Explore various avenues of opportunity within engineering graduate degrees

If there’s a time to step up as a senior engineer, it’s now. A 2023 report by Boston Consulting Group estimates the US will need 400,000 new engineers annually. The surge is sparked and sustained by fast-evolving sectors like artificial intelligence and sustainability — fields reshaping the world with speed and scale. 

Meeting this demand calls for skilled and sharp-minded professionals, the kind a good master’s degree nurtures. Through research labs buzzing with innovation and projects with impact, these graduate programmes equip students with the experience and tools to stand out. 

Research at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science focuses on energy transition and environmental sustainability. Source: University of Regina

University of Regina

Founded in 1973, the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Regina set out to distinguish itself through unique programmes based on the principles of systems engineering. Today, it offers forward-looking programmes that champion innovation, industry relevance, and emerging technologies, driven by research that prioritises energy transition and environmental sustainability. 

The university’s location is ideal for this. Set within one of North America’s largest urban parks and surrounded by prairie landscapes, the university sits in Saskatchewan, a province that produces roughly 30% of the world’s potash. With 10 mines nearby, there is access to a huge industry that’s ideal for expanding networks and applying knowledge.  

Indeed, all programmes here were designed with industry connections in mind. Three graduate degrees exemplify this: Electronic Systems Engineering, Environmental Systems Engineering, and Process Systems Engineering. With only 10 to 30 students per class, learning is more personalised and engaging, thus more effective in preparing students for co-operative education and internship opportunities. They are hands-on and expose you to the real world. 

The faculty’s latest programme, Energy Systems Engineering, follows this same ethos. Launched in response to the rapidly changing energy landscape and the university’s commitment to climate action, it is the most comprehensive energy-related curriculum available at any Canadian university. Whether you strive for a Master of Applied Science, Master of Engineering or a PhD, the programme trains you to analyse, design, and optimise complex systems for generating, storing, distributing, and consuming energy, with a prime focus on sustainability and efficiency.  

There are three options to choose from: Petroleum, Energy Transportation and Storage, and Sustainable Energy. The last explores Nuclear Energy Systems and Safety, including research on small modular reactors (SMRs), including corrosion mitigation, waste management strategies, and safety protocols for advanced nuclear fuels. 

Located in a coastal neighbourhood of the city of San Diego, the Jacobs School of Engineering is consistently ranked among the nation’s top engineering schools. Source: UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering/Facebook

University of California, San Diego

There are several reasons why the University of California, San Diego‘s Jacobs School of Engineering is ranked #10 among the top engineering schools in the US and sixth among public universities in the nation, according to the US News and World Report Ranking of Best Engineering Schools (published April 2025). 

It’s dedicated to providing world-class technical education and industry-relevant research. Its innovations improve lives and drive emerging industries. Case in point: researchers here are part of a multi-institution team that received a US$17 million award to build the new Centre for Advancing Radiation Resilience of Electronics (CARRE), focused on making electronics more resilient to radiation. Another team from the San Diego Supercomputer Centre is part of a national effort to create a unified data system for fusion energy research. 

These research projects are born out of the school’s clear-eyed determination, technical smarts, creativity, and openness to collaborate across disciplines and industries. For all their achievements, many of these researchers remain dedicated to the faculty’s first mission: educating tomorrow’s technology leaders. 

The Jacobs School offers master’s degrees across six engineering departments: Bioengineering, Chemical and Nano Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Structural Engineering. The school also offers Engineering Professional Master’s Degrees, ideal for working professionals who seek to advance their knowledge without sacrificing their careers. 

The University of Georgia is the first public higher education institution in the US. Source: University of Georgia.

University of Georgia

While there are other older institutions in the US that date back to the 1600s, the University of Georgia marks the birthplace of public higher education in the country. Established in 1785, the university has inspired generations of changemakers, researchers, and problem-solvers who have gone on to make the world better.  

Many have come from its College of Engineering. Whether you choose the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, the School of Computing, the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, or the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering, you stand to follow in their footsteps. Here, you will work alongside world-class faculty and peers with the same goal – to solve some of the greatest engineering challenges facing society today. 

The capstone design programme takes your learning experience a step further as you work together with business, industry, nonprofit, and community partners to address real-world problems. Take senior computer systems engineering student Nate Guenard, who worked with Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation, for example. He and his team are developing the Automatic Castle Nut Alignment Device to improve efficiency in the assembly process of building tractors and other agricultural vehicles. 

Another is senior environmental engineering student Katie Kahn, who is designing a resilient shoreline protection solution to mitigate damage and enhance long-term coastal resilience in the Summer Haven area in St. Johns County, Florida, with the help of AtkinsRéalis. 

Projects like Kahn’s reflect the university’s deep integration with its surroundings. The main campus is part of the city, offering a vibrant college town atmosphere that’s often ranked among the best in the country for both students and residents. With its lively arts and music scene and historic charm, the area provides a great environment to live, learn, and make a difference. 

Iowa State University’s engineering programmes are designed to ease your transition to professional work. Source: ISU College of Engineering/Facebook

Iowa State University

Iowa State University is deeply invested in your academic journey and future career. The College of Engineering offers various resources designed to support you from day one — academic advising, internships, co-op placements, student organisations and more — whether your path leads to industry or academia. 

Graduate programmes span a wide range of disciplines. These include Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Whichever you choose, you’ll learn how to be innovative and creative as you strive to solve real-world problems. 

Examples include how to improve human health by keeping nitrates away from sources of drinking water, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat by reducing oxygen-starved dead zones in water, and helping farmers reduce the use of fertilisers — all of which come from a research project to develop a technology that could help keep nitrogen fertilisers on farm fields and away from waterways. This is just one of the impactful projects being conducted here; imagine what else the college has to offer. 

And when you’re not busy in labs and lecture halls, the city of Ames awaits, where you can explore its rich art, culture, and music scenes. The city continually ranks among the best to live, work, play, and study in the US. 

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International