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Kaz Karwowski has been the executive director of the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership since 2013, and has been developing leaders on college campuses since 2006. He has a deep interest in the leadership development of young people and feels that leadership and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand.
Karwowski believes that leadership is best learned by doing and encourages experiential education. Prior to his career in academia, he spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and retired in 2009.
OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com: What is something you wish the public understood about engineering leadership programs?
Karwowski: Engineering leadership programs extend far beyond the technical foundations of engineering. While engineers are trained to solve complex problems and design solutions that improve lives, the public often assumes that engineering leadership programs simply reinforce technical coursework. In reality, these programs recognize that transformative engineering outcomes require more than individual technical expertise. Successful advances in technology and infrastructure are achieved by teams of engineers working collaboratively toward shared goals. At the core of this collaboration is leadership—an ability that traditional engineering curricula do not always explicitly teach.
The Rice Center for Engineering Leadership’s engineering leadership certificate, for example, was designed to supplement the traditional undergraduate engineering curriculum with focused competencies in decision-making, team building, project management, ethics, and communication. This focus helps students learn how to articulate a vision, foster high-performing teams, and manage complex projects effectively—skills that prepare them to guide teams and deliver innovative solutions in their first professional roles and beyond.
Rice’s online master’s in engineering management and leadership combines technical depth in engineering with management and leadership development.
The core coursework focuses on topics related to engineering leadership, project management (with PMI® credit), engineering economics, applied statistics and data science, and Industry 4.0 technologies. In addition to core coursework, students choose a specialization that consists of three courses (nine credits) in technical coursework through the School of Engineering.
Engineering leadership education emphasizes the human side of engineering—how to influence others, make ethical decisions, and navigate ambiguity—essential for translating technical solutions into real-world impact.
OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com: What advice would you give to aspiring engineering leadership students?
Karwowski: Many companies invest in leadership development once engineers are already in the workforce. Aspiring engineering leaders can accelerate their professional growth by seeking leadership education early. My recommendation to aspiring students is simple: do not wait for your employer to teach you how to lead.
Take the initiative now to cultivate leadership competencies and seek out authentic leadership experiences—whether in academic projects, internships, or co-curricular activities—that will stretch your capabilities both technically and interpersonally. Programs like RCEL are built to help students transition smoothly into leadership roles by integrating theory with practical application and self-reflection.
Approaching your career with a mindset of continuous leadership development and lifelong learning will not only position you for early-career success but also make your professional journey more fulfilling and impactful
Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering offers an online master of engineering management and leadership program. This program provides skilled engineers with the management and leadership training needed to become effective engineering vice presidents, engineers, innovative leaders, and CTOs.
The program prides itself as being one of only 10 ASEM-certified MEM programs in the U.S., and the first program in Texas. Graduates of this program will have a direct path to becoming a Certified Associate in Engineering Management professional without taking the certifying exam and will have an accelerated path to the Certified Professional in Engineering Management credential. Graduates can also immediately sit for the PMP exam and earn their Project Management Professional credential.
The program comprises 30 credits and includes core courses such as engineering management and leadership theory and application; engineering project management; engineering product management in industry; ethical-technical leadership; engineering economics for leaders; and applied statistics and data science for engineering leaders. The program also includes a 3-credit capstone project and specialization options in computer science or data science.
Students who live in the Greater Houston, Texas, area or are willing to commute can take up to three courses on campus and complete the program in an online-hybrid format.
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology’s Engineering Leadership Department offers several graduate certificates, master’s degree programs, and academic courses targeting technical specialists, engineers, and other professionals who wish to benefit from their mix of business and engineering content. The programs are available online or on-campus.
One such program is their master of science program in manufacturing leadership. It is designed for professionals and experienced engineers aiming for higher-level positions in supply chain management, process improvement, and operations. Integrating engineering management and business courses, this online program equips business professionals and experienced engineers with the leadership skills to optimize business operations across industries and organizations.
Offered jointly by the Saunders College of Business and the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, this 30-credit program includes courses such as Lean Six Sigma fundamentals; supply chain management; global facilities planning; engineering of systems; project management; and accounting for decision makers. Students also complete a corporate-oriented capstone project based on a real business or manufacturing management problem.
The Engineering Leadership Department also offers a master of science program in product development designed specifically for experienced engineers and technical specialists. This program integrates business and engineering courses to help students lead product development organizations and teams.
The Ohio State University offers an online master of global engineering leadership program empowering engineers with the knowledge and skills needed to manage projects, drive innovation, and excel in leadership roles.
The curriculum includes business, public policy, and engineering management courses through partnerships with The Fisher College of Business, the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and The College of Engineering.
The 31-credit program includes courses such as leadership and team effectiveness; engineering ethics and professionalism; project management for engineers; financial and managerial accounting; and technology strategy and innovation management.
Students can specialize in welding engineering, automotive systems engineering, or create a customized track. The program concludes with a capstone course in operational excellence for engineers.
The Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma offers a fully online master of science degree in engineering leadership and management. This accelerated program prepares engineers with leadership and management skills needed in modern engineering environments.
The 30-credit program can be completed in as little as 12 months and includes courses such as leadership and management for engineers; strategic communication for engineering leaders; data science and analytics for engineering management decisions; cost engineering; systems thinking; negotiating skills for technical leaders; and decision analysis.
Graduates of the program can pursue careers such as quality engineers, operations managers, design engineers, process engineering managers, technical consultants, and product engineers.
Purdue University offers an interdisciplinary engineering master’s degree with a concentration in engineering management and leadership in partnership with Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
This program helps professionals enhance their engineering expertise while developing strategic management and leadership skills required in the global marketplace.
The concentration requires 33 credits and includes courses such as engineering economic analysis; economic decisions in engineering; safety engineering; strategic marketing management; operations management; manufacturing process engineering; human factors in engineering; and systems analysis and synthesis.
Pennsylvania State University offers an online graduate certificate in engineering leadership and innovation management designed to help engineering professionals enhance their leadership and technical management skills.
This 12-credit program prepares professionals to lead technical teams and manage complex projects. Courses include project management for professionals, engineering leadership for corporate innovation, engineering across cultures and nations, and engineering product innovation.
Ohio University offers an online graduate certificate in engineering leadership designed to bridge the gap between engineering and management by equipping students with leadership and business skills.
The nine-credit certificate includes courses such as engineering leadership, communication skills for engineers, and applied accounting and finance for engineering management.
Graduates may pursue roles such as engineering managers, training and development managers, industrial production managers, and construction managers.
The University of San Diego offers an online master of science in engineering management and leadership designed to prepare professionals to manage technology projects and lead global engineering teams.
This 30-credit project-based program includes foundational courses, core courses, and a capstone project. Courses include introduction to technology and engineering management; engineering leadership; emerging technology trends and startups; value chain of engineering organizations; sustainability, ethics and compliance; decision analysis; and strategic competition.
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee offers an online graduate certificate in modern engineering leadership designed for computer science and engineering professionals.
The 15-credit program includes courses such as managing human resources and teams; advanced topics in industrial and systems engineering; engineering statistical analysis; and machine learning and applications.
The engineering leadership program at the University of Washington is a four-course certificate designed to help professionals become technical leaders, managers, or program managers.
Students develop skills in negotiation, decision-making, communication with business professionals, mentoring employees, leading diverse teams, and managing complex projects.
Courses include navigating the business environment, technical leadership, decision analysis, and project performance.
The University of Texas at Tyler offers a master of science in engineering leadership that combines technical engineering knowledge with leadership and business skills.
The curriculum focuses on leadership development, risk management, process optimization, decision-making, conflict resolution, and systems engineering to help graduates lead organizations effectively.
With a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities in higher education, Kimmy Gustafson regularly contributes insightful articles to OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com, providing readers with a comprehensive view on the evolving landscape of engineering education since 2019. She has interviewed many engineering experts on a range of subjects, including geoengineering.
Kimmy has been a freelance writer for more than a decade, writing hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics such as startups, nonprofits, healthcare, kiteboarding, the outdoors, and higher education. She is passionate about seeing the world and has traveled to over 27 countries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. When not working, she can be found outdoors, parenting, kiteboarding, or cooking.
Farheen Gani has researched a wide array of topics related to engineering since 2018. She has written about electrical and computer engineering programs, structural engineering programs, mechanical engineer salaries, environmental engineering programs, and many other subfields of engineering. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).
Technology and the internet have enabled numerous entrepreneurs to see their ideas come to fruition. It is no surprise that many universities now offer courses and degree programs in technology entrepreneurship.
Operations management is an important cog in any business wheel. This role ensures that all products and services are produced and delivered on time; there is minimum wastage of resources; and quality is maintained across all units.
Six Sigma is a popular management technique, which is used by successful companies such as Motorola and General Electronics. The approach, adopted by businesses globally, advocates efficient use of resources to eliminate waste and develop better processes.
This is a role for tech-lovers, for logical thinkers, for those who like being given an answer and then are told to find the question. But it’s also a role for communicators, for relationship builders, for people who enjoy cross-departmental collaboration.
Because quality of educators is paramount in the decision-making process for prospective engineering management students, we have compiled this list of professors to know in the field. To be the best, it helps to learn from the best.
