Engineering education expands online

by Andrew Masuda

The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering (COE) will launch the university’s first fully online master’s degree program, an expansion of UCSB’s engineering curriculum designed for working professionals. The Master of Engineering and Technology Leadership (METL) program received final authorization from the University of California and President James B. Milliken in April. The inaugural METL class will start in fall 2027. 

The new offering “builds on the interdisciplinary strengths of our campus and our Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering to provide a truly innovative professional degree program bridging technology, business and management,” says Chancellor Dennis Assanis. “I congratulate our campus colleagues who have worked tremendously hard to create this distinctive new online program as part of our unwavering commitment to advance the frontiers of research education and prepare our students for success.” 

Designed for early- to mid-career technology professionals, METL is an interdisciplinary professional master’s program combining advanced technical training with leadership, business and technology management education. The fully online format is structured so that students can continue to work while earning a UCSB engineering degree, regardless of geographic location or time zone. 

“This program represents a major milestone for UC Santa Barbara,” says COE Dean Umesh Mishra. “METL allows us to extend UCSB’s engineering excellence beyond campus in a way that meets the realities of today’s workforce — providing flexibility, relevance and rigor for professionals who are ready to step into leadership roles.” 

METL was developed in response to growing industry demand for professionals who possess both deep technical expertise and the ability to lead teams, manage complex systems and translate innovation into impact. The program is designed to accelerate career advancement for professionals seeking to move into technical leadership, management and executive roles. 

Initially, the 38-unit program will offer four specialization tracks that align with areas where UCSB is internationally recognized for research excellence and industry engagement: semiconductor technology, quantum information, AI and machine learning for science and technology, and technology management. 

“These fields are central to today’s most pressing technological challenges, and they are disciplines in which our faculty have shaped industries, advanced fundamental science, and trained generations of innovators,” says Mishra. “METL builds directly on that legacy, translating UCSB’s research excellence into a flexible, professionally focused program designed to meet the needs of the modern engineering workforce.” 

Students will complete a combination of advanced technical coursework, core leadership and management courses taught by the Department of Technology Management, seminars and workshops led by faculty and industry experts, and a culminating capstone project, which may be completed online, at a company or in a UCSB research lab. 

The program can be completed in as little as 10 months with full-time participation; part-time students can take up to four years, providing flexibility for working professionals at different career stages.