Applications are now being accepted for UC Santa Barbara's new Master of Engineering and Technology Leadership program, the university’s first fully online degree. The inaugural class will begin in fall 2027. 

Offered through The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering, the 38-unit professional master's degree, known as METL, combines advanced technical study with training in leadership and technology management in order to prepare working technology professionals to become leaders in their industries. 

"For decades, UCSB Engineering has prepared people not simply to participate in technological change, but to help drive it," said Umesh Mishra, dean of The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering. "METL extends that tradition to working professionals who are ready to take the next step in their careers. We want engineers to deepen their technical expertise while development the leadership skills to guide teams and make decisions about where technology is headed.”

Students can specialize in one of four tracks: Semiconductor Technology, Quantum Information, AI Technology Leadership, or Technology Management. All METL students complete a common set of leadership courses along with their chosen specialization and electives. The technology management track offers additional flexibility for experienced professionals working in technology fields who may not come from traditional engineering backgrounds.

The opening of applications marks the latest milestone for the program, which UCSB announced in May. 

Christoffer Bovbjerg, METL's executive director, said that the program is designed primarily for early- to mid-career professionals looking to take the next step in their careers. 

"The program is really for people who are looking to lead," Bovbjerg said. "That could be someone who wants to move into management and lead a technical team, or someone who is more established in their career and wants to move into a different area, such as an engineer working in semiconductors who wants to build expertise in AI. The curriculum is designed to support both paths."

Ilan Ben-Yaacov, associate dean for online education and the program's lead designer, said that METL was created to bridge two types of graduate education that are often pursued separately. 

“You could think of METL as a business school built for the technology sector,” said Ben-Yaacov. “Students receive the technical depth they would expect from an advanced STEM degree, but they also develop the leadership, management, and strategic skills you might associate with an MBA. We want graduates who understand the technology and also lead the teams and organizations responsible for bringing it into the world.”

Program leaders are also working with companies and government agencies interested in using METL to support employees seeking advanced technical and leadership training. 

Designed for Online Learning 
METL faculty are currently creating curricula for the inaugural class, approaching the courses differently from traditional classroom instruction. 

"These aren't simply recordings of classroom lectures," Bovbjerg said. "Faculty are developing the lessons specifically for online students, thinking carefully about how the material is presented, how to keep students engaged, and how to make complex concepts easy to follow. We want the online format to shape the way we teach, not simply be the way students watch it."

Most coursework will be available asynchronously, allowing students to work around professional schedules, while also providing weekly opportunities to interact with faculty, classmates, and industry professionals. More than twenty UCSB faculty members along with industry professionals, drawing from engineering, computer science, materials, chemistry, quantum science, artificial intelligence, and technology management, will teach METL courses.

Students will finish the degree with a capstone project focused on a real-world problem, providing an opportunity to apply what they have learned to challenges related to their own industries or careers.  

Full-time students can complete the degree in as few as ten months, while part-time students can take up to four years. 

Applicants will be evaluated based on academic preparation, professional experience, leadership potential, and their fit with the program. The GRE and GMAT are not required.

The priority admissions deadline for fall 2027 is Dec. 16, 2026. The priority financial-aid deadline is March 3, 2027, and the final application deadline is May 14, 2027. To start your application, visit engage.graddiv.ucsb.edu/apply/ . 

Additional information about the program and application process is available at metl.engineering.ucsb.edu.