Cornell is launching the Engineering Management Distance Learning Program, which will allow working professionals to earn Master of Engineering degrees while remaining on the job.

The Master of Engineering degree in engineering management can be earned in two years through course videos, online group activities, applied real-world projects and two, one-week sessions on campus. The degree is designed to instill technical and leadership skills in engineers seeking to advance their careers.

Cornell Engineering Management is working with eCornell to capture the course material for online distribution to working professionals.

“This program is for people who want to lead engineering, not leave engineering,” said Andrea Ippolito, lecturer in engineering management. “It’s for those who want to build upon their strong, core technical depth as an engineer, and also further enhance it by taking business and management classes.”

The degree program is open to professionals from any engineering discipline, according to Ippolito, and distance learning students will engage in the same curriculum and learn from the same faculty as on-campus students.

“With the pace of technological change moving quickly and with technology touching almost every moment of every day, more than ever we need strong engineering leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges facing our society,” Ippolito said. “Cornell has recognized the need to provide degree-based options that are flexible for working professionals to keep up with the demands of technology growth.”

The three main focus areas of the degree are: leadership, including negotiations, leading high-performance teams, and project management; business advancement, including decision framing, data analytics, risk analysis, finance and supply chain management; and field disruption, including innovation, product management and design thinking.

Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering, said the demand for such skills is growing as more engineers are tapped for leadership positions.

“Many Fortune 500 companies are led by engineers, including Amazon, Apple and General Motors,” Collins said. “If you look at our engineering alumni, Cornell is very much a part of this trend. We are thrilled to launch another Cornell degree that will help working professionals obtain these vitally important skills and achieve their career goals.”

Another benefit of the distance learning program is the opportunity to build a lasting professional network with classmates and Cornell alumni. Each cohort will have its own online community where students can interact with each other, sharing and learning about job experiences outside the context of their courses.

“Cornell Engineering prides itself on producing world-class engineers with strong leadership skills, so this degree is perfect for working professionals seeking to advance their careers,” said Linda Nozick, director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “It combines the benefits of an Ivy League education with the flexibility that working professionals need to complete their studies.”

The program will be accepting applications for the summer 2020 cohort from Oct. 1 to Jan. 15, 2020.

Syl Kacapyr is public relations and content manager for the College of Engineering.