We live in an era full of digitization and complex technical challenges. Most of these pressing problems are handled by qualified mechanics. those called to drive innovation to new heights and deliver next-generation technology solutions that not only keep pace with, but are at the forefront of, the changing needs across all industry sectors to advance society.
“As we look at innovation success for the business and industry sectors, one of the key drivers we see are players in the workforce that transcend industries,” said Tristan Johnson, Assistant Dean of Multidisciplinary Graduate Education & Digital Learning at Northeastern University College of Engineering.
“From engineering to computer science and business, politics and decision making. one thing that is key to success is that sense of completion,” he adds. “Businesses that are able to integrate will have a competitive advantage. So, let's bring this concept of integration together to give students that competitive edge as well. Then they can say, 'I'm ready, I'm ready' and go out into the world and really make a difference.”
Top ranking and located in the heart of Boston—the United States' hub for high-tech, biotech, and academia—the Graduate School of Engineering at Northeastern University plans more than 25 Masters and PhD degrees to meet the needs of the ever-changing industry, with program innovation a key feature of each course, such as the inclusion of project-based learning and industry experience. Some programs are specifically structured to give students without an undergraduate engineering degree the opportunity to earn a master's degree in engineering as part of the standard curriculum or with additional preparatory courses.
In the heart of Boston
As the tenth largest metropolitan area in the US, Boston is known to have one of the highest concentrations of engineers and is also an international capital of medical and technological innovation. More than 350,000 students pursue their degrees in Boston annually from around the world. It is also one of the most historic cities in the United States and rich in arts and music.
Engineering degrees that cross multiple disciplinary boundaries
The interdisciplinary master's degree programs in engineering (MS) at Northeastern — including an MS in Information systems, Engineering Management, Energy Systems, the internet of things, Software Design for computer systems, Telecommunications Networks, Sustainable Building Systems, and more — integrate engineering with technology, business, and occasionally politics. Here, the curriculum focuses on the application of knowledge and skills in business and industrial settings.
“The three pillars of energy systems are technology, business and politics. There were very few universities that gave the opportunity to study them together. I feel like Northeastern is one of the few places that can do that,” commented Rishabh Sardana, a master's student in Energy Systems.
“I couldn't be more impressed with his classes [Telecommunication Networks] program. The professors are not just theorists in their respective fields, but have decades of work experience that helped shape the telecommunications industry into what it is today. This experience brings lessons to life and allows students to see beyond the details of the technology so they can piece together the entire telecommunications ecosystem,” explains Northeastern Engineering graduate Arthur Gjika, senior sales instructor at Verizon Wireless.
“Some of our students competed in a hackathon with 1,200 participants, all about Blockchain,” Johnson said. “They won the first prize through the application of Blockchain in Healthcare – that's what makes us different, that's what sets us apart. Implementing innovation is what we're talking about here. These programs create innovation to address social technical issues.”
Opportunity for paid industry experience
But Northeastern's engineering vision doesn't stop there. The College of Engineering is actually one of the few that offers a master's degree Cooperative Education Program (Co-op).. This cutting-edge degree program gives hundreds of students the opportunity to gain up to eight months of paid industrial work experience as part of their degree. The master's programs seamlessly combine academic and corporate experience, empowering students by enhancing their professional capabilities, thereby facilitating career transformation. Co-op students, including international F-1 visa applicants, have the opportunity to earn an average of US$25 per hour to help finance their education.
More than 700 organizations from around the world have chosen to participate in Northeastern's College of Engineering co-op program, including industry stalwarts such as Tesla, NASA, Amazon, Google and Apple. Last year, the program placed nearly 800 graduate students, all of whom were equipped with sought-after technical expertise.
“I am doing my fellowship at New York Life Insurance as a cloud engineer and my job revolves around creating and deploying efficient applications on the Amazon Web Services cloud,” says Randeep Guha, MS Information Systems student.
Parth Garva, also an MS Information Systems student, has joined Fidelity Investments and has already secured a job with them after graduation. “I will be working on Fidelity's cryptocurrency initiative… This is an emerging field that brings subjects like cryptography and mathematics together with computer science.”
Higher research institution
Interdisciplinary learning and research is a key element of Northeastern, which is in the top tier Research activity among US colleges and universities, according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Here students can engage in ground-breaking convergent research with over 170 term and term completions Leisure in 13 state-of-the-art research centers funded by eight federal agencies. The foundation focuses on the fields of health, sustainability and safety, as well as cross-cutting emerging fields such as wireless communication technologies and robotics. Degrees are constantly being added such as the new MS in Engineering and Public Policy, Environmental engineeringand Data analytics to stay ahead of the changing needs in the industry.
As for Garva, he reflects, “I am very excited for the future and can honestly say that the decision to enroll in Northeastern's College of Engineering changed my life.”
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