Interdisciplinary Professional Programs
College of Engineering

Master of Science: Engineering Management (Online)

Lead technical teams. Drive innovation. Advance your career without pausing your job.

The UW–Madison online MS in Engineering Management is a 30-credit graduate program designed for engineers moving into leadership roles. You’ll study through flexible, interactive online methods with UW faculty who bring real-world industry experience. This format allows you to balance work, life, and learning while earning a credential recognized for excellence.

How to ApplyRequest Info

Degree
awarded		Master of Science in
Engineering Management
Credits30 graduate credits
Format100% Online, part-time
Duration2-4 Years (part-time)
Tuition$1,300/credit
Starting Fall 2026, tuition will be $1,100 per credit for eligible programs, with an automatic $100 per-credit Wisconsin Resident Scholarship.
Learn more.
StartFall / Spring / Summer
Application
Deadlines		Spring: November 1
Summer: May 1
Fall: July 1

Is This Program Right for You?

Designed for working engineers, this part-time online master’s in engineering management bridges the gap between business leadership and technical expertise.

  • Join a cohort of working engineers in a flexible, interactive program (evening online sessions, no travel required)
  • Build leadership, communication, and engineering decision-making skills
  • Apply course projects directly to challenges at your job for real-time impact
  • Learn from industry-experienced faculty and collaborate with peers from top technical organization

Build Your Degree Path

All students begin with the MEM core curriculum, where they build leadership, operations, financial, and strategic decision-making skills. From there, they choose the path that best supports their goals:

Specialization Tracks

  • Manufacturing Leadership
  • Product & Innovation Leadership

Graduate Certificate Option

  • Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics

Custom Elective Path

  • Build an individualized plan with advisor guidance.

Explore the curriculum for more details.

Online by Design

Our courses blend applied activities, structured opportunities for interaction, and recorded instructor materials. This intentional design supports strong engagement, clear guidance, and meaningful results.

Why This Program?

27 years

of delivering interactive online education, reflecting deep experience designing high-quality online programs for working professionals.

ASEM certified

to ensure you’ll gain the critical knowledge necessary for success in the field of engineering management.

ASEM Certification Badge

#10 graduate ranking

Online Graduate Engineering Management Programs

U.S. News & World Report, 2026

Student Experience

You’ll gain leadership, communication, and data analysis skills rooted in engineering management. From project execution to financial strategy, this engineering management program prepares you to lead high-performing teams and solve complex challenges in technical environments.

  • Leadership and organizational management
  • Strategic planning and project management
  • Communication across technical and business audiences
  • Data-driven decision-making and problem solving
  • Financial resource management
  • Quality management systems and continuous improvement
  • Management of technology, research and development
  • Legal and ethical considerations in engineering management
“I knew I wanted to grow into positions of higher leadership but still wanted a strong technical foundation. I came to the Master’s in Engineering Management because it’s a great balance of growing your leadership skills and the business acumen, while still allowing you to stay very technical and on that engineering side of the career path.”
Jessie McMasters

 

Curriculum and Requirements

Complete 30 graduate credits, beginning with a strong foundation in engineering leadership, business decision-making, and managing technical organizations. Then customize your degree through specialization tracks, graduate certificates, or elective pathways aligned to your goals. Students will need complete 19 credits of core curriculum and 11 elective credits.

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Core Curriculum (take all 19 credits)

EPD 610 – Engineering Analysis for Decision making

EPD 610 – ENGINEERING ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKING

3 credits.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis and visualization tools. Structured decision-making methodology for engineering applications such as variations in materials and production, process control, forecasting and executive decision making. Facilitate persuasive problem-solving and decision making in engineering applications. Builds on foundational knowledge of statistics.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management

EPD 611 – Engineering Economics and Management

EPD 611 – ENGINEERING ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT

3 credits.

Addresses principles and practices of interpreting financial information and performing engineering-related economic analyses. Focuses on the practical use of economic information for decision-making.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management

EPD 612 – Technical Project Management*

EPD 612 — TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

3 credits.

Learn key principles and tools of project management applicable to a broad range of engineering projects. Covers techniques for project planning, scheduling, resource allocation, and project tracking, as well as the interface between projects and the organizations within which they are executed.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing

EPD 616 – Engineering Law

EPD 616 — ENGINEERING LAW

2 credits.

Addresses important legal issues especially relevant to the practice of engineering. Gain awareness and ability to properly address patents, trade secrets, contracts, employment and non-disclosure agreements, as well as product and professional liability. Learn to avoid legal problems that often affect engineering projects and organizations.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing

EPD 618 – Applied Leadership & Management of Engineering Organizations

EPD 618 — APPLIED LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF ENGINEERING ORGANIZATIONS

3 credits.

Addresses strategies, models, and practices for leading and managing engineering organizations in contexts directly relevant to professional engineering work. Emphasizes self-reflection on leadership and management styles, beliefs, and past experiences. Integrates theory, models, case studies, and workplace dynamics to illuminate diverse approaches to leadership and management and to support the effective application of these concepts in organizational settings. Offers broad exposure to multiple perspectives and develops deeper understanding of how leadership and management principles can be put into action.

Requisites: E P D 710

EPD 710 – Foundations of Engineering Leadership

EPD 710 — FOUNDATIONS OF ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP

2 credits.

Build the foundations for developing, refining, and strengthening your effectiveness as a leader of engineering teams, projects, and organizations. Enhance your understanding of how to match your leadership style to a team’s focus, organization, and culture. Grow your understanding of your strengths and weaknesses as a leader using proven assessment tools. Develop a plan for growing your leadership competency.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management

EPD 711 – Strategic & Ethical Communication for Engineers

EPD 711 — STRATEGIC & ETHICAL COMMUNICATION FOR ENGINEERS

3 credits.

Builds communication expertise in engineering practice by emphasizing items such as clarity, audience awareness, and ethical judgment in the exchange of technical and managerial decisions and information. Treats ethics as a foundational element of effective and responsible professional communication, integrating behavioral science, ethical reasoning, and professional codes to support transparency, trust, and sound decision-making. Develops communication problem-solving for common workplace communication challenges.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing

Operational Excellence & Systems Leadership Track

EPD 613 – International Engineering Strategies & Practices

EPD 613 — INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING STRATEGIES & PRACTICES

3 credits.

Provides a deeper understanding of various elements of culture related to business, avoiding the pitfalls, and finding the complementary strengths that will benefit the business. International strategy and the managerial implications such as product, country, location, and organization choices for a multinational engineering operation will be assessed, analyzed and applied. Further discussion will be focused on multi-cultural organization issues and exploring best practices.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing

EPD 678 – Supply Chain Management for Engineers

EPD 678 — SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT FOR ENGINEERS

3 credits.

Examines concepts, management techniques, and current trends in the field of supply chain management with emphasis on topics relevant to engineers. Topics include global logistics, logistics engineering techniques, new product introduction process, purchasing strategy, managing transportation providers, distribution center technology and operations, outsourcing supply chain functions, and an introduction to supply chain information systems.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing

ISYE/​ME 641 – Design & Analysis of Manufacturing Systems

ISYE/​ME 641 — DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

3 credits.

Covers a broad range of techniques and tools relevant to the design, analysis, development, implementation, operation and control of modern manufacturing systems. Case studies assignments using industry data will be used to elaborate the practical applications of the theoretical concepts.

Requisites: I SY E 315, graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students

EPD 605 – Fundamentals of Technical Project Management

EPD 605 — FUNDAMENTALS OF TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1 credit.

Learn techniques to plan, execute, and deliver projects with desired scope on time and on budget. Document clear project objectives and goals, accurately estimate project time and costs, schedule and allocate time-critical resources, and establish feedback systems for optimal project control. Best paired with a work experience, such as an internship or co-op, where you can apply these project management skills.

Requisites: Junior standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management. Not open to students with credit for E P D 612.

EPD 706 – Change Management

EPD 706 — CHANGE MANAGEMENT

1 credit.

Provides emerging and practicing professionals foundational knowledge to develop a change management strategy and implement it using proven processes and tools. Become better prepared to deliver effective organizational performance. Applies contemporary concepts and methods in change management through student-selected projects.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Foundations of Professional Development

EPD 708 – Creating Breakthrough Innovations**

EPD 708 — CREATING BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATIONS

1 credit.

Explore innovation and how design thinking is a driver of innovation. Learn to use various design thinking methods and tools for analysis and decision-making.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Foundations of Professional Development

EPD/​GENBUS/​MHR 785 – Effective Negotiation Strategies

EPD/​GENBUS/​MHR 785 — EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES

1 credit.

Improves students’ negotiating skills, doing so by providing a theoretical underpinning that will help them to understand the sources of effective and ineffective approaches to negotiations.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in graduate Business Exchange program

Product & Innovation Leadership Track

EPD 613 – International Engineering Strategies & Practices

EPD 613 — INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING STRATEGIES & PRACTICES

3 credits.

Provides a deeper understanding of various elements of culture related to business, avoiding the pitfalls, and finding the complementary strengths that will benefit the business. International strategy and the managerial implications such as product, country, location, and organization choices for a multinational engineering operation will be assessed, analyzed and applied. Further discussion will be focused on multi-cultural organization issues and exploring best practices.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing

EPD 614 – Marketing for Technical Professionals

EPD 614 — MARKETING FOR TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS

3 credits.

Role and contribution of marketing and product management to overall operations; target marketing and market segmentation; product lifecycle positioning; develop product and marketing plan as part of balanced marketing effort; technical perspective on social, ethical, environmental, and sustainability of marketing and product management decisions.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing. Not open to students declared in Business: Marketing, MBA.

EPD 619 – Fostering & Learning Innovation**

EPD 619 — FOSTERING & LEADING INNOVATION

3 credits.

Learn to develop vision, culture, and practices that value and drive innovation within engineering and technical organizations. Grow your ability to build an enterprise that values, pursues, and delivers innovative technical services and products.

Requisites: raduate/professional standing. Not open to students with credit for E P D 708.

EPD 707 – Engineering Research & Professional Projects

EPD 707 — ENGINEERING RESEARCH & PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS

3 credits.

Research question and project development; literature review techniques; qualitative and quantitative research methods; professional and technical writing standards.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management

EPD 605 – Fundamentals of Technical Project Management

EPD 605 — FUNDAMENTALS OF TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1 credit.

Learn techniques to plan, execute, and deliver projects with desired scope on time and on budget. Document clear project objectives and goals, accurately estimate project time and costs, schedule and allocate time-critical resources, and establish feedback systems for optimal project control. Best paired with a work experience, such as an internship or co-op, where you can apply these project management skills.

Requisites: Junior standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management. Not open to students with credit for E P D 612.

EPD 706 – Change Management

EPD 706 — CHANGE MANAGEMENT

1 credit.

Provides emerging and practicing professionals foundational knowledge to develop a change management strategy and implement it using proven processes and tools. Become better prepared to deliver effective organizational performance. Applies contemporary concepts and methods in change management through student-selected projects.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Foundations of Professional Development

EPD 708 – Creating Breakthrough Innovations**

EPD 708 — CREATING BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATIONS

1 credit.

Explore innovation and how design thinking is a driver of innovation. Learn to use various design thinking methods and tools for analysis and decision-making.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Foundations of Professional Development

EPD/​GENBUS/​MHR 785 – Effective Negotiation Strategies

EPD/​GENBUS/​MHR 785 — EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES

1 credit.

Improves students’ negotiating skills, doing so by providing a theoretical underpinning that will help them to understand the sources of effective and ineffective approaches to negotiations.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in graduate Business Exchange program

Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics Graduate Certificate

EPD 416 – Engineering Applications of Statistics***

EPD 416 — ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS OF STATISTICS

3 credits.

Provides knowledge and skills to apply statistics to many types of engineering problems. Focuses on developing statistically-based experimental techniques and tests for measures of validity, application of computer-based statistical tools, and approaches to distillation of data.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics

EPD 522 – Generative Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Applications

EPD 522 — GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS

3 credits.

Comprehensive coverage of AI-powered chatbots, from understanding generative AI fundamentals to developing sophisticated chatbot applications. Hands-on experience with generative AI tools. Explore retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques. Examine critical aspects such as security, privacy, and memory models. Knowledge of Python [such as COMP SCI 220 or E P D 455] strongly recommended.

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics

ISYE 516 – Introduction to Decision Analysis***

ISYE 516 — INTRODUCTION TO DECISION ANALYSIS

3 credits.

Overview of modeling techniques and methods used in decision analysis, including multiattribute utility models, decision trees, and Bayesian models. Psychological components of decision making are discussed. Elicitation techniques for model building are emphasized. Practical applications through real world model building are described and conducted.

Requisites: (STAT/​MATH 309, STAT 311, or STAT/​MATH 431), graduate/professional standing, member of Engineering Guest Students, or declared in Capstone Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics

ISYE 521 – Machine Learning in Action for Industrial Engineers

ISYE 521 — MACHINE LEARNING IN ACTION FOR INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS

3 credits.

Principles, algorithms, and industrial engineering applications of machine learning. Predictive analytics, with a focus on combining data and models to improve decision-making. Methods include: statistics, linear regression, logistic regression, regularization, over-fitting, clustering, classification and regression trees, boosting, bagging, deep learning, and neural networks. Applications areas include: healthcare, transportation, and the public sector.

Requisites: COMP SCI 200, 220, or place into COMP SCI 300),(I SY E 323 or I SY E/​COMP SCI/​E C E 524), and (I SY E 210, STAT 311, 324, STAT/​MATH 309, or 431), grad/prof standing, member of Engr Guest Stdnts, or declared in Capstone Cert in AI for Engr Data Analytics

*** Choose either EPD 416 or ISYE 516

Custom Elective Pathway

Design a pathway aligned to your goals by selecting electives with your advisor.

* EPD 612 is required for all students. EPD 605 is optional; if taken, it must be completed before EPD 612.
** Cannot take both EPD 708 and EPD 619

View full course descriptions

Tuition and Financial Aid

$1,300 per credit payable at the beginning of each semester. Starting Fall 2026, tuition will be $1,100 per credit for eligible programs, with an automatic $100 per-credit Wisconsin Resident Scholarship. Students are billed for courses in which they are enrolled each term. There is no lump sum payment plan.

See Tuition & Fees for more information.

Paying for Your Degree

Many students use a combination of employer tuition assistance, scholarships, financial aid, and payment plans to reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Click on the link/title above to explore employer reimbursement strategies, scholarship opportunities, federal aid options, and flexible payment resources for online students.

Scholarship
Students in the online Master of Science in Engineering Management program are also eligible for the new Wayne Pferdehirt Scholarship, a $2,600 award honoring the legacy of a beloved program director. Learn more and apply through WiSH.

Admissions and Events

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Admission requirements

All applicants must:

  • Have a Bachelor of Science in engineering or a related STEM field from an accredited institution.
  • Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 semester hours of coursework.
  • Have a minimum of two years of post-baccalaureate engineering experience. Engineering co-op or intern experience may be applied to the experience requirement.
  • Submit evidence of English language proficiency, if applicable. See the Graduate School Requirements for more information.
  • GRE is not required. Applicants who have taken the test are encouraged to submit their scores.

The admissions committee considers exceptions to standard requirements on an individual basis.

If you don’t currently meet these requirements, you may consider our Applied Engineering Management Capstone Certificate, which can help you transition to this Master’s degree program.

Application materials

For complete application details visit UW–Madison’s Guide

 

Application Deadlines by Term:

Fall 2026July 1, 2026
Spring 2027November 1, 2026
Summer 2027May 1, 2027

Online Graduate Programs Overview
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
5-5:30 PM CT

Join program staff for a conversation about our online graduate programs, including curriculum, application process and career impact.

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Online Graduate Programs Overview
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
12-12:30 PM CT

Join program staff for a conversation about our online graduate programs, including curriculum, application process and career impact.

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Online Graduate Programs Overview
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
5-5:30 PM CT

Join program staff for a conversation about our online graduate programs, including curriculum, application process and career impact.

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Program Overview: Engineering Management MS
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
12-12:30 PM CT

Get more information about the Engineering Management Master’s program including curriculum, application process and potential career paths.

Register Now

Watch anytime on YouTube:

Program Overview: Engineering Management
Program Director Heather Smith and Enrollment Coach Pat Walsh go in depth about the Engineering Management master’s program, including curriculum, application process and potential career paths.

Alumni Insight: Engineering Management
Alumni Spotlight: Engineering Management

Faculty and Staff

Heather Smith
Program Director

Heather Smith, Director of Graduate Programs

Email Heather

Karene Cary
Graduate Student Advisor

Email Karene

Joe Barich, JD, MS
Shawn Belling, MS, PMI-ACP, PMP, CSP, S@S
Christopher G. Dakes, PHD, LEED
Laura Grossenbacher, PhD
Raj Kamal, MS, MBA
Steve King, MA
Jason Lin, PhD
Terry Mann, MS
John Nelson, MS, PE
Barry Roberts, MS
Jeff L. Russell, MS
Jeffrey S. Russell, PhD, PE, Dist.M.ASCE, NAC, F.NSPE
Bart Skarzynski, MA, MFA
Dennis O Smith, MS
George Watson, EdD, MBA, BSB, MCPM, PMP
Chuck West, MBA
Cynthia E West, EdD, MAE, MBA

FAQ

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Q: Is the program fully online?

A: Yes. The MS in Engineering Management is 100% online and designed for working professionals.

Q: How long does it take to complete?

A: Most students finish in about two to four years while working full time, typically taking 1 to 2 courses per semester.

Q: What is the tuition?

A: Tuition is charged per credit. See Tuition & Fees for more information.

Q: Can I keep working full time?

A: Yes. Courses are designed for part-time study alongside a full-time job.

Can I customize my Engineering Management degree?

A: Yes. After completing the core MEM curriculum, students can tailor their degree through specialization tracks, graduate certificate pathways, or elective coursework aligned to their professional goals and career interests.

Q: Will my diploma indicate that the degree was completed online?

A: No. The diploma awarded is a UW–Madison graduate degree and does not reference online delivery. Courses are taught and assessed under the same academic standards used across UW–Madison graduate programs. The mode of instruction does not change the credential earned.

Q: How do I apply?

A: Submit your application through the Graduate School. See Admissions for details or click here.

Ready to lead with confidence? Advance your career with UW–Madison’s online MS in Engineering Management.

How to ApplyRequest Info


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