Are you considering pursuing a career in engineering management? While having the technical skills you need to succeed is important, you’ll also need to master some crucial non-technical skills.

Here are the top 5 skills you’ll gain from an MSc in Engineering Management:

1. Communication skills

As with any managerial position, strong communication skills are essential to success in an engineering management role.

As an engineering manager, you’ll need to have the advanced written, aural and oral communication skills you need to be able to communicate effectively with your team as well as with executives, clients and other departments within your organisation who may not have a strong technical background.

Gaining an MSc in Engineering Management will equip you with the strong communication skills you need to be an effective communicator across a range of stakeholders and scenarios.

2. Problem-solving skills

With many engineering roles, there are often clear answers to day-to-day problems. In an engineering management role, however, the answers might not be so obvious.

You’ll need to learn how to assess and address potentially problematic situations – like where to make budget cuts, how to deal with conflicts, and when to reallocate resources – that don’t always have clear answers.

An MSc in Engineering Management will give you the problem-solving skills you need to assess these and other problems that may arise during your career as an engineering manager and solve them effectively and efficiently.

3. Decision-making skills

Together with having strong problem-solving skills, as an engineering manager you’ll also need to be able to make well-informed, bold and timely decisions.

This involves utilising your in-depth industry knowledge as well as your creativity and sound judgement to solve problems effectively and to make informed decisions confidently and swiftly.

An MSc in Engineering Management will provide you with the expert decision-making skills you need to succeed as an astute and brave leader.

4. Ability to adapt to change

Like many other industries in today’s world of rapid technological advances, the engineering industry is characterised by constant change.

To remain successful as an engineering manager, you need to master the ability to adapt to change. This includes being open to feedback and ideas from your team and other colleagues and coming up with innovative ways to incorporate new technologies and methods into your team’s work.

With an MSc in Engineering Management, you’ll acquire the knowledge you need to be well-prepared for industry changes as well as the skills to effectively adapt to these changes.

5. Leadership and project management skills

As an engineering manager, you’ll need strong leadership skills to be able to effectively supervise, guide and mentor your engineering team.

You’ll also need advanced project management skills to be able to oversee a project through its entirety, from start to finish. This includes being able to effectively budget and allocate resources, coordinate communication across multiple departments, and ensure that deadlines are met.

As an MSc Engineering Management graduate, you’ll be well-equipped with the expert knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a confident and empowered leader and project manager.

The University of Hull Online offers a flexible online MSc in Engineering Management that will equip you with all the essential skills you need to succeed as an engineering manager.