Optimization (FA) (4 cr.)

  GEN 6004 - Engineering Project Management (4 cr.)

  EMP 6001 - New Product Development (Online) (FA/SP) (4 cr) - Eight week ONLINE format 

 

Electives:  Total Credits Required = 12

  CEN 5071 - Introduction to GIS (FA) (4 cr.)

  DSA 5010 - Foundations of Data Management (4cr.) - Eight week ONLINE format

  DSA 5020 - Foundations of Statistical Analysis (4 cr.) - Eight week ONLINE format

  DSA 5200 - Data Visualization (4 cr.) - Eight week ONLINE format

  DSE 6100 - Predictive Modeling (4 cr.) - Eight week ONLINE format

  GEN 6032 - Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (SP) (4 cr.)

  GEN 6800 - Graduate Internship (4 cr.) (Requires adviser and program director approval)

  EMP 6300 / EMP 6301 - Innovative Models for (Complex) Technological Products (2 cr.) / Design Thinking (2 cr.) - ONLINE

  Any Engineering Managment Core course not already taken.

 

 

Product Management Concentration (online)

The Product Management concentration in the M.S. in Engineering Management degree program consists of 25 credits in the core curriculum including 24 credits in courses addressing product innovation, design, scheduling, marketing, data science, accounting, and engineering management principles, and a 1 credit professionalism seminar. 8 additional credits are selected in one of the following concentration tracks: Life Sciences, Technology Products or Software, Web and Mobile, to round out the total requirement of 33 credits.

This concentration will be offered entirely online, and be taught by leading practitioners and academics. The curriculum will be designed so that students can put it to work immediately, with applied projects throughout. The program can be completed in as few as 16 months, with 33 credits. It is designed to support incoming students with STEM and non-STEM backgrounds. Prior work experience is recommended, but not required.

 

Product Management Core: Total Credits Required: 9

    EMP 6001 - New Product Development Credits: 4

    EMP 6002 - Principles of Product Realization Credits: 4

    EMP 6950 - Professionalism Seminar Credits: 1

 

Data Science & Analytics Core: Total Credits Required: 8

    DSE 5001 - Introduction to Data Science and Statistics Credits: 4

    DSA 5300 - Data Governance and Privacy  Credits: 4

    DSA 5400 - Visual Data Exploration Credits: 4

 

General Business Core: Total Credits Required: 8

    MKT 5050 - Concepts of Marketing  Credits: 2

    MKT 5310 - Innovation and Trends in Marketing  Credits: 2  

    MKT 5320 - Digital Marketing Implementation & Optimization  Credits: 2

    MGT 5140 - Effective Managerial Communication  Credits: 2

    MGT 5340 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution  Credits: 2

    MGT 5350 - Diversity and Inclusion  Credits: 2

    MGT 5310 - Leading Effective Teams  Credits: 2

    MGT 5320 - Leading Organizational Change  Credits: 2

    MGT 5330 - Leading Creativity and Innovation  Credits: 2

    ACC 5050 - Foundations of Accounting  Credits: 4

    FIN 5050 - Finance Concepts  Credits: 2

 

Additional Concentration Trace Courses

 

Life Science Focus Electives:  Total Credits Required: 8

    EMP 6100 -  Innovation for Life Sciences  Credits: 2

    EMP 6101 -  Regulatory Considerations in Life Sciences Credits: 2

    EMP 6105 -  Life Sciences Capstone Credits: 4

 

OR

 

Software, Web and Mobile Focus Electives:  Total Credits Required: 8

    EMP 6200 -  Agile Project and Innovation Models  Credits: 2

    EMP 6201 - Digital Marketing Credits: 2

    EMP 6205 - Software, Web and Mobile Capstone Credits: 4

 

OR

 

Technology Products Focus Electives:  Total Credits Required: 8

    EMP 6300 - Innovative Models for Technological Products Credits: 2

    EMP 6301 - Design Thinking Credits: 2

    EMP 6305 - Technology Product Capstone Credits: 4