Best General Engineering Master’s Programs in New Jersey
Rowan’s Engineering MS offers a route without a named concentration, with both thesis and non-thesis choices. This 2026 ranking of general engineering master’s programs in New Jersey reviews that 30-credit award, the adviser-approved course plan, faculty research options and Glassboro graduate costs.
Students should decide how they want to use the degree before selecting a track. Research supervision, the final academic work and eligibility for assistantships differ from the coursework route.
How we ranked general engineering master’s programs in New Jersey
This New Jersey selection reviews Rowan’s current MS in Engineering with no named concentration. The official program page supports the track and admission requirements, the ExEEd department describes an engineering education research pathway, and the bursar provides the 2026–27 campus tuition and fees.
One verified program is reviewed here. Rowan is included for the broad engineering award’s adviser-guided technical plan and choice between research and coursework. The review examines these requirements alongside thesis-track assistantship eligibility and the fees charged beyond tuition.
Master of Science in Engineering — No Concentration
Glassboro, NJ
Semester credits
30
Study format
On campus
2026–27 tuition
$921 · Per credit, Glassboro graduate tuition
Cost basis & conditions +
Rowan’s 2026–27 Glassboro graduate schedule lists $921 tuition per credit for both New Jersey residents and nonresidents. It separately lists a $172.50 general service fee and $42 student life fee per credit, plus a wellness fee of $5.50 per credit below nine credits or a $50 flat charge at nine or more credits. Applicable insurance, materials and other expenses are additional.
Rowan requires students to select the thesis track to be eligible for a teaching or research assistantship. Eligibility does not establish that a position is available or guarantee an award; applicants should confirm the faculty project and written support terms.
Rowan’s Engineering MS retains a route without a named concentration and offers both thesis and coursework tracks. The standard curriculum combines engineering analysis, computing applications and an approved business course with adviser-approved technical work. Students who choose the thesis route develop a research project with a faculty mentor and defend the completed thesis. Those choosing coursework can discuss an approved project within that plan. A separate engineering education research pathway through ExEEd faculty illustrates how the broad award can support a particular research question while maintaining technical preparation. The important application decision is which academic plan and faculty arrangement will give the degree a clear purpose.
Where it stands out
Rowan fits applicants who want an adviser-guided engineering master’s with a choice between research and coursework. The no-concentration route is useful when the intended technical plan crosses subjects, and ExEEd provides a defined faculty route for engineering education research.
What to weigh
Assistantship eligibility requires the thesis track, so funding plans and academic goals need to be considered together. The program’s course table is illustrative, and research-credit allocations vary across its descriptions and faculty pathways; secure the approved current study plan before registering.
Attendance:The reviewed Glassboro engineering MS offers thesis and non-thesis routes without a named concentration. The university also lists a separate non-thesis Biomedical Engineering concentration.
Both the thesis and non-thesis tracks require 30 semester credits. The thesis route includes research and a successful thesis defense; the non-thesis route uses coursework and may include an approved project.
The published standard curriculum includes engineering analysis, engineering applications of computers and an approved business course, followed by adviser-approved technical specialization.
The program describes six to nine credits of thesis research or project work, while its illustrative table uses nine. Students must confirm the current approved allocation with the academic adviser.
An engineering education research plan is available through ExEEd faculty, with its own published course and research allocation designed to retain technical competency while supporting the thesis.
Areas of focus
No Concentration: thesis or non-thesis
Admission & progression
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. A background in mathematics, engineering or science is highly recommended.
The application includes official transcripts, a professional résumé and two recommendations. The faculty admissions committee may request an interview.
The program lists fall, spring and summer entry, with application completion deadlines of July 1, November 1 and April 1, respectively. Applicants should confirm requirements for their intended entry term.
Research & project requirements
Thesis students conduct supervised research and must successfully defend the master’s thesis. The exact research topic and plan are developed with the faculty mentor.
A project may count within the coursework route. ExEEd faculty also supervise engineering MS theses focused on engineering education research, with course choices made to support both technical preparation and research methods.
What matters in general engineering master’s programs in New Jersey
The broad degree supports an approved technical direction
The standard curriculum includes engineering analysis, computing applications and an approved business course. Technical specialization is developed with the academic adviser.
The thesis and coursework routes are clearly distinguished
Both routes require 30 credits, but the thesis requires supervised research and a defense. A project can also be considered within the coursework plan.
The academic choice and financial plan agree
Teaching or research assistantship eligibility requires the thesis track. Campus fees are charged in addition to tuition, with a wellness fee that changes at full-time enrollment.
Give the no-concentration engineering degree a specific course plan
Rowan lists both thesis and non-thesis versions of its MS in Engineering without a named concentration. That option allows an adviser-guided technical direction within the broad award. The same program page also lists a non-thesis Biomedical Engineering concentration, which has a more specific label.
The standard curriculum includes engineering applications of analysis, engineering applications of computers and an approved business course. The remaining technical work is selected with an academic adviser. A useful plan should explain how these courses develop the capabilities needed for the student’s intended engineering work.
The university identifies the displayed course table as illustrative and subject to change. Use it to understand the structure, then confirm the official current courses and approved allocation with the program. This matters especially when a particular faculty research pathway uses its own course and research arrangement.
Choose the thesis or coursework track with the final work in mind
Both tracks require 30 semester credits. Thesis students conduct research under faculty supervision and must successfully complete and defend the master’s thesis. The coursework route uses a different allocation and may include an approved project.
The general program description allows six to nine credits of thesis research or engineering project work, while the illustrative curriculum table uses nine. These are reasons to secure an approved individual plan before registration. The adviser should confirm the research credits, technical electives and final requirements that apply to the student’s route.
A thesis plan needs an appropriate research topic and an available faculty mentor. A coursework plan needs a coherent technical sequence, including any agreed project. Applicants can discuss both options with the program and decide which structure provides the depth and final work they want from the degree.
Consider the defined engineering education research pathway
Rowan’s Experiential Engineering Education department also supervises Engineering MS theses. Its published pathway focuses on engineering education research and requires 21 coursework credits plus nine research credits. The coursework includes mathematics, business and engineering or thesis-focused study.
The department emphasizes choosing courses with the thesis adviser so the student develops technical competency in an engineering discipline and the skills needed for the research. This gives applicants an example of how a broad engineering award can support a particular interdisciplinary question without abandoning technical preparation.
Applicants interested in this pathway should study faculty research areas and discuss the intended question with the department. The ExEEd plan should be evaluated as a specific faculty route, with its own approved courses and research expectations, rather than assumed to describe every no-concentration MS student.
Separate assistantship eligibility from an actual funding offer
Rowan requires an accredited bachelor’s degree and a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA, with mathematics, engineering or science preparation highly recommended. The application includes official transcripts, a professional résumé and two recommendations. The faculty committee may request an interview.
The program states that students must select the thesis track to be eligible for a teaching or research assistantship. Eligibility does not guarantee a position or a particular level of support. Confirm the project, duties, appointment period and covered charges in the written offer before building the budget around assistantship funding.
For 2026–27, Glassboro graduate tuition is $921 per credit for both New Jersey residents and nonresidents. A $172.50 general service fee and $42 student life fee are charged per credit. The wellness fee is $5.50 per credit below nine credits and a flat $50 at nine or more credits.
Applicable insurance, materials and living expenses add to those published charges. The national general engineering master’s ranking reviews other broad awards with different research and professional course structures. Our methodology explains how each program’s requirements inform the selection.
Questions, answered
What else should you know?
Can I earn Rowan’s engineering MS without a named concentration?+
Yes. Rowan’s current program page lists a no-concentration option in both thesis and non-thesis tracks. Students develop the technical course plan with an academic adviser.
Does Rowan’s engineering MS require a thesis?+
The thesis track requires research and a successful thesis defense. A non-thesis coursework track is also available, and an approved project may count within that route.
Can coursework-track students receive an engineering assistantship?+
The program requires the thesis track for teaching or research assistantship eligibility. Applicants should confirm available positions and the actual written award terms with the program and faculty mentor.
How are general engineering master’s programs in New Jersey reviewed here?+
This selection provides a full review of Rowan’s verified broad engineering MS, its two tracks, adviser-approved curriculum, faculty research pathway and current campus tuition and fees.
Continue your graduate research
Read the degree requirements behind each ranking
Use the school reviews to check how each program structures coursework, projects and research. Our methodology explains how we select programs and assess their fit.
