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LiKang Chin, PhD
Dr. LiKang Chin is the graduate program director of the School of Engineering and an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Widener University. She joined the faculty in January 2021. The focus of her research is to understand the role of mechanobiology in adipocyte cell function and the progression of obesity. Using mechanical testing, molecular biology, and microscopy techniques, she has studied soft tissue mechanics, mechanobiology, and biomaterials in various tissue systems, such as adipose, tendon, and liver. Her research and collaborations have been published in high-impact journals and has resulted in several US patents.
At Widener University, Dr. Chin maintains an active research program aimed at training future engineers. She holds a BSE in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an MS and PhD in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Institute for Medicine and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently served as the technical director of the Cell and Tissue Core of the Physical Sciences Oncology Center at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the faculty at Widener.
Brian Larson, PhD
Dr. Brian Larson is the interim associate dean of graduate programs for the School of Business Administration, a professor of marketing, and distinguished university professor at Widener University. He earned his PhD in marketing from Oklahoma State University. At Widener University, he has become an accomplished and collaborative scholar, publishing numerous articles in refereed journals.
Dr. Larson’s research focuses on consumer and brand engagement. He has served as the chair of the management department and director of the sport management program, where he successfully led efforts to increase the number of business programs and grow Widener’s international presence. His active leadership helped build multiple global university alliances and create faculty research studies that bring together academic and industry experts from multiple international colleges. Currently, he serves on the International Academy of Business Disciplines Board of Directors.
OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com: What is something you wish the public understood about MBA-MSE dual degree programs?
Dr. Chin and Dr. Larson: For those with a technical undergraduate background and an interest in business, the MBA-MSE dual degree is the perfect blend of graduate training that pairs advanced engineering knowledge with business fundamentals.
Graduates are in a better position to navigate both worlds—engineering and business—and that puts them on a great career trajectory right from the start. Something that most potential applicants may not be aware of is the relatively short timeframe in which the program can be completed.
At Widener University, the MBA-MSE program can be completed in as little as two years. This is an incredibly efficient way to earn two degrees that together promise lucrative career opportunities and significant growth potential.
OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com: What advice would you give to aspiring students in this program?
Dr. Chin and Dr. Larson: Students who pursue the MBA-MSE dual degree are exceptionally ambitious and hardworking. It takes a lot of commitment to pursue an advanced degree, and even more so to tackle two!
Be prepared for a challenging but also rewarding academic experience. Time management is essential for juggling coursework in two different, yet connected, fields. Embrace and leverage your unique skill set. Graduates of an MBA-MSE program gain not only technical expertise but also the tools needed to lead teams, express ideas effectively, and understand the financial implications of their decisions.
This combination of abilities is both rare and highly sought after. More importantly, we encourage students to seek support while undertaking a demanding dual degree program. Widener has an abundance of academic and health services that provide an exceptionally nurturing environment in which to study. Widener’s Engineering and Business programs are both outstanding—combine them, and you have something truly special.
OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com: What does the future look like for graduates of the MBA-MSE program?
Dr. Chin and Dr. Larson: The future is incredibly promising for graduates of an MBA-MSE program. As long as there are societal challenges, we will always have a need for engineers. Even more crucially, we need engineers who are adept at project and team management, communication, and strategic decision-making. Graduates of Widener’s MBA-MSE program are equipped to bridge the gap between the technical and business fields, making them invaluable assets to any organization. Our alumni hold leadership roles in tech companies, consulting firms, and entrepreneurial ventures.
Widener University’s School of Business and School of Engineering jointly offer a dual MSE/MBA program in a hybrid format. Ideal for working professionals, the program requires students to meet one night per week, while classes are streamed over the Internet live and archived for later viewing. The program allows students to complete advanced technical courses in areas that reflect their current specialization in engineering. Engineering specializations are available in biomedical, civil, chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineering.
Made up of 54 credits, the program includes MBA courses such as leading organizations and people; information systems and data analytics; marketing; accounting and managerial decision making; strategic financial management; managing business processes; and managing for results.
Johns Hopkins University offers several dual online MBA options, one of which includes biotechnology. All students in this MBA/MS in biotechnology program complete the regular MBA program, which includes courses in accounting; corporate finance; business analytics; corporate finance; economics for decision making; and operations management. The business communication course in the MBA program requires students to attend a two-day in-person residency at the Baltimore campus.
Comprising 31 courses, this dual degree program can be completed over a span of three years. Students study a combination of biotech and business principles, gaining a better understanding of the economics of using biotechnology. The biotechnology track includes four core courses: biochemistry; molecular biology; advanced cell biology; and cellular signal transduction. In addition, students gain an understanding of biostatistics and bioinformatics. This program is ideal for students who want to become biotechnology managers. Students must complete a total of 82 credits.
Arizona State University’s online MBA program is ranked among the top ten in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report. The university offers two dual MBA and engineering programs, one focusing on electrical engineering and the other on industrial engineering. These two programs provide a rich blend of management and technical education to help them advance their skills and career. The online format allows flexibility for working professionals. What’s more, the courses are taught by the same faculty that teaches the on-campus program.
Both programs comprise 56 credits. Applicants must have a year of work experience, an undergraduate degree in engineering, and a minimum 3.2 GPA. In the MBA/MS in industrial engineering program, students take 16 courses, eight of which are MBA courses, and the other eight are industrial engineering courses. In the MBA/MS in electrical engineering program, students take nine MBA courses and five electrical engineering courses from their area of specialization. Both programs will require students to participate in an MBA capstone and take a comprehensive engineering exam.
This dual degree includes courses from the W.P. Carey School of Business and the Ira Fulton School of Engineering. MBA courses include statistics for managers; operations and supply management; ethical issues for managers; and financial performance reporting. Students also develop leadership skills, while learning how to better serve customers and make complex decisions.
The industrial engineering track, on the other hand, includes instruction in information systems engineering; web-enabled decision support systems; production systems; design engineering experiments; reliability engineering; applied deterministic operations research; and regression analysis. There are six electrical engineering tracks that students can choose from, including electric power and energy systems; control systems; electronic and mixed-signal circuit design; electromagnetic, antennas, and microwave circuits; signal processing and communications; and physical electronics and photonics.
All in all, a dual MBA/MS degree in electrical or industrial engineering can offer students the opportunity to gain a competitive edge. Both these dual programs are ideal for students who have set their sights on management-level roles in engineering departments across various industries.
Purdue University’s online dual MBA/MS in engineering degree combines engineering and business know-how to help students succeed in managerial roles. Purdue offers a dual degree in partnership with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Both programs consistently rank at the top in U.S. News and World Report.
The 60-credit program is divided into three segments: technical and engineering, bridge courses, and MBA courses. MBA topics include quantitative analysis, information technology, operations management, accounting information for decision-making, and economics for managers.
For the engineering part of the program, students can choose one of many concentrations, such as biomedical engineering, computational engineering, aeronautics and astronautics engineering, materials engineering, systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial engineering. Engineering students looking to advance their knowledge and skills and gain a deeper understanding of business and management principles will find much value in this program.
The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the College of Business offer a dual MBA and master’s in industrial and systems engineering degree. Industrial engineers who wish to move into managerial roles can opt for this degree. The dual degree saves students six hours of coursework when compared to individually completing both degrees.
The program comprises 55 credits and can be completed entirely online. The industrial and systems engineering component is made up of ten hours of core courses and 18 hours of elective courses. The MBA component, on the other hand, consists of 24 hours of required courses and three hours of electives.
The curriculum lays a foundation in core business topics and examines new technologies and their role in tackling global challenges. Students learn financial analysis; quantitative analysis for business decisions; strategic analysis and the competitive environment; organizational leadership, ethics, and change; strategic marketing management; information technology for competitive advantage; and cost analysis and systems. Additionally, they also delve into topics such as advanced engineering statistics; linear programming and network flow; and engineering economic systems.
The coursework encourages students to think innovatively and devise viable solutions to existing challenges. On successful completion of the degree, students can take up leadership-level engineering roles. Applicants to the dual degree program must meet the requirements of both colleges.
University of Michigan’s MBA/MSE in industrial and systems engineering program is offered jointly by the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Business. Designed to be completed on campus, online, or any combination of the two, this program offers both full- and part-time options. Open to students with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, or physical science, this program comprises 57 to 66 credits.
The program’s MBA core courses include corporate social responsibility; financial fundamentals and value creation; computer and information systems; marketing management; and organizational behavior. Students in the MBA portion can also tailor their degrees according to their own interests by pursuing an optional MBA concentration.
Core courses from the industrial and systems engineering portion of the program include human factors and ergonomics; design and analysis of experiments; multivariate statistics; and production and operations management. The MSE-ISE option also allows students to pursue optional concentrations.
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).
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.
As with other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is complex, and the success of a mechanical engineering project can often be mission-critical. Given that, it is essential to learn from the best, and these professors represent the most accomplished and involved in the field, ready to inspire and impart their knowledge to a new generation of engineers.