An online Ph.D. in Engineering Management is a degree that is in high demand from both graduate applicants and employers. With so many construction and expansion plans taking place, both in the public and private sectors, professionals with the proper education are sorely needed. And with the industry projected to grow at six percent through 2026, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is more important than ever to provide students with avenues to earn this degree.
Online degrees for this position are plentiful, but many are expensive. Still, a handful of schools have found a way to make the degree accessible and affordable for those applicants who have demonstrated their unique talent and passion for the field. The ten schools listed below represent the best online options available and includes state, public, and private universities.
Most Affordable PhD in Engineering Management Online Degrees
Explore these promoted online degree programs.
These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online graduate degree programs. Figuring out where to apply? Consider one of these online Master's or PhD programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Career Options for an Online Doctorate in Engineering Management Degree?
An online Ph.D. in Engineering Management can open a lot of doors for those who earn the degree, but it's important to understand that many degrees come with career-based options. This enables programs to specify its curriculum and program outcomes to serve students with a stated pathway.
Programs that are designated "practice-based" refer to degrees that will pave a way forward towards working in the business sector as an engineering manager. Students may also find work in leadership positions in companies that work in the engineering industry. It is also possible to work as a contractor for the government or as a consultant that freelances for the business sector.
Universities that confer an "academic-based" degree enable students to work as academics and researchers in the field of engineering management. These programs can help students get jobs as professors at universities or work as a researcher in a think tank or company that works in research and development. It is also possible to work for the government as an analyst, helping solve infrastructure problems.
Graduates of either type of degree can also find work as authors, whether for nonfiction books or publications. They can also contribute to textbooks. Both types of graduates can also go into business in the technology field as entrepreneurs, although some business acumen is required.
Explore Similar Industries
What is the Salary Expectation for Engineering Management?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for engineering managers was $134,730 in 2016. However, because students have different pathways after earning a doctoral degree in the field, salaries may differ based on the technical recognition of their degree.
Academic-based degrees are designed for professors and researchers. The salaries are difficult to pinpoint, but university professors make an average of $75,430 per year while researchers can begin their career making around $55,000. Salaries increase depending on specialty, work experience, and cost-of-living in different regions in the country.
As stated above, engineering managers can make six figures at an entry-level position. However, the salaries rise based on career length and past work experience. These professionals, who have a practice-based degree, can often earn as high as $250,000 because they can work in the private business sector, increasing their chances of earning a leadership position at a major corporation.
What are the Various Disciplines of Engineering Management?
Because engineering management is a field that pairs engineering and business together, there are a variety of disciplines that students may find in their curriculum program. These include engineering, computer science, research, science, math, and more.
But not all degrees focus on the same approach or the same field. As discussed above, there are different pathways that offer different disciplines for each type. This is because those students will be involved with various disciplines throughout their career, and these must be taught at the university level. For example, a practice-based degree has disciplines that range from business to management to accounting. Some programs also require cultural courses to help students who may wish to work for a multinational company. In that same vein, prestigious schools offer language courses at an advanced level.
Academic-based degrees, on the other hand, focus more on research and academia. This enables students to learn about different theories and put them into practice in the lab. This degree also requires an understanding of the history of engineering and includes the discipline of academic writing, economics, finance, statistics, and more.
What are Some Requirements for Applying for a Doctorate in Engineering Management?
No two online Ph.D. in Engineering Management programs are exactly the same, but many of the requirements are shared by all universities.
An ABET-accredited undergraduate or graduate degree
Transcripts
Personal Essay
One to three years of work experience in the engineering industry
GRE
The final requirement on this list, the GRE, is often hotly debated as a standard requirement for doctoral programs. Many schools will allow some students to forgo this application requirement, a standard that has been building for years; this could be because many students enter a doctoral program after finishing a graduate degree, which many in the field feel renders this requirement obsolete.
Does Accreditation Matter for Doctorate Degrees?
Most students will know that accreditation is incredibly important for all types of degrees, not just bachelor degrees. In fact, doctorate programs that aren't accredited by an independent body are often a detriment to graduates who are looking for a job. Most employers prefer students who have an independently accredited degree.
Pursuing a program that holds recognition from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology is advantageous for students. Not only does the ABET accreditation bolster that program's reputation, and therefore a student's work application, it also signals an industry standard that is shared by that program's curriculum and program outcomes. It is also the mark of a comprehensive and rigorous degree that introduces students to that advanced concepts that are general knowledge in the field.
Accredited programs are often more competitive, meaning that a student will have to fight for their spot in the college. This competition paves the way for a better focus on education and internships, enabling them to earn work experience while still earning their degree.
Employers prefer accredited degrees, regardless whether the program was conferred traditionally or online; therefore, it makes sense for a student to do their best to earn a place at a university that holds that recognition. Now that accredited programs are far easier to find online, all a student has to do is to start their research focusing on only universities that hold ABET recognition.
Earning an engineering management doctorate online is a good option for students who are cultivating a career but want to continue their education. With the help of the GSH staff, these graduate applicants get a sense of what these online programs are like, from the month/year rotation to different courses and specializations that are available. The above schools are not only the most affordable, but are also highly respected when it comes to online Ph.D in Engineering Management degrees.
