Engineering Management or Quality Management

My best advice would be for you to get some real experience on the job so that you can have context for whichever masters program you choose.

A masters degree without relevant experience is more a barrier to employment than a help.

Engineering management is going to be working in the engineering field , and project oriented. In project management you will have a role as principal authority over some body of engineering work- project, program, etc., Typically this position would have both responsibility for the job and the authority to get it done.

As Quality management You will have less autonomy and function more as a policemen and problem identifier/ solver in the organization. Typically in this job the person has responsibility for the quality of the work, but little authority in its execution. The operators have that authority. So it is frustrating to be held accountable for overall quality, but have no authority to actually change behaviors without going through management via reporting schemes and meetings.

In my humble opinion, a Quality person with out experience is a sitting duck and likely to fail; they lack the understanding of the nuances of the process; A project manager with little to no experience will still be able to get the job done, just not as well as someone with more experience.

WHat you really need to prioritize is getting relevant experience. Then when you go back for your masters, it will be a richer benefit to you.

Good luck.

milo

If you are a good engineering, you do not need a masters. In the time it takes you'll make more and learn more on the job. In the energy industry, we do not hire masters because their intent is to direct others and do not have a clue about real life. Look at the pay scales, net effect, the person with a Masters doesn't earn a drop more over the long haul.

TQM is so company and industry specialized, you'll be retrained in it anyway.

Interesting belief, i wonder if the statistic gathered by groups like ASCE support this? Working as a consultant for many different energy and oil corporations, I have found that most of the more senior personnel in-charge of program management almost always have a MBA or a MS in electrical or civil engineering. Based on the research i have done, you average about $10,000 a year anuual salary increase with a Masters, so you actually only benefit over the long hauls as it cost around $50,000 in lost income, and education expenditures. However, many jobs with the very highest pay scales only hired people with Masters, like large City Public Works Directors, senior corporate management, large (financially) municipal services districts, etc..