MS in Engineering Management
Program At A Glance
Graduates of the MS in Engineering Management (MSEM) will gain the business fluency and leadership frameworks that transform technical expertise into executive influence. What makes the Tufts MSEM unique is its focus on real-world problem solving and leadership development. Students work on applied projects, collaborate with peers from diverse technical backgrounds, and learn from faculty with extensive industry experience. The curriculum blends technical depth with skills in product development, operations, finance, entrepreneurship, communication, and organizational leadership.
Quick Details:
- Part-time and Full-time formats available
- 30 total credits
- $1,855/credit*
- *2026-2027 tuition rate
- Next Part-time deadline: November 15, 2026
- *For Spring 2027 entry
- Next Full-time deadline: November 15, 2026
- *For Fall 2027 entry
Transform Your Engineering Expertise Into Leadership Impact
The MS in Engineering Management (MSEM) is for engineers ready to become strategic leaders—those who want to shape strategy and drive execution. The program is built for engineers at two career stages: recent graduates (0-3 years out of undergrad) who want to fast-track into leadership through the full-time program, and experienced professionals (5-15+ years) who want to keep working while building strategic and executive skills through the part-time program.
Through hands-on projects with real organizations and mentorship from executives who've walked your path, you'll gain the business fluency and leadership frameworks that transform technical expertise into executive influence. Over half of our part-time students are promoted before graduating—that's leadership development delivering immediate results.
If you've been asking yourself:
Is an MSEM worth it?
Can I move into leadership without an MBA?
Would I be able to balance work and a graduate degree?
... you're in the right place.
Inside the MSEM Program
What does the MSEM actually look like?
Click on this video to hear from Tufts Gordon Institute Executive Director Kevin Oye, Program Director Sam Liggero, and students as they discuss what makes this program unique. Discover how the educational philosophy, dedicated faculty, and flexible curriculum of the MSEM prepare you for success at every stage of your career.
Three Pillars of Leadership That Scale Careers
The MSEM develops three essential capabilities that transform experienced engineers into strategic leaders:
1. Data-Driven Decision Making
Transform data into decisions that drive business outcomes. Master frameworks that turn complexity into clarity.
2. Business Insight
Engineering excellence got you here. Business fluency gets you heard. Master the language of finance, marketing, and strategy.
3. Emotional Intelligence
Lead people, not just projects. Build teams that deliver breakthrough results. Navigate organizational dynamics with confidence.
The MSEM Curriculum Snapshot
Core
Master essential leadership capabilities through your core courses. These five essential skills include:
- Strategic Thinking
- Leadership Ability
- Business Knowledge
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Product-Process Development
Each skill directly addresses the challenges engineering leaders face when moving from technical to strategic roles. Students apply their learning through real-world team and leadership projects that connect classroom concepts to industry challenges.
Electives
Deepen your expertise and expand your impact through elective courses:
- Lean Six Sigma Certification
- Supply Chain Management
- Product Management
- Technical Engineering Courses
- and more...
Select from courses through TGI, as well as across all of Tufts University. Or earn elective credit through Immersive Experiences, intensive weekend deep-dives into leadership strategies, product management, or business analytics.
Earn Your Degree Part-Time While Working
The MS in Engineering Management is designed to fit into our students' busy lives. Flexible scheduling allows students to continue working full-time while building leadership, business, and engineering management skills.
Many students apply what they learn in class directly to their current roles, bringing real-world workplace challenges into discussions and projects. This approach helps professionals immediately strengthen their ability to lead teams, manage technical projects, and make strategic business decisions while continuing to gain industry experience.
Become a Part of Tufts' Campus and Community
Whether you're on campus or online, you'll learn alongside engineering leaders from around the world. Our Joyce Cummings Center provides dedicated collaborative spaces with close proximity to the fitness center, library, and other campus resources, many of which can be accessed online.
Beyond physical connections, our practitioner faculty and alumni network create pathways into Boston's innovation ecosystem. The Green Line MBTA stop on campus extends your reach, while weekend immersive experiences bring all students together. All on one of America's safest campuses—ranked 15th nationwide.
World-Class Practitioner Faculty
Our faculty are seasoned practitioners who've navigated the challenges you face. They're executives actively leading engineering transformations, mentors who've scaled operations, and master teachers who bring frameworks that succeed in boardrooms and beyond. Through powerful questions and real-world insights, they guide you to think, act, and lead with both technical depth and business strategy.
Where MSEM Students & Alumni Work
Enter a Growing Engineering Market
The MSEM program is designed to put technical professionals in the best place to build their careers and become leaders in their industry. Graduates of the MSEM are well-positioned to take on high-level careers in any field where management requires a balance of technical skillset and a leadership mindset.
Leaders in scientific, tech, and related fields are among today's highest paid professionals, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics currently projects a general 4% increase in engineering management job opportunities now through 2034. According to the Bureau, professionals in Architectural and Engineering Management positions earn an average of $167,740 per year, marking managers in these industries as among today's highest paid professionals.
Paetrice Jones
Current Position: Associate Director, Genomics Medicine Unit, Cell Culture Process Development, Sanofi
Industry: Healthcare
Background: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
"For me, this program helped me to become a stronger technical leader. It gave me the opportunity to build leadership skills alongside other experienced technical folks. Being able to hone these skills in a low stakes environment made applying them in the workplace easier. I've had several promotions during and since the program; MSEM has had a very positive impact on my career."
Is MSEM Right For You?
Perfect Fit:
- Engineers ready to expand their influence beyond technical contributions
- Recent grads with engineering degrees seeking accelerated leadership paths and a full-time program
- Experienced professionals with 7-10+ years ready for executive roles, looking for a part-time program
- Technical minds who see the bigger picture and want to shape it
Your Future Cohort:
- Engineers, operations managers, R&D leaders, and technical innovators
- Mix of recent graduates and seasoned professionals
- Representing industries from biotech to defense to sustainable energy
- Shared trait: Ready to lead transformation and drive strategic change
Life After MSEM:
- Over 50% promoted before graduating (part-time students)†
- 95% recommend to colleagues†
- Leading at companies across all sectors and sizes
- Driving innovation from startups to Fortune 500s
† Data collected from 2014-2019 MSEM graduates
MSEM At Tufts Gordon Institute FAQs
-
The MS in Engineering Management (MSEM) is for experienced engineers ready to become strategic leaders—those who want to shape strategy and drive execution. What makes the Tufts MSEM unique is its focus on real-world problem solving and leadership development. Students work on applied projects, collaborate with peers from diverse technical backgrounds, and learn from faculty with extensive industry experience. The curriculum blends technical depth with skills in product development, operations, finance, entrepreneurship, communication, and organizational leadership.
Engineering management sits at the intersection of technology and business, requiring professionals to think both analytically and strategically. This is a discipline not focused on only solving technical problems, but also on leading the people and systems that bring those solutions to life.
The American Society for Engineering Management defines engineering management as "the art and science of planning, organizing, allocating resources, and directing and controlling activities that have a technical component." The MSEM degree at Tufts builds on this definition by combining technical depth with business insight and leadership development.
Students will engage with topics such as:
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Business Insight
- Project and Program Management
- Product Development and Innovation
- Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, and Team Dynamics
-
An MSEM degree equips graduates with the versatility to step into a wide range of leadership roles that sit between technical execution and business strategy. Rather than moving away from technical work entirely, graduates often move into positions where they can influence both technical direction and business outcomes.
Common job titles held by MSEM graduates include:
- Engineering Manager – Leading technical teams and overseeing execution
- Product Manager – Connecting engineering, business strategy, and user needs
- Technical Program Manager – Managing large-scale, cross-functional initiatives
- Operations Manager – Improving systems and organizational efficiency
- Consultant – Advising organizations on strategy and innovation
-
- Application Fee (if you attend an info session or in-person event this fee may be waived)
- Résumé/CV
- Transcripts
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal Statement
- Optional GRE or GMAT scores
- Optional unless applying to the Dual Degree program and required for the technical MS degree.
- TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores (if applicable)
No, a GRE is not required for admission. GRE or GMAT scores are optional unless applying to the Dual Degree program and required for the technical MS degree.
-
For the full-time MSEM program, students are able to complete the program in as little as 12 months. However, there are opportunities to extend the program to 16 months through flexible course scheduling and 20 months by doing a co-op during the program.
For the part-time MSEM program, students are able to complete the program in as little as two years, and as much as four years.
-
The main difference of the MSEM and MSTML degrees are the industry / career path you are in and would like to go towards. The MSEM is built for engineers, people with engineering-specific backgrounds, and those who are in (or aspire to be) manufacturing, engineering, operations, quality systems, product management, and R&D. The MSTML was built to fit those who are in other technical fields and industries such as data science, software, tech consulting, digital transformation, technical marketing, and also R&D.
The available program formats for the MSEM degree are full-time and part-time, while the MSTML degree is only available part-time.
-
The full-time MSEM program is perfect for international students as it is both F-1 and J-1 visa eligible. To learn more about international guidelines and recommendations, visit Tufts International Center.
-
Both the MSEM full-time and part-time programs have options to take online and/or in-person courses. Tufts University courses are available either fully online or fully on-campus.
-
MSEM graduates work across a broad range of industries wherever technical expertise needs to be paired with leadership and business acumen — including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, AI, energy, and startups.
Recent Tufts Gordon Institute MSEM graduates have gone on to roles at companies including Draper, Raytheon, Amazon Robotics, Sanofi, MITRE, Microsoft, Tesla, Pfizer, and others.
Program outcomes data:
- Over 50% of part-time MSEM students are promoted before graduating (2014–2019 data — see note below)
- 95% of graduates would recommend the program to colleagues (2014–2019 data)
- Engineering managers nationally earn an average of $167,740/year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Architectural and Engineering Managers), with 4% projected job growth through 2034
-
Part-time MSEM applicants are able to start courses at the start of either the Fall or Spring semesters. Full-time MSEM applicants are able to start courses in the Fall semester.
-
Yes, full-time MSEM students have the opportunity to take advantage of Tufts graduate co-op program.
Please note - if you are an international student, contact Tufts International Center for the most recent visa updates and restrictions.
-
Cohort makeup differs by format, since part-time and full-time students tend to be at different career stages.
Part-time MSEM cohort (as of Fall 2026):
- Class size: typically 20 - 25 students, with some courses offered asynchronously online
- Age range: 25 - 40
- Gender: 43% female identifying, 57% male identifying
- Residency: mostly domestic students (about 60% from Massachusetts, 40% from other U.S. states)
- Work status: almost all students work full-time while completing the degree part-time
- Backgrounds: a variety of undergraduate majors represented, spanning engineering disciplines (electrical, biomedical, mechanical), data/computer science, and economics, among others
- Employers: students currently come from 20+ different employers with various roles
Full-time MSEM cohort (as of Fall 2026):
- Class size: core courses typically run 20 - 25 students, with elective class sizes varying across Tufts
- Age range: 21 - 35
- Gender: 38% female identifying
- Residency: about 75% international students, 25% domestic U.S. students
- Backgrounds: similar diversity to the part-time cohort, spanning engineering disciplines (electrical, biomedical, mechanical), data/computer science, and economics, among others
-
The Tufts University School of Engineering cost per credit is $1,855 for 2026 - 2027. The MSEM program is a total of 30 credits and students pay per credit as they go through the program.
-
It is possible that employers will pay for their employees to complete this program part-time while working full-time, however that is dependent on the company itself. We recommend speaking with your supervisor or HR to explore employer sponsored funding opportunities and connecting with our admissions team to discuss options on how to best take advantage of those opportunities.
Admissions
Take the first step toward engineering leadership. Explore application deadlines, admission requirements, tuition rates, and scholarship opportunities, everything you need to plan your MSEM journey. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to contact us–we are happy to help every step of the way!
Still Have Questions?
Connect With an Advisor
Schedule a consultation to map your personal journey
Attend an Information Session
Get a real feel for the TGI experience
Request Information
Have program details sent directly to your inbox
Send us an Email
Questions? Our team is here to help