Every day, anyone traveling or walking outside comes across the work of an engineer. While commuting to work, heating up food in the microwave, or even recycling, engineering is everywhere. This is because engineers have a myriad of skills to apply in all aspects of life.
If you are a graduate with an engineering degree, there are more pathways for you to take than you might think. Engineering is a vast field that splits into various disciplines. But, the career you choose often depends on the specialization that you decide to go for. For instance, some careers in engineering require a post-graduate degree, while others require a basic graduate degree and professional experience in the relevant field.
However, having an engineering degree does not mean that you can never step out of the engineering world. As limited as this field of education may sound, there is another degree to explore if you decide to continue your educational journey towards a master’s degree.
Master’s Degree in Engineering Management
Despite what others may think, your career as an engineer is not set in stone. Just because you have the word ‘engineering’ in your degree does not mean it is all you can ever be.
With a MEM degree, students can bridge the gap between engineering and management by making use of critical, analytical, engineering and management skills altogether.
In a field like engineering, where you’re in charge of developing and maintaining systems, having a MEM degree gives you the appropriate vocational training to apply when stepping out into the real world.
Here are some of the reasons why a master’s in engineering management might just be the next best step for you:
- In today’s world of complex technology, engineering managers prove to be the perfect mentors for technical professionals. They use their logical and analytical thinking to provide management solutions.
- If you’re a graduate already holding down a job with a penchant for planning, interpersonal communication and leadership, MEM is the degree for you. Unlike other advanced master’s programs that take two years to complete, you can complete a MEM degree in as little as 6-12 months.
- A report shows that the demand for engineering managers with a master’s degree has increased by 59% in recent years. With the right skills of being able to handle multiple tasks with an added knowledge of the engineering world, this degree is in high demand.
Career Options for MEM Graduates
Every engineering student wants to have a secure job the moment they graduate. Previously, most people considered an MBA to be the best option because of its demand in the market. However, with the pandemic, experts agree that the value of this degree is depleting. Employers now want a do-it-all person. They want an employer who can bring a diverse set of skills and qualifications, making MEM a perfect option.
With this degree, you can explore the following career pathways:
- Technical manager
- Cost/System analyst
- Operations manager
- Project engineer
Most of these job requirements have one thing in common: they require a person with basic managerial skills and someone who can develop and maintain systems to deal with troubleshooting errors in the production process.
Other Academic and Career Options for Engineers With an Undergrad Degree!
If engineering is where your heart is set and the fieldwork involved in it is what piques your interest, then there is a lot to explore here. Despite what others might say, there is a high demand for engineering graduates everywhere.
Here are some of the options that you can consider as an engineering student:
Civil Engineering
A degree in civil engineering is more than a career in the construction sector. This degree allows you to step a foot into the financial sector as well. Civil engineering careers are challenging. They are perfect for those who like to challenge themselves. It also involves construction work, management, and design, depending on the area that interests you.
This degree also opens doorways for students who want to continue their education and specialize in consulting or construction. If you’re more inclined towards the planning stage of construction, designing and contacting architects, you might fit in better as a consulting civil engineer. But, if you like more practical work, such as working in the field, then you might want to become a construction civil engineer.
Aeronautical Engineering
The obvious pathway for this career is to have a degree of specialization in aeronautics. However, it is open to students of mechanical, chemical, as well as manufacturing engineering.
As the name suggests, the role of an aeronautical engineer is to develop and test the performance of military and civil aircraft. For this specific field, you need to have good mathematical and scientific skills. People who have good research and management skills also do well in this field, however, technical education is a must.
Electrical Engineering
This field often goes hand-in-hand with other engineering fields. This is because, with an electrical engineering degree, you can work in various fields. These fields range from construction to healthcare and even media.
Electrical engineering is one of the few engineering degrees that does not need a certain post-graduate degree. You can opt for a master’s in electrical engineering even if you have a mechanical engineering degree.
With a special knowledge of the commercial world, electrical engineers work on developing electrical systems. Using special mathematical skills, they also maintain these systems.
In Conclusion
A degree like MEM also offers flexibility, making it ideal for engineers who have already entered the field of work. Any degree is valuable, and the success of engineering students in relevant engineering fields depends on their passion. Whether you choose to be a mechanical, aeronautical or civil engineer or are more inclined towards engineering management, how you build yourself to fit into your field is up to you.
