Engineering Management (MS)
Overview
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering offers a graduate program in engineering management leading to a Master of Science. The department offers thesis and non-thesis options.
The engineering management major is designed for students to develop an understanding of the engineering relationships between the management tasks of planning, organization, leadership, control and the human element in production, research and service organizations. There are strong synergies between the MS in engineering management, the MS in computer science and information technology, the existing MSE programs in electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering and the College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Students are provided an opportunity to strengthen their technological education and acquire the skills to manage and lead engineers and engineering systems.
The graduate program in engineering management requires a minimum of 30 semester credit hours, 15 of which are required of all students. There are two choices of programs in engineering management: 1) thesis and 2) non-thesis only. The thesis option requires 24 hours of coursework and 6 hours of thesis. The 24 hours of coursework is divided into 15 hours of required coursework and 9 hours of prescribed electives. Of the 9 hours of prescribed electives, 3-9 are taken in engineering management electives and 0-9 are taken in non-engineering management electives. The non-thesis option requires 30 hours of coursework divided into 15 required hours and 15 hours of prescribed electives. Of the prescribed electives, 6-15 hours will be taken in engineering management electives and 0-9 hours will be taken in non-engineering management electives.
Students with a thesis option must complete a thesis research project, prepare the thesis report and defend their thesis in an oral presentation to the student thesis committee. Students enrolled in the non-thesis option must prepare a course project report one semester before their graduation and submit it to the graduate committee, to complete the requirements for the Master of Science in Engineering Management.
The thesis option gives students an opportunity to pursue research, which prepares the student for a research and development related career or for further graduate studies. The non-thesis option is designed to provide technical breadth, knowledge and skill, to meet the needs of practicing engineers and engineering managers.
Students may be required to take some leveling courses to satisfy prerequisites, depending on their undergraduate major and experiences. The departmental graduate advisor or the student thesis committee specifies required leveling courses for each student.
An online version of the program is also available. Students are not allowed to alternate enrollment in online and traditional program courses.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the graduate program in engineering management, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- GRE General Test. GRE test scores are valid for 5 years. A waiver of the GRE requirement will be granted to applicants who show proof of completing a graduate degree (master’s or doctoral).
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, computer science, or business.
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
- Letter of Intent detailing professional goals and reasons for pursuing the graduate degree.
- Resume.
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
Leveling Requirements
Students whose undergraduate major is not manufacturing engineering may be required to take some leveling courses from the list given below. Leveling courses are determined for each student by the graduate coordinator or thesis committee based on the student's course background and experience in manufacturing.
Leveling Courses
Program Requirements
Required Courses - 6 Hours
Prescribed Electives - 9 Hours
Select one unduplicated course in each area.
Engineering Management Area Electives
Choose one from the following:
Quality Systems Area Electives
Choose one from the following:
Engineering Analysis Area Electives
Choose one from the following:
Elective Courses - 9 Hours
Select three unduplicated courses from graduate courses offered by the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the College of Science, or by the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship.
Capstone Requirements - 6 Hours
Students may take the Thesis Option or the Non-Thesis Option.
Thesis Option
Non-Thesis Option
Select 2 unduplicated courses from the three areas listed above.
Course project report showing graduate level work from one of the M.S. Engineering Management courses approved by the graduate coordinator.
Total Credit Hours: 30