Meet Sheela Shaw
Sheela Shaw desired to build and expand her systems engineering knowledge and earn an advanced degree from a university with a strong reputation. She only considered schools with top graduate engineering programs, and Georgia Tech was on her list.
She focused on finding a master’s degree program that was not fully online but still allowed her to continue her career with no interruption. It wasn’t easy to find a program with a blend of online and in-person learning that also allowed her to stay committed to her current job.
Then she discovered Georgia Tech’s Professional Master’s Degree in Applied Systems Engineering (PMASE), a two-year program whose hybrid format blends face-to-face instruction and online learning.
“This was perfect. I can keep working, and it’s Georgia Tech. It’s the best engineering school,” said Shaw, 32, a principal analyst for Manhattan Associates, which designs, builds and delivers market-leading supply chain commerce solutions.
The program’s instructors are experts in their field and serve as faculty members for Georgia Tech's College of Engineering – the nation’s 4th Best Graduate Engineering School – or as researchers and scientists with Georgia Tech Research Institute. Even though some learning takes place remotely, Shaw has enjoyed getting to know the instructors, who are approachable, personable and act as mentors to her and her cohorts.
Shaw has seen immediate results from the program’s practical, hands-on approach to learning how to successfully integrate systems.
“The best thing about this program is we are applying as we learn. We do activities and projects in every course,” Shaw says. “I see my progress. I'm better organized. I'm a better systems engineer now.”
Shaw, who earned her undergraduate degree with a specialization in computer science in India, believes the skills and knowledge from PMASE will help her move her career toward management positions.
She adds: “I have been sacrificing my personal time but I'm happy to do that because I'm here to study and learn, and I’m eager to learn.”
