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Online graduate programs in engineering ranked in ‘U.S. News’ poll

January 25, 2022 - by Kim Delker

The University of New Mexico School of Engineering’s online master’s programs have been ranked No. 61 in the nation, according to a U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Online Programs survey released January 25.

In 2021, the online graduate programs were No. 50, up from No. 53 in 2020 and No. 68 in 2019. The first year the School submitted data for the survey was 2017.

“The School of Engineering continues to have the top-ranked online programs at UNM and the top-ranked online programs in engineering for the state of New Mexico,” said Christos Christodoulou, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing. “With the shift to more online and hybrid learning models the last couple of years, we are continuing to look at more programs in the School of Engineering that would be a good fit in an all-online format, which is attractive to many of our potential students.”

The School of Engineering has established several all-online graduate degree programs the last several years, with additional programs in the works:

  • The master of construction management program, which has been offered for several years through a combination of online and in-person courses, switched to an all-online format in 2016. The program, which is managed out of the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, combines business management skills specifically focused on the construction industry. Courses focus on safety, law, construction documents, equipment, LEED standards and other topics of interest to working professionals in the construction industry.
  • The master of engineering degree (M.Eng) in civil engineering is designed to accommodate students with interest or experience in civil engineering as a professional practice. The M.Eng. degree combines advanced training in civil engineering practice and design, and emphasizes written and oral communication skills. As a practice-oriented program, it provides students with the technical expertise and management training to be successful design engineers.
  • The Internet of Things computer engineering master’s degree program focuses on the growing area of Internet of Things, which is a collection of physical devices that contain embedded electronics, software, sensors and networking capabilities. The program offers courses in subjects such as machine learning, digital signal processing, cybersecurity and cloud computing.
  • The master’s in space systems engineering offers two tracks, one leading to a master’s degree in electrical engineering and one to a master’s in mechanical engineering. The degree programs were developed with careers in mind, with input from the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate, based in Albuquerque, to provide graduates with the advanced skills to further their career in the space systems industry. Additional information about UNM’s online programs can be found at online.unm.edu.

For the U.S. News online program rankings, schools were judged on several factors:

  • Engagement, or the extent to which a degree program uses strong online teaching practices so students stay enrolled and graduate in reasonable time
  • Services and technologies, focusing on how programs incorporate diverse technologies to allow for students to more flexibly complete their coursework at a distance as well as the quality of student support services, career guidance and financial aid resources
  • Faculty credentials and training, measuring the degree to which online instructors’ credentials mirror those of on-campus faculty, as well as effectiveness of the resources utilized to train instructors to teach distance learners
  • Expert opinions from surveys of high-ranking academic officials
  • Student excellence, or the extent to which students who enter an online program have proven aptitudes, ambitions and accomplishments that enable them to handle the rigors of online learning.

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