I've heard rumors that no Filipino has yet earned an MS Engineering Management degree from the US. Why is this significant? Well, I think that such a course taken abroad will give a student much more exposure to industry, not to mention the golden opportunity to interact with foreign faculty, students and institutions. The foreign curriculum could also be much more advanced -- example, is decision science being taught locally?
The business training is similar to what you receive in an MBA course, but is adjusted for those with engineering or science backgrounds (read: heavier focus on quantitative courses). If you want a technical management role in a business or a management role in a technology company, then, who knows, this might be what you're looking for. As a prominent local IT practitioner told me, MS EM applies engineering methodology in solving business problems.
I did some digging around and found that there are a lot of schools offering this degree in the US, and that there are six top schools that have formed a consortium to promote this fledgling course. They are (in no particular order):
- Cornell University (MBA school: Johnson)
- Dartmouth College (MBA school: Tuck)
- Duke University (MBA school: Fuqua)
- Massachussett's Institute of Technology (MBA school: Sloan)
- Northwestern University (MBA school: Kellogg)
- Stanford University
This course doesn't have the fame and prestige of the MBA yet, but I think it's picking up. In the Philippines, UP offers a similar course (Masters in Technology Management). I believe the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila also has an engineering management curriculum. But, no, this is not equivalent to Ateneo's BS Management Engineering course. I'm talking about a Master's course for those with a college degree in engineering.
If you're flip-flopping between taking this course or an MBA, then I suggest that you take the GRE instead of the GMAT. (Hardly any schools accept the GMAT. There are schools that don't require any test though.) Some schools have similar requirements as those of the MBA: recommendation letters, essay, TOEFL, etc. The application fee is much, much lower though.
Apply real early for the MS EM because fellowships are not that abundant as in the case of the MBA. (There are several possible explanations for this: graduates find it very easy to repay the loans, relatively fewer alumni translates to fewer alumni donations/sponsorships, etc.)
A definite advantage of the MS EM over the MBA is that it only takes one year to earn the degree. A definite disadvantage is that it can be as expensive as a one-year MBA.
