McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University

Graduate Studies at McCormick

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Supportive Community
Helpful support systems make rigorous academics manageable.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Working across disciplines is key to McCormick's success.
Groundbreaking Research
Students and faculty work closely to expand research frontiers.
From Student to Teacher
Many McCormick graduates go on to successful careers in academia.
Poised for Leadership
McCormick graduates excel in high-level positions in academia and industry.

Graduate work at McCormick can be a doorway to a new chapter in your life. The possibilities are limitless: You can research topics almost completely unexplored, prepare for a career in academia, or position yourself for a hands-on leadership role in the engineering workforce.

Study Across Disciplines

Complex problems have complex solutions. Energy and sustainability, global health, poverty, and education — true solutions to these challenges involve multiple considerations: ethical, economic, technical, and legal.

Image of professor interacting with students in lab

McCormick’s curriculum is crafted to produce whole-brain™ graduates who think and work across disciplines — engineers whose deep technical skills are augmented by creative and humanistic thinking.

Groundbreaking research

McCormick faculty and graduate students engage in research that’s changing the world and demolishing the boundaries of what we thought we knew. McCormick’s focus on interdisciplinary research has led to collaborations both inside and outside Northwestern, from the Feinberg School of Medicine to Argonne National Laboratory. Far beyond simply understanding existing knowledge, researchers at McCormick are focused on discovering new knowledge and technologies.

Prepare for Academia

The master’s programs and PhD programs at McCormick attract graduates from some of the most competitive institutions around the world, and our emphasis on interdisciplinary study across the board is key. As our graduate students simultaneously develop both analytical and problem-solving skills, they become increasingly prepared to apply these tools to any problem they might face — from analyzing logistical systems in the supply chain to creating self-assembling nanomaterials.

McCormick is committed to mentoring students who have interests in careers in academia to ensure that they are prepared to begin independent careers as faculty members. The school has had tremendous success placing students in academic positions, and these students were advised by a diverse set of faculty members. Students have started their academic careers in top universities across the country.

Poised for Industry Leadership

McCormick graduates excel in high-level positions industrywide. PhDs are qualified to fill research positions at the highest levels in private industry and government laboratories, and to perform and direct original research on the staffs of universities, hospitals, or companies. The full-time MMM Program at Northwestern University leads to two degrees, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Engineering Management (MEM); its students are prepared to engage in proper design of products and services coupled with efficient, economical, error-free operations. The part-time Master of Project Management Program prepares graduates for management roles in the design, construction, operation, and management of major civil and environmental engineering projects. And the Management for Scientists and Engineers summer certificate program, a collaboration with the Kellogg School of Management, offers an introduction to the business and leadership skills that will be essential for facing challenges and opportunities as new graduates.

Regardless of what you’re interested in pursuing in your graduate studies — and regardless of whether you’re a recent graduate or are well into your career path — McCormick’s graduate programs will prime you for success, both in the short and long term.