As you consider graduate programs, it often helps to approach the process similarly to how you would consider a job you're interviewing for.

It’s important to know an employer is looking for someone that can do technical skills, work well in a team and help the company fulfill its mission. But more importantly, is that job the best fit for you? Will the job be the best use of your personal skills? Will it challenge you and allow you to move ahead in your career?

With this thought in mind, we’ve narrowed down three areas that will help you determine if you’re the best fit for the UAB IEM program and the steps to learn how you can learn more or apply today.

1. You’re looking for a niche degree

You’re interested in seeking a promotion in your company and you know that obtaining a higher-level of education could be a great way to make that happen. You may be considering many different degrees, including an MBA, but what you really want is a degree that speaks to who you are now and the position you want to move into.

Our Masters of Engineering degree with a concentration in Information Engineering Management is a management degree designed specifically for engineers and professionals in technical careers. As engineers ourselves, we’ve designed a curriculum to help expand your technical expertise into the leadership skills you need to manage teams, inspire innovation and coordinate large amounts of data to make effective decisions.

We worked with current CEO's at major corporations to develop our course content around what they, as hiring professionals, want to see in their potential employees. We also regularly meet with these CEO's to make sure what we are teaching stays current.

2. You have technical industry experience

As an engineer or technical professional, you have solved interesting and complex problems in your career. You've grown in your technical ability and want to continue to use these skills in your next career step. You see your industry experience as an asset to a future leadership role, and you simply need some help in learning how to make the transition.

We require our students to have industry experience for admission into the program and use that experience to show students how to make the move from engineer to manager. We believe that your technical skills are a big asset to your career too and that you need more than general leadership and soft skills training. By expanding your mindset from your current skill-based knowledge to a management-focused mindset, you will better understand what it takes to lead a team and run a company from the top.

3. You have aspirations for something greater

Many of our students come to IEM with a plan for what they want to achieve in the program. Some have goals of progressing into positions such as technology leadership or research and development (R&D) management. Many students want the business knowledge to put structure behind their own tech start-up. Some students have no idea what they want to do…but they do know they want something more and want to reach their fullest potential.

In IEM, many of our students have shared their success stories with us, after having started companies or moving into management positions. Through the IEM Design Project, students have been able to get real-life, hands-on experience in applying what they have learned from the program. Some students have even used the IEM Design Project to incubate their idea for a new business.

We Engineer Managers. Apply Today.

Having been in industry ourselves, we know firsthand what it is like to move from a technical position to a management one. We know the overwhelming feelings you may be experiencing, and we want to be here to help you figure out the next steps. The most rewarding part of our jobs is hearing from people, like you, who were once doubting whether they should take the step into a graduate program, and who are now experiencing the rewards of their hard work and truly living their best professional and personal lives. We'd love to share more information about our program and the steps to complete your application today.

Use the form on this page to schedule a time to talk or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Let us help you find your path to an engineering management career.