A bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering does not necessarily need to be followed by a master’s in the same field. You can explore different fields like industrial engineering, robotics, manufacturing, or even a Master of Business Administration (MBA) if you would like to transition into management. Lohidhar Kolla’s pivot was to industrial engineering.
“With my background in mechanical engineering, I noticed a clear trend among my peers in India — many of them transitioned into industrial engineering for their master’s and found success in roles like supply chain analyst, continuous improvement engineer, and operations excellence,” Kolla says. “Learning more from our department chair and professors in industrial engineering, I saw how this interdisciplinary path opened up opportunities to solve real-world problems, and that really inspired me to follow a similar direction.”
This decision to follow his peers led him to pursue an MS in Industrial Engineering (MSIE) at the University of South Florida, a top 50 public university in the US. It also proved to be the right decision, as the programme emphasises the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in its curriculum, a trend that is redefining almost every industry. The MSIE’s combination of AI/ML-driven decision-making with a strong foundation in analytics, operations research, and systems engineering equip students to take on the challenges of modern industries and businesses.
Lohidhar Kolla, supply chain specialist, in the Anchor Glass manufacturing plant at Minneapolis, US. Source: University of South Florida
The curriculum empowers you to design, evaluate, and operate complex industrial/business systems. Its comprehensive foundation is built on the theory and methods of optimisation, machine learning, statistical learning, and reinforcement learning applied to a variety of problems, including autonomous systems, cybersecurity, healthcare, sustainable energy, logistics, banking, and public health.
“Some of my favourite courses included Statistical Design of Experiments, Applied Data Intelligence, Creativity in Technology, Engineering Programming, and Statistical Data Intelligence,” Kolla says. “Even in courses that were challenging at first, I gained confidence and developed skills that I continue to apply in my professional career today.”
Kolla credits his professors for helping him master tough, foreign concepts. They were always approachable, willing to explain concepts in different ways, and genuinely invested in helping their students succeed. Kolla remembers Dr. Tapas Das, who is also the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering department’s chair, as someone who gave incredible support when he felt overwhelmed with work. It’s just what USF professors do – they offer guidance no matter where, when, how, or on what, as long as it helps students improve – which Kolla did.
He participated in leadership roles in multiple student organisations and served as a teaching assistant in the department, for which he received an “Outstanding Teaching Assistant” award from the university’s Provost’s office.
Luisa Guenther, SAP Retail Engineering Project Manager at Apple Inc., US. Source: University of South Florida
The lead role in engineering management
Luisa Guenther, after completing her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with Siemens, Berlin, Germany, took a different route, seeking a master’s that would merge her technical expertise with business. The MS in Engineering Management (MSEM) was her way in. Here, she developed her technical management skills through a curriculum that combines qualitative approaches and quantitative techniques.
There are four required courses – Principles of Engineering Management, Management of Technological Change, Technology and Finance, and Engineering Management Policy and Strategy – complemented by one quantitative course, one workforce management course, and four electives to suit your career aspirations. These courses are designed to strengthen a student’s engineering credentials and develop their competence to lead in a managerial position.
Luisa is proof of the MSEM programme’s impact. “I started my dream job and a career at Apple Inc. as an SAP Project Manager,” she says. “In this role, I’m responsible for designing and implementing processes, identifying technical solutions, writing functional specifications and design documents, managing onsite and offshore resources to build and test solutions, conducting root cause analyses, and resolving production issues.”
Like Luisa, the MSEM programme has produced over 1,000 graduates worldwide, some of whom are working in top organisations such as Honeywell, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Disney, Universal Studios, Cummins, Citibank, and Goldman Sachs.
The success of MSEM graduates is due in large part to the design of the curriculum. But Luisa would argue USF played a key role as well. MSEM students are highly encouraged by faculty to be actively engaged in leadership development on campus, for which there are as many as over 700 registered student organisations focusing on a wide range of academic, professional, and special interests.
“I joined the International Student Organisation at USF and became the Professional Development Chair,” Luisa says. “This role not only enriched my professional life but also provided me with the opportunity to help others.”
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