One of our main focus areas in the Master of Engineering with a concentration in Information Engineering Management (IEM) at UAB, is helping students grow in their professional careers, moving from engineer to manager, but seeing the transforming impact of our curriculum in the lives and careers of our students and alumni isn't a terrible outcome either.
"I definitely say that one of the values and pillars of the program is the 'Company of One'. That really stood out to me. I'm looking at myself as my employer is hiring me, as a company of one. That means me being the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and all of those operating officers. It gave me a different outlook of how I branded myself and how I represented myself, and how I marketed my company. That was pivotal for me making the promotions that I've had recently since I've started within the program. So I would definitely say that was life-changing for me, the perception of looking at myself as a 'Company of One'."
A philosophy I've developed in my book "Resumes are Worthless: How to Find the Work You Love and Succeed", is the Company of One mentality. Upon beginning the IEM curriculum you will be immersed in this mindset of how to run your personal brand as your own company. This thinking helps our students understand that they have complete control of their time and income, and they are able to fully take responsibility for where they move in their future, both professionally and personally. After learning this concept, when accompanied by the additional concepts and skills in the IEM curriculum, our students can be prepared to go after their next move, whether it is starting their own company, asking for a raise or promotion, or even just making a decision they had been holding out on.
We can talk all day about IEM - but we know you'd rather hear from our students and alumni that have experienced the firsthand impact of our program in their careers. Alumnus, Bennie Griggs, III, graduated from IEM in December 2018 and shared the advantage of completing the IEM program and how it has impacted his life both personally and professionally, even leading to a promotion.
"It's one of those programs where you benefit as much as you put into it. They give you all the answers to success and it's up to you to apply it. So it's really up to you what you want to get from the program, but I can definitely say I have a testimony that it is a huge benefit, not only personally but also career wise."
Be Your Own IEM Success Story
We hope hearing it straight from the source will help you learn more about our program, help you decide if you're ready to pursue a position in engineering management, and even draw up the questions that we haven't answered yet. If you are preparing to move into a management position in the future, we invite you to schedule a time to talk with us or our alumni about your career goals and ways to accomplish them. Use the form on this page or email us at
About IEM
The Master of Engineering with a concentration in Information Engineering Management (IEM) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a specialized concentration designed primarily for engineers and people in technical positions. The concentration presents business systems and soft skills in a curriculum that is based on actual engineering industry needs and is offered completely online.