Engineering program manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an engineering program manager. Engineering program managers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or business. 69% of engineering program managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,089 real engineering program manager resumes to see exactly what engineering program manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for engineering program managers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.

There are also many online engineering program manager courses to help get the education required to be an engineering program manager.

There are certain engineering program manager certifications that you should consider. These engineering program manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

What education do you need to become an engineering program manager?

What degree do you need to be an engineering program manager?

The most common degree for engineering program managers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of engineering program managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Master's, 19%

Associate, 9%

Doctorate, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an engineering program manager?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become an engineering program manager. 21% of engineering program managers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for an engineering program manager include electrical engineering and business.

Mechanical Engineering, 21%

Electrical Engineering, 18%

Business, 16%

Computer Science, 7%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for engineering program managers

Engineering program managers often get their degrees at San Jose State University, University of Phoenix, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for engineering program managers in the US based on their resumes.

Engineering program manager common college	Percentages
San Jose State University	8.50%
University of Phoenix	7.77%
Pennsylvania State University	7.28%
Purdue University	6.80%
Michigan State University	6.55%

Show more common engineering program manager colleges

Best majors for engineering program managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	20.7%
2	Electrical Engineering	18.4%
3	Business	15.5%
4	Computer Science	7.0%
5	Engineering	4.2%

Show more common engineering program manager majors

Best colleges for engineering program managers

The best colleges for engineering program managers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

An engineering program manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for engineering program managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become engineering program managers.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for engineering program managers

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3. Product Development & Systems Engineering

4.6

(3,086)

The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...

4. Requirements Engineering: Software Engineering

4.4

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Everything you need to know about software requirements: elicitation, analysis, documentation, validation and management...

5. Start Improving Customer Service

4.8

(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

6. Improving software development productivity

4.3

(299)

Improving software development productivity. Practical techniques...

7. Technical Product Management: learn on 4 real industry cases

4.3

(930)

Boost your technicality (as a PM) or tech product skills (as an engineer) to grow in your current role...

8. Product Management+Agile Requirements using Product Backlog

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Learn to manage requirements as professional scrum product owner using user stories ( Business Analysis ,Scrum Master)...

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Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...

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Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...

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14. Product Management Fundamentals

4.4

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Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...

15. Product Management for Maximum Impact

4.5

(264)

Product Management Videos, Insights, Success Metrics...

16. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

4.6

(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

17. Product and Service Management

4.7

(957)

Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...

18. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

4.5

(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

19. Productivity and Time Management Masterclass

4.5

(1,416)

The Productivity Course: You = Super Productive. Daily Routines. Organization. Time Management. Task Management...

20. Mechanical design and Product development process

4.2

(604)

Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...

Top 10 most affordable universities for engineering program managers

The most affordable schools for engineering program managers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for engineering program managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for engineering program managers.

1. United States Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$1,080

Cost of attendance

6,646

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for engineering program managers

The hardest universities for engineering program managers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for engineering program managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for engineering program managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for engineering program managers

The easiest schools for engineering program managers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas permian basin, and the university of texas at el paso.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an engineering program manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for engineering program managers.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

3. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

10. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

Average engineering program manager salary by education level

According to our data, engineering program managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $138,107 annually. Engineering program managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $130,595.

Engineering program manager education level	Engineering program manager salary
Master's Degree	$130,595
Bachelor's Degree	$124,153
Doctorate Degree	$138,107

Engineering program manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Engineering Program Managers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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