Studies & Degrees in Manufacturing Engineering
Manufacturing engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with how products are made. Where a design engineer decides what a part should look like, a manufacturing engineer works out how to produce it in quantity, at the right quality and at a reasonable cost. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes manufacturing engineers as engineers who design or improve manufacturing systems and related processes, with a focus on automation, facility layout and process changes that reduce costs and improve product quality.
The accreditation criteria that ABET applies to US programmes with "manufacturing" in their title give a good picture of what students learn:
- materials and manufacturing processes
- process, assembly and product engineering, including equipment and tooling
- manufacturing competitiveness: planning, strategy, quality and control
- manufacturing systems design with statistical methods
- laboratory or factory experience measuring real process variables
Current programmes add digital topics. Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, for example, lists digital design and manufacturing, robotics and automation, real-time data analytics, lean process management, six sigma statistical process control and additive manufacturing among the technologies behind its Smart Manufacturing Engineering degree.
Qualifications and levels
Bachelor's degree. In the United States the subject is taught as a Bachelor of Science, often inside a department shared with mechanical or industrial engineering. ABET-accredited engineering bachelor's programmes must include at least 30 semester credit hours of mathematics and basic sciences, at least 45 semester credit hours of engineering topics and a final major design project. Programmes named "manufacturing" must also meet the specific criteria written with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). The B.S. in Smart Manufacturing Engineering at Miami University is accredited by ABET under these manufacturing criteria.
Master's degree and doctorate. Graduates of mechanical, industrial or materials engineering often specialise in manufacturing at master's level. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) offers manufacturing engineering as a minor, a combined BS/MS, a certificate, a master's degree and a PhD; its master's can be taken part time or full time, is also offered online and ends with an independent study project, directed research or a thesis. The M.S. in manufacturing engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit has a 30-credit degree requirement and asks for a bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited institution; the university says that applicants with a degree in another STEM field may also be considered.
Certificates and short courses. Oregon State University offers a 33-credit online undergraduate certificate in Mechatronics for Manufacturing Engineering, aimed at professionals who need skills in robotics and automated systems.
Professional certification. SME awards the Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE) credential. It recommends at least eight combined years of manufacturing-related education and work experience, of which at least four years are work experience. At Miami University, final-year engineering students are encouraged to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, the first step towards a professional engineering licence in the United States.
Where to study manufacturing engineering
SpainExchange lists 11 schools for this subject: nine in the United States, one in Ireland and one in the United Kingdom. All of them teach in English. Examples in the United States are WPI in Massachusetts, Miami University in Ohio, Wayne State University in Michigan and Oregon State University in Corvallis. In Europe the list includes the University of Sunderland in the north-east of England, whose engineering facilities include a product development lab with 3D printing, laser cutting and CNC equipment, and Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) in Ireland.
When comparing programmes, check whether the degree is called manufacturing engineering or is a specialisation within mechanical or industrial engineering, whether it is accredited (ABET in the United States), how much laboratory and industry project work it includes, and whether a master's can be combined with the bachelor's. International applicants should plan ahead: Wayne State University advises international students to apply three to six months in advance to allow time for visa processing.
Careers
Manufacturing engineers work as process engineers, production engineers, quality engineers, automation engineers and, with experience, plant or operations managers. The BLS counts manufacturing engineers within the wider occupation of industrial engineers. According to the BLS, industrial engineers held about 365,100 jobs in the United States in 2025, and employment is projected to grow 12 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,100 openings a year. The largest employer is transportation equipment manufacturing, with 15 percent of jobs, followed by professional and technical services and computer and electronic product manufacturing. The usual entry requirement is a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering or a related field such as mechanical or electrical engineering.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between manufacturing engineering and mechanical engineering?
Mechanical engineering covers the design and analysis of machines and mechanical systems in general. Manufacturing engineering concentrates on the processes, tooling, quality control and production systems needed to make products. Many universities teach both in one department.
Do I need a master's degree to work as a manufacturing engineer?
Not usually. According to the BLS, industrial engineers, the group that includes manufacturing engineers, typically need a bachelor's degree. A master's degree is a way to specialise or to move into manufacturing from another engineering field.
Is there a professional certification for manufacturing engineers?
Yes. SME awards the Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE) credential and recommends at least eight combined years of manufacturing-related education and work experience, including at least four years of work experience.
Can I study manufacturing engineering online?
Some programmes are available online. WPI offers its master's in Manufacturing Engineering online as well as on campus, and Oregon State University offers an online undergraduate certificate in Mechatronics for Manufacturing Engineering.