West LA Times

For the third year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has ranked UCLA Samueli School of Engineering’s online master’s degree program as the top in the nation. This marks the seventh time in 11 years that the program has achieved this distinction.

The Master of Science in Engineering Online program (MSOL) at UCLA was recognized for its high student engagement, diverse teaching methods, and world-class faculty. Since 2014, UCLA Samueli has consistently been placed at either No. 1 or No. 2 in these rankings.

Students in the MSOL program are taught by the same faculty who teach on-campus master's classes. Lectures are recorded live or from studios, and office hours are conducted via Zoom during evenings and weekends to accommodate working professionals. The program allows students to earn a master’s degree while maintaining full-time employment over two years and a quarter.

Since its inception in 2007, more than 1,700 students have graduated from the MSOL program, with nearly 200 graduates last school year alone. The current academic year saw record enrollment with 549 students registered for fall 2024.

“Receiving this top rank for the third time in a row demonstrates the ongoing commitment to excellence from both our students and faculty,” said Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of UCLA Samueli. “Our program successfully meets the demands of industry by teaching critical skills and technical knowledge required of professionals in the workforce.”

The MSOL offers specialized areas of study including data science engineering, reliability engineering, integrated circuits, aerospace engineering, and sustainable water engineering. A hybrid option is also available where enrolled students can take up to four courses on campus.

“By continuously improving our curriculum specializations in industry-relevant areas, we deliver top results for our students,” said Jenn-Ming Yang, faculty director of MSOL and associate dean for international initiatives and online programs at UCLA Samueli. “We constantly incorporate feedback from both our industry partners and students to make sure we design and teach courses that provide the best experience.”

The U.S. News survey evaluated 112 schools offering online engineering master’s programs based on metrics specific to online learning across five categories: engagement; faculty credentials; peer assessments; services and technologies; and student excellence.