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Studies & Degrees in Manufacturing Engineering Technology

Manufacturing engineering technology is the applied side of manufacturing engineering. Students learn how products are made, how production lines are set up, automated and kept running, and how quality is measured and improved. The emphasis is on putting engineering methods to work on the factory floor: laboratories, machines and industrial software take up much of the timetable.

ABET, the US accreditation body for engineering programmes, explains the difference from an engineering degree in this way: engineering programmes often focus on theory and conceptual design, while engineering technology programmes usually focus on application and implementation. Engineering technology programmes typically work with algebra, trigonometry and applied calculus, in courses that are more practical than theoretical.

What students learn

ABET's criteria for programmes with this name give a good outline of the content. Such a programme teaches the technical and leadership skills needed for careers in manufacturing process and systems design, operations, quality, continuous improvement, lean manufacturing and sustainability. The curriculum must cover:

  • materials and manufacturing processes
  • the product design process, tooling and assembly
  • manufacturing systems, automation and operations
  • statistics, quality and continuous improvement, and industrial organisation and management

Newer programmes add digital manufacturing. The Smart Manufacturing concentration at Tennessee Tech University, for example, deals with Industry 4.0 technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, simulation, robotics and additive manufacturing (3D printing).

Qualifications and levels

  • Certificates and diplomas. Technical colleges teach individual trades. The Machine Tool Technology diploma at Alexandria Technical & Community College in Minnesota prepares students for the machine tool trade, including work on computer numerical controlled (CNC) machining and turning centres.
  • Associate degrees (two years). ABET accredits engineering technology programmes at associate level (a two-year degree) and at bachelor's level (a four-year degree). According to its criteria, associate graduates typically go into manufacturing operations and service functions or transfer to a bachelor's programme. Alexandria Technical & Community College offers an Engineering Technology AAS, which prepares students to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of engineers, and an Engineering Technology AS designed for transfer to a bachelor of science, with an articulation agreement with Bemidji State University.
  • Bachelor's degrees (four years). A bachelor's programme adds a capstone project in which students solve a manufacturing problem, and its mathematics includes integral and differential calculus or other mathematics above algebra and trigonometry. Tennessee Tech University awards a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology with a Smart Manufacturing concentration, taught on campus.

In the United States, graduates of ABET-accredited bachelor's programmes in engineering technology can become registered professional engineers in many, but not all, states. Outside the United States, degree names and levels differ; ask the school what recognition its qualification has and whether it gives access to the engineering profession in that country.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 17 active schools for manufacturing engineering technology. Ten are in the United States and three in Ireland; the United Kingdom, Denmark, India and Chile have one each. The US schools include Ferris State University in Michigan, Tennessee Tech University, the University of Dayton and two-year colleges such as Alexandria Technical & Community College, Broward College and CT State Naugatuck Valley. In Ireland the list includes Dublin City University, the University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin. Newcastle University, VIA University College in Horsens (Denmark) and the Universidad Autónoma de Chile are also listed.

Teaching in the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom is in English. When comparing schools, look at the laboratories and equipment, the links with local industry, whether the programme includes a work placement, and whether credits transfer to a higher degree.

Careers

ABET says graduates of four-year engineering technology programmes are most likely to work in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, product design, testing, or technical services and sales, and that graduates of two-year programmes are likely to take engineering technician positions in maintenance, production or product development. Tennessee Tech University names digital manufacturing engineer, manufacturing data analyst, process automation engineer and smart factory manager as roles for graduates of its concentration.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes industrial engineering technologists and technicians as workers who help engineers solve problems affecting manufacturing layout or production; most work in manufacturing industries. They typically need an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate, and their employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between engineering and engineering technology?

According to ABET, engineering programmes often focus on theory and conceptual design, while engineering technology programmes usually focus on application and implementation and use more practical mathematics.

How long does the degree take?

In the United States an associate degree takes two years and a bachelor's degree four years. Diplomas and certificates in single trades, such as machine tool technology, are shorter.

Can an engineering technology graduate become a professional engineer?

In the United States, graduates of ABET-accredited bachelor's programmes in engineering technology are eligible to become registered professional engineers in many, but not all, states.

How much mathematics is involved?

ABET's criteria require algebra and trigonometry in associate degrees, and integral and differential calculus or other mathematics above that level in bachelor's degrees.