University of Cincinnati Online MEng degrees let engineers choose practice over theory to advance in careers as working professionals.
University of Cincinnati Online has sponsored this post.
Advancing your career as an engineer can be difficult. With all the changes happening across industries, technologies and even in the ways we work, taking that next step along your career path can seem uncertain or even perilous. How do you know the right move to make to ensure your continued success?
An undergraduate engineering degree is among the most valuable there is, but in a highly competitive market, it may not be enough to take you where you want to go. That’s why many engineers find themselves going back to school for master’s degrees, gaining the knowledge and credentials to become leaders in their respective fields. However, there’s more than one way to enhance your professional standing and it’s important to make sure you choose the right degree for your ambitions.
Master of Engineering versus Master of Science in Engineering
When it comes to deciding which master’s degree to pursue—a Master of Engineering (MEng) or a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)—the key question to ask is where you want your degree to take you. Are you more interested in pure research and maybe even attaining a doctoral degree, or would you rather take on more of a leadership role?
Engineers sometimes worry that taking on additional degrees will actually make it more difficult to advance their careers, either because a post-graduate degree will price them out of the market in the eyes of many companies or because the number of organizations looking for engineers with their level of narrow domain expertise is so much smaller than those looking for engineers with a more generalized background. Of course, if you’re considering a career in academia, an MSE is definitely the way to go. However, if you see yourself working more in management (you might even be doing that already), an MEng may be a better fit.
What’s the actual difference between the degrees themselves? Eugene Rutz, associate dean for graduate studies in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati, explains it this way:
“When we started the Master of Engineering program about 20 years ago, we looked at our Master of Science program, which had a thesis-based option and a coursework-based option. We took that second option and reformulated it to focus on the practice of engineering rather than research.”
For most master’s degrees in engineering, the technical coursework is the same: whether you take an MSE in mechanical engineering or an MEng in mechanical engineering, you’ll be learning the same technical skills. The difference typically lies in what the MEng students do in place of a thesis. “Instead of taking credit hours for a thesis, our students take extra courses that are related to professional skills,” says Rutz. “If you’re going to work in a corporate setting and you know something about project management, about teamwork and communication, then you’re going to be a better contributor.”
Master of Engineering Programs
Since the coursework is usually the same, MEng degrees tend to fall under the same subdisciplines as MSE degrees. For example, the University of Cincinnati offers three online MEng programs:
While these subdisciplines tend to be very broad, encompassing everything from aircraft to air conditioners, Rutz notes that what makes the University of Cincinnati’s programs unique is their future-facing focus. “Both the electrical and mechanical degrees are focused around Industry 4.0—the idea that big data, ubiquitous sensors, analytics and artificial intelligence are informing design and manufacturing. If we can equip working engineers with skills in those areas, they’ll be able to help their organizations be prepared for that shift.”
The same future-facing approach applies to the Robotics & Intelligent Autonomous Systems program, as the latter includes drones, mobile robots and collaborative robots (a.k.a. cobots). “Automation makes us more competitive,” says Rutz, “but it doesn’t eliminate the need for people who know how to use autonomous systems to improve processes in all kinds of industry.”
According to Rutz, this emphasis on preparing working engineers to thrive in ever-changing industries is what makes the University of Cincinnati’s MEng programs the only ones of their kind in North America. “I looked around and I did not find any other degrees in the United States that were focused that way. There are some in Europe and Southeast Asia, but not many. Of course, there are plenty of schools with good programs that offer five flavors of mechanical engineering online, but that’s not us.” Instead, the University of Cincinnati’s online programs focus on preparing working professionals for where their industries are heading.
That means teaching students about the challenges as well as the opportunities. As any experienced engineer knows, there’s a considerable gulf between the marketing language around Industry 4.0 and the pragmatic realities of implementing automation or data analytics into a real production environment. Artificial intelligence is an especially germane example of this, given the current hype surrounding large language models, such as ChatGPT.
“Being a good engineer means being able to adapt to using new tools,” says Rutz. “The demand for engineers who understand how to use machine learning is something we’re seeing more and more, so we want to be able to equip our students to handle those kinds of tasks.”
Succeeding in a Master of Engineering Program
Anything worth doing is worth doing well, and the keys to doing well in a MEng program are ensuring a good fit between your knowledge and experience and what the program has to offer, as well as taking advantage of the available support and resources for students. In the case of the University of Cincinnati’s online programs, that includes virtual office hours as well as tutoring, counseling and practically any other service available to students on campus.
“We have someone who works specifically with our Master of Engineering students on job opportunities,” says Rutz. “Although most of our students in the online space are already working and not necessarily looking to change careers, with the program being industry-focused, we want to ensure our students are prepared for that.”
As far as finding the right fit goes, all three of the University of Cincinnati’s online MEng programs offer the flexibility working professionals need to continue their education. Students can enroll in the Spring, Summer or Fall semesters, and the programs can be completed in as few as 18 months. “If you’re interested in the program and capable of doing the coursework, we’d be happy to admit you,” says Rutz. “These programs aren’t meant to be competitive for the applicants—the goal is just to provide opportunities for those who are interested.”
Master of Engineering or Master of Science in Engineering: Which is Right for You?
The simplest way to decide whether to pursue a MSE or MEng is to ask yourself whether you’re more interested in theory or practice. If your ideal day involves research on the cutting edge, working in a lab or lecturing students, it’s a safe bet that you’d be happier with a Master of Science in Engineering. On the other hand, if you’d rather be working with other people on building things and making a practical difference in your industry as a leader, go with the MEng.
One final question you may be asking: Which one pays better?
According to Rutz, the two degrees are relatively similar in terms of both salary and career advancement. “What we can say is that, with the MSE, if an industry needs your expertise, they’ll come looking for you. But industries also need good, productive engineers that work well with others, and that’s what the MEng gives you.”
To learn more about the University of Cincinnati’s online Master of Engineering, visit the program website.
