Program of Study - Engineering Management (MS)
Program 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 30-36 semester credit hours, 15 of which are required of all students. There are two choices of programs in engineering management: 1) thesis and 2) coursework 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 engineering management electives. The coursework only option requires 36 hours of coursework divided into 15 required hours, 9-21 hours of engineering management electives and 0 - 12 hours of non-engineering management electives.
Students make an oral presentation on the thesis to the faculty advisory committee. Students not enrolled in the thesis option must satisfactorily pass a written comprehensive exam to complete the requirements for the Master of Science in engineering management.
The thesis option gives students an opportunity to pursue research and continue their studies at the doctoral level. The coursework option is designed to provide technical breadth. The coursework only path is designed to meet the needs of practicing engineers and engineering managers who do not intend to pursue further graduate studies.
Students may be required to take some leveling courses to satisfy prerequisites, depending on their undergraduate major and experience. The departmental graduate advisor or the student's Graduate Faculty Advisory Committee (GFAC) specifies each student's leveling work.
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 Courses
Students whose undergraduate major is not manufacturing engineering are required to take some leveling courses from the list given below with approval of the students Graduate Faculty Advisory Committee. Leveling courses are determined for each student by the student's advisory committee based on his/her course background and experience in manufacturing.
Required Courses
Program Requirements
Required Courses (15 Credits)
Choose one of the following options:
Thesis Option:
Elective Courses in Engineering Management (9 Credits)
Capstone Requirement Thesis (6 Credits)
Non-Thesis Option:
Elective Courses in Engineering Management (9-21 Credits)
Non Engineering Management Electives (0-12 Credits)
Capstone Requirement
Written Comprehensive Exam
Non-Engineering Management Electives
Engineering management non-thesis students may select additional graduate elective courses other than the courses listed under engineering management electives with their committee's approval.
Coursework option students are limited to 12 hours of non-engineering management electives.
Students may elect to strengthen their technical education by selecting non-engineering management graduate courses offered by the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Students desiring to strengthen their education in management may enroll in graduate courses offered by the
Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship (RCVCOBE). A partial list of electives from the COBE is shown below:
Electives
Total Credit Hours: 30-36