MSOL students can earn a master’s degree in two years through classes that are delivered completely online by UCLA Engineering faculty.
“The UCLA Engineering online master’s degree program is designed for engineering professionals who seek to advance their skill sets and career opportunities, but require additional flexibility in how they pursue their education,” said Jayathi Murthy, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of UCLA Engineering. “Our classes are taught by the same faculty who teach on campus, so our program brings UCLA’s excellent engineering education directly to students’ homes, wherever those homes may be.”
UCLA initiated the MSOL program in 2007, and since then has conferred more than 500 master’s degrees. Graduates have gone on to assume leadership roles in government and commercial engineering enterprises, start their own entrepreneurial ventures and pursue advanced research degrees.
More than 60 UCLA Engineering faculty members and lecturers teach in the program, and its annual enrollment, now at more than 370 students, has grown steadily each year.
“UCLA is unique in its ability to bring together both the best faculty and the highest achieving students in an online environment,” said Jenn-Ming Yang, UCLA Engineering’s associate dean for international initiatives and online programs. “The MSOL program is recognized by working engineers and engineering companies worldwide because it offers the exact same education students would receive here on campus.”
In 2017, UCLA will add engineering reliability and engineering entrepreneurship to its online curriculum, which also includes data science, sustainable water engineering, structural materials, aerospace engineering, computer networking, electrical engineering, electronic materials, engineering management, integrated circuits, manufacturing and design, materials science, mechanical engineering, signal processing and communication, and systems engineering.
For its latest rankings, U.S. News analyzed 94 online programs, considering criteria such as the faculty’s academic credentials; instructional technology and student access to academic, career and financial support; student engagement and graduation rate; admissions selectivity; and the program’s reputation among peers. UCLA ranked highest or next to highest in each of the reported statistical categories.
Image: UCLA Engineering Professor Ertugrul Taciroglu shows what a faculty member sees when teaching an online master’s degree class.