MEM in the USA: Top Universities, Cost and Career Prospects

Master in Engineering Management also known as MEM is a management degree in engineering that acts as a link between technology, engineering and management. The degree is a common choice for engineering graduates who wish to move up the corporate ladder. It is a management program that is more detailed than MBA or MIM and is specially designed for engineers. The USA is quite a popular destination for pursuing a master’s degree among international students and so is the MEM degree. Read this blog to understand more about pursuing MEM in the USA

Must Read: Admission Process to Study in the USA

Masters in Engineering Management in the USA

MEM is a two-year-long program that offers students a blend of engineering and management skills.  Moreover, it keeps a learner abreast with industrial engineering strategies, skills as well and concerns. The postgraduate course tends to secure high-paying jobs. Some of the subjects in MEM are-

• Computer Simulation for Risk & Operational Analytics
• Project Management
• Product Management
• Manufacturing Management
• Systems Engineering and Architecture
• Environmental Systems Analysis, Economics & Public Policy
• Applied Machine Learning
• Data Science for Business Intelligence
• Operations and Supply Chain Management

Why Study MEM in the USA?

MEM in the USA is a widely recognized course and the country offers students some of the best universities in the world for pursuing this course. The core curriculum of MEM covers marketing to finance, intellectual management and management law. The course provides students with the perfect blend of engineering and management skills. The USA has some of the premier educational institutions offering MEM degrees and provides world-class education to their students, thus becoming a desirable choice for pursuing the degree amongst students. Here are some of the key reasons why you should think about pursuing MEM in the USA-

• The USA offers the students a great network of MEM students, alumni and faculty who have established their presence in this field and can provide the students with some really useful insights. The networking opportunities here are endless which is what matters the most.
• The US universities don’t just provide theoretical knowledge but believe in the practical nature of everything and thus they help the students understand the relationship between engineering principles and management skills in a business setting through joint outreach ventures.
• Employment in this sector has gone up at a tremendous rate in the USA over the past couple of years. Therefore, the country has good career prospects for MEM graduates. 
• The teaching system is what sets the country apart from many others. They always maintain the best teaching practices which are industry-relevant and innovative.
• The country provides both full-time as well as part-time programs giving students the flexibility to choose whatever they find comfortable.

How is MEM different from an MBA?

An MBA is a postgraduate degree for management that focuses on all types of disciplines while MEM is a postgraduate degree for engineering management that focuses on the technical management aspect of the business. An MBA course can help you gain jobs in marketing, business law, finance, and accounting. MIM course offers you jobs in finance & accounting, data science, product management, technology strategy, and economics.

Know all about Studying in the USA with our exclusive Study Guide!

Top Universities for MEM in the USA

Here are the top universities for pursuing MEM in the USA. 

• Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken
• The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of Houston – Clear Lake, Pasadena
• The University of Texas at Arlington
• Gannon University
• Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant
• National University, San Diego
• Cornell University
• The University of Texas at Dallas
• Northwestern University
• University of South Florida
• Clarkson University
• Colorado State University
• Drexel University
• Stanford University
• University of Colorado Boulder
• San Jose State University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Purdue University
• Duke University
• Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
• Montana State University
• University of Southern California (USC)
• Columbia University
• University of Kansas
• Dartmouth College
• University of Idaho
• Tufts University
• Northeastern University
• Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester
• International Technological University
• Penn State University
• University of Dayton
• MIT
• UC Irvine
• University of Texas Austin
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln
• Syracuse University
• University of Maryland Baltimore County
• New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark
• University of Arizona
• University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
• University of Michigan-Dearborn
• Western Michigan University
• Wichita State University
• Iowa State University

Eligibility Criteria 

To qualify and study in the top institutes for MEM in the USA, candidates are required to meet the eligibility criteria. They are mentioned below.

• A bachelor’s degree in engineering or related sciences.
• 1-2 years of work experience.
• A valid GRE score (minimum 300) or equivalent GMAT score.
• English language proficiency scores such as IELTS (6.5-7.5), TOEFL (89-100) etc.
• Statement of Purpose (SOP) 
• Resume/CV
• A passport-size photo
• A copy of your passport
• Academic background in Science, Engineering, Statistics, and Calculus.

Cost of Pursuing MEM in the USA

The cost of pursuing MEM in the USA differs from university to university. However, the average tuition fee for an international student may vary from $ 50,000- $ 105,000 which also includes living expenses.

Check Out: Cost of Studying in the USA

Cost of Living in the USA for International Students

Tuition fee is the biggest expense in the USA but apart from that, students also have to bear the cost of living in the USA. All international students have to cover costs like travel, accommodation, health insurance and miscellaneous expenses like books, leisure activities and phone expenses. The monthly expenditure of international students can range between $1000 to $4000 [73,500 INR – 2,93,500 INR]. Hostel facilities can also affect the cost of living in the USA potentially and make a huge impact on your budget because living in a rented apartment might put a dent in your pocket. When it comes to calculating the cost of studying in the USA, if you consider living on your own in a rented apartment in a place like Los Angeles, it might cost you around 1,50,000 INR per month. If you add other expenses such as basic utilities, transportation, and food, then you would be spending an average of 4,10,000 INR every month apart from your tuition fees if your current lifestyle costs you 1,10,000 INR in Delhi, NCR as per NUMBER.

Scholarships for MEM in the USA

Mentioned below are the various scholarships which are available for students to study MEM in the USA.

• Fulbright-Nehru Foreign Student Program
• Go Clean Scholarship
• Global Study Awards
• BrokerFish International Student Scholarship

Explore: Scholarships to Study in USA for Indian Students

Career Prospects after MEM in the USA

In today’s competitive world, companies prefer candidates with both strong engineering and business acumen over candidates with pure engineering backgrounds, which makes this degree a highly desirable choice in the eyes of employers, thus giving you a competitive advantage over the others. The average salary of a MEM graduate ranges between 90,000 USD- 120,000 USD. However, there are a lot of factors affecting the salary such as the organization, the location and even the job title.

Here are a few domains which accept MEM graduates in high numbers-

• Product Management
• Marketing Management
• Data Analytics
• Operations
• Application Engineer
• Automation Engineer
• Firmware Engineer
• Forensic Analyst
• Economics Consultant

Here is a list of some of the job positions for MEM graduates from the USA:

• Design Engineer
• Product Engineer
• Process Engineer
• Technical and Project Manager
• Project Coordinator
• Chemical Process Manager
• Quality Control Manager
• Automation Engineer
• IT Manager
• Director of Hardware Engineering
• Structural engineer
• Technical Consultant

Top Recruiters for MEM graduates in the USA:

• Ford Motors
• Amazon
• Google 
• Apple
• Northrop Grumman
• Boeing Company
• Lockheed Martin
• Microsoft
• Cisco
• Goldman Sachs

Also Read: MS in Engineering Management – An Engineer’s MBA

We hope that this blog was able to help you get familiarized with pursuing MEM in the USA. Still confused regarding how to go about the whole process? Our Leverage Edu experts will help you find the right course and university as per your interests and career aspirations! Sign up for a free session now!