Engineering Management

The BS in Engineering Management at CBU’s Gadomski School of Engineering is built for students who want to lead in technical environments without pursuing a traditional engineering design track. 

The degree combines core management principles with hands-on technical training in one of three industry-focused concentrations: aviation management, construction management, or packaging. 

Graduates leave with the business acumen to manage people and projects alongside the technical grounding to communicate credibly in the industries they enter.

An Alternative Choice in Engineering

The Engineering Management major is also a great option if you discover, during your study of engineering, that you are most interested in the management aspects of this field. The BSEM is still focused on engineering but requires fewer upper-division math and science courses.

Is Engineering Management for You?

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management combines two sets of skills. You’ll excel in this field if you:

• Adapt quickly to new information or situations
• Communicate well verbally and in written communications
• Enjoy working with people
• Can delegate well to others
• Are ethical and diplomatic
• Possess strong math skills
• Have an aptitude for engineering
• Are responsible

Three Reasons to Choose CBU Engineering Management

1. Three Concentrations Built for Memphis’s Economy

The BS in Engineering Management offers three concentrations tied directly to the industries driving growth in Memphis and the Mid-South: Aviation Management, Construction Management, and Packaging. 

Memphis serves as the global headquarters of FedEx and sits at the center of one of the world’s busiest air cargo networks, with 15 airports in and around the city. 

The region’s construction sector is expanding, and the demand for packaging professionals spans the logistics, manufacturing, and food distribution industries that define Memphis’s industrial base. Students choose a concentration that positions them directly inside a growing sector before they graduate.

2. Workforce Readiness from Day One

The Mid-South has measurable, documented demand for aviation, construction, and packaging professionals. CBU’s industry partnerships connect students to that demand while they are still enrolled. 

The majority of students in the Gadomski School of Engineering complete paid internships in their junior and senior years, often converting those positions into full-time offers. Starting salaries for graduates exceed $60,000 per year. 

That number is not a projection; it reflects outcomes from CBU’s established relationships with employers across the Memphis area and beyond.

3. Industry Partnerships That Lead to Jobs

Faculty in the Engineering Management program maintain active relationships with industry stakeholders in aviation, construction, and packaging. 

Those connections produce real-world project opportunities, guest instruction from working professionals, and direct pipelines to employment. CBU Engineering has nearly 3,000 active alumni across industries worldwide, and the network is a working asset, not just a LinkedIn list.

Program Highlights

Packaging Concentration

Packaging is an interdisciplinary field that applies scientific and engineering principles to develop and produce packages that contain, protect, preserve, transport, inform, and sell a product. Packaging engineering includes the study of products, packages, materials, containers, structures, methods, machinery, and transportation. It involves such diverse disciplines as chemistry, physics, materials science, mechanics, machine design, industrial engineering, electronics, materials handling, and other specialized skills. Total employment in the packaging industry is estimated at over a million. Packaging engineers are employed in such areas as package engineering, development, sales, purchasing, structure design, production, research, and marketing.

At the graduate level, the Packaging Program offers a Master of Science in Engineering Management with a Packaging Concentration.

The Packaging Program also houses a Packaging Lab, which is certified by the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) and is well-equipped to provide many opportunities for CBU students to pursue real world training to become ISTA certified packaging laboratory professionals.

Internships with Major Corporations

An internship during your studies provides you with first-hand management experience. CBU BSEM students have interned with businesses including:

• FedEx
• Medtronic
• Smith & Nephew
• International Paper
• Wright Medical

What You’ll Study

All concentrations are balanced between general education, business, and engineering courses.

View the courses for Engineering Management COMING SOON

What You Will Learn

The Engineering Management degree builds two skill sets in parallel: technical knowledge specific to your concentration and the management fundamentals needed to apply it at an organizational level.

Management and Leadership Skills

• Project planning, scheduling, and resource allocation across engineering environments
• Organizational behavior, team leadership, and cross-functional communication
• Operations management and process improvement methodologies
• Financial analysis, budgeting, and cost control for technical projects
• Risk assessment and quality management in industrial settings
• Supply chain fundamentals and logistics coordination

Concentration-Specific Technical Skills

Aviation Management

• Airport operations and air traffic systems
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and compliance
• Aviation safety management and risk analysis
• Airline and cargo industry operations, including air freight logistics

Construction Management

• Construction project scheduling and estimating
• Contract administration and site supervision
• Building codes, safety regulations, and OSHA compliance
• Sustainable construction practices and materials management

Packaging

• Packaging materials science and selection
• Package design, testing, and performance evaluation
• Distribution packaging and supply chain integration
• Regulatory requirements for packaging in food, pharmaceutical, and consumer sectors

Careers

Graduates with a BS in Engineering Management are prepared to work in various environments where management plays a crucial role in the success of engineering projects.

Career Outcomes and Salary Data 

Engineering management graduates work at the intersection of technical operations and organizational leadership, a combination that commands some of the highest wages across all engineering fields.

The median annual wage for architectural and engineering managers was $167,740 in May 2024, with employment projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034 and approximately 14,500 openings projected each year. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Architectural and Engineering Manager: $167,740 median annual wage | +4% projected growth (2024–2034) | ~14,500 openings/year
• Construction Manager: $106,980 median annual wage | +9% projected growth | ~46,800 openings/year
• Management Occupations (Broad): $122,090 median annual wage | 1.1 million openings/year across all management fields

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–34 edition

Where CBU Engineering Management graduates work:

Graduates enter roles in aviation operations, airport management, construction project management, packaging engineering, logistics coordination, manufacturing supervision, and general operations management. 

Memphis’s position as a global logistics hub, anchored by FedEx, a major port on the Mississippi River, and one of the country’s largest intermodal freight networks, creates direct regional demand for professionals with this specific combination of technical and management skills.

Program Highlights

Construction Management Concentration

Construction Management might be for you IF:

• You like civil engineering but are more interested in focusing on planning and managing people
• You like seeing a project through from start to finish
• You like working with your hands
• You like being part of a team that is responsible for the planning and implementation of a project. 
• You want to make a competitive salary at a competitive job right after graduation. 

Internships with Major Corporations

An internship during your studies provides you with first-hand management experience. CBU Construction Management students have the opportunity to intern with the following companies:

What You’ll Study

The Construction Management Concentration requires 123 credit hours. You’ll take CBU general education and liberal arts courses, plus courses in:

Purdue + CBU Engineering Partnership

Beginning in Fall 2026, CBU and Purdue University are launching four 4+1 engineering pathways — one of the most significant expansions of graduate access in the Gadomski School of Engineering’s history.

What the 4+1 Pathway Means

While enrolled at CBU, juniors and seniors majoring in engineering can begin taking online graduate engineering courses through Purdue. Students may complete up to 12 credit hours of Purdue graduate coursework. Those credits count toward the CBU bachelor’s degree and can be applied toward a Purdue online master’s degree once students are admitted into a Purdue graduate engineering program.

The result: students finish their undergraduate degree at CBU and enter a nationally ranked graduate program with up to a full semester of credit already completed.

Available Purdue Graduate Programs

• Civil Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Interdisciplinary Engineering

In Their Words

“We are excited about the level of interest our students are showing as news of this pathway spreads. This partnership with Purdue represents the primary mission of CBU: to provide our students with opportunities that will encourage them to grow and equip them with the skills needed to pursue their careers and aspirations.” 

Andrew Assadollahi, Dean, Gadomski School of Engineering, CBU

“Opportunities are no longer limited by borders. This is part of our goal to pursue strategic partnerships that provide advanced learning opportunities for students who want to be future-ready. We welcome this opportunity to collaborate with CBU.”

Dimitrios Peroulis, Senior Vice President for Partnerships and Online, Purdue University; Reilly Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

For more information on the Purdue partnership, contact partnerships-online@purdue.edu or explore Engineering at CBU.

All students must meet CBU undergraduate and Purdue graduate admission requirements.

Meet the Faculty

Engineering faculty and business faculty are experts in their field and will give you the support you need to complete this study.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a BS in Engineering Management? 

A BS in Engineering Management is an undergraduate degree that combines business management principles with technical engineering training. It is designed for students who want to work in engineering-driven industries in leadership, operations, and project management roles, rather than in design or research. At CBU, the degree includes three concentrations: Aviation Management, Construction Management, and Packaging. 

How is Engineering Management different from a traditional engineering degree? 

Traditional engineering degrees (Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical) focus heavily on mathematics, physics, and technical design. Engineering Management is designed for students who want the technical foundation to work effectively in engineering environments but whose career goals point toward management, operations, and organizational leadership rather than design or laboratory work. Both tracks are available at CBU’s Gadomski School of Engineering. 

What concentrations are available in the BS in Engineering Management? 

CBU offers three concentrations: Aviation Management, Construction Management, and Packaging. Each concentration is tied to industries with strong regional demand in Memphis, Tennessee, and the broader Mid-South economy. 

What is the Purdue 4+1 partnership? 

Beginning Fall 2026, CBU students in the Engineering Management program can begin taking online graduate engineering courses through Purdue University during their junior and senior years. Up to 12 credit hours of Purdue graduate coursework count toward the CBU bachelor’s degree and can be applied to a Purdue online master’s degree upon admission. Eligible graduate programs include Civil Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Interdisciplinary Engineering. 

What jobs do Engineering Management graduates get? 

Graduates work in roles such as aviation operations manager, airport project coordinator, construction project manager, packaging engineer, logistics operations manager, manufacturing supervisor, and general engineering manager. Starting salaries for CBU Engineering Management graduates exceed $60,000 per year, according to program outcome data. 

Do Engineering Management students complete internships? 

Yes. The majority of students in the Gadomski School of Engineering complete paid internships during their junior and senior years. CBU’s industry partnerships in aviation, construction, and packaging create direct connections to regional employers, and many internships convert to full-time positions after graduation. 

Is this program offered at CBU’s Memphis campus? 

Yes. The BS in Engineering Management is offered at CBU’s main campus at 650 East Parkway South, Memphis, Tennessee 38104. The program is part of the Gadomski School of Engineering, which has a 50-plus year legacy of engineering education in Memphis and the Mid-South. 

What graduate programs are available after completing the BS in Engineering Management? 

CBU offers a Master of Science in Engineering Management (MSEM) for students who want to continue at CBU. Through the new Purdue partnership, students can also pursue graduate degrees in Civil, Software, Electrical, or Interdisciplinary Engineering at Purdue University, beginning coursework as early as their junior year.