A master’s in Business Administration is supposedly the thing for engineers apart from their engineering degree from a top-grade engineering college in India.
The industry today is a dynamic force of varied operations all within one institution that caters to manufacturing and administration and finance and accounts.
In the olden times, all these functions were restricted to their own domains. An interactive activity between them was unheard of. The heads of these functions were strictly limited to generating MIS with respect to their own functions. Today none of them can function independently.
Management and engineering go hand-in-hand
Business Administration envisages understanding of the macro and micro of how businesses function. They then leverage onto strengths of the management and professionals hired to manage them. These professionals are like skilled pilots who use these tools in the organization’s best interests.
An MBA is necessary if you want to move beyond team leadership into program management. You could also earn a second master’s degree in operations management or engineering management with just a couple more classes beyond those required for the MBA. You can earn an MBA taking classes part-time.
The Engineering Management MSc is unique, teaching you to become an inspiring leader in engineering. This allows you to create two sets of skills.
Engineering management prepares engineers of a government-operated or private engineering college for leadership skills within their field. In contrast, an MBA prepares them for more expanded roles in the business world. Though the management degree is a slightly newer degree than the MBA, they have established degree programs that are highly regarded.
Career growth after an engineering degree
Most technical engineers look to extend their careers as engineering managers. Integrating technical skills with management skills is the perfect way to progress after graduating from the best private engineering college.
An MBA is the first and probably the best option that comes to one’s mind when considering how to level your professional experience to move up. But is an MBA the best route for engineers, or would a more specialized course be the need of the hour?
An MBA focuses on the conventional and sometimes more modern theories of management. Case studies relate to real-world challenges in various sectors, including finance and the creative industries. This allows individuals from different backgrounds to learn management theory applicable to their sectors.
By contrast, the MSc management graduate provides case studies relating to real-world challenges in engineering enterprises such as climate change and disruptive technologies. This eases you to synchronize work and study, making the course applicable in a day-to-day role as an engineer.
Skill-wise, a management graduate focuses on the business skills and competence required to be a good manager and to give you a good view of the skills and behaviors that good managers possess. On the other hand, the engineering manager has engineering knowledge with management knowledge and skills.
Also Read: Top Courses to Opt After Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering
Growth mantra for engineering managers
Becoming an Engineering Manager adds more value to an organization by bridging the communication gap between two integral business functions to stimulate innovative and efficient working environments.
The leaders look and aspire to add organizational value wherever they work, which is also the mantra every engineer should follow when looking for growth opportunities.
When deciding which course to pursue, an important factor can be around who is delivering that course. On an MBA, for example, you’ll learn from management experts, but with the MSc, you’ll learn from experts in engineering.
There never has been a more important time for businesses to have technically competent leaders, which would place you at the forefront of that change in demand, giving you the required skills to engineer your future.
This will again give you another decision point about whether you want to learn from a management expert or an engineering management expert. Both have their benefits but knowing the academic expert teaching is another step to choosing the right pathway.
Networking is more important in modern society. Connections with people at work and outside can lead to endless opportunities.
Business networking is an essential part of modern business (exchanging a business card or conversation). This is more general networking which can be formal or informal, and with people from a range of industries.
Engineering networking relates to networking specifically for engineers. As the MSc Engineering Management course is for engineers to progress into management roles, you will build a specific network of engineers across the globe. This is a great opportunity to build meaningful professional relationships with engineering professionals who could be contacted now and in the future.
Conclusion
Finally, the decision for a Master’s degree comes down to you. It depends on what excites and inspires you and your career aspirations. If your goal is to have a broad knowledge of the general approach to management, an MBA might be better suited to you.
However, if you want to incorporate management skills and broaden and deepen your expertise in your field of engineering, choose the Engineering Management MSc.
Also Read: Engineering Is Not Mere Study – Here’s How We Function
