Embrace Innovation and Unlock Your Potential
Emerge at the forefront of solving real-world problems by earning your Master of Science (MS) in Smart Manufacturing degree in person or 100% online from the University of Michigan-Flint (UM-Flint).
Crafted with your future in mind, our smart manufacturing graduate program provides a solid understanding of the principles and applications of smart manufacturing and explores how you can harness this knowledge to enact industry-wide change.
Our program expands upon your undergraduate experience in any STEM field and encourages you to customize your master’s degree to align with your unique personal and professional interests. Choose from four concentrations — AI, Digital Twin, and AR/VR in Manufacturing; Industrial IoT and Cybersecurity for Smart Manufacturing; Digitization of Manufacturing Systems; and Collaborative Robots in Manufacturing — designed to specialize your technical competencies and problem-solving skills.
Through the intensive training and hands-on experience you acquire in our smart manufacturing degree program, you graduate as a front-runner, prepared for an impactful career in Industry 4.0, collaborative robots, AI, and cybersecurity in smart factories.
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What Is Smart Manufacturing?
Smart manufacturing—also known as digital manufacturing—integrates advanced computer science technologies into traditional manufacturing processes and technologies to create a more efficient, sustainable, and profitable process. Manufacturers can leverage advanced data analytics and embrace digitalization and automation to improve their strategic decision-making, gather actionable operational data, and streamline their production line and supply chain management.
By reimagining the current manufacturing system, we can uncover new avenues of innovation, gain a competitive advantage, and spur new economic growth.
Why Earn Your Master’s in Smart Manufacturing Degree at UM-Flint?
Learn on Campus or 100% Online
Whether you live far from campus or nearby, you can pursue your MS in Smart Manufacturing degree in person or 100% online without halting your career.
Our leading-edge cyber classrooms allow you to tailor your graduate experience by choosing from the convenient online format, the face-to-face interaction of the classroom, or a combination of both. The cyber classrooms utilize various technologies, including an advanced robotic audio-video recording system, digital whiteboards, and document cameras with an intelligent autonomous recording system to capture everything with clarity.
Additionally, you can connect with the faculty through Canvas, allowing you to ask questions, seek additional feedback, and begin nurturing collaborative relationships.
Create Your Professional Niche by Choosing a Concentration
The manufacturing industry is vast and highly competitive. To help you obtain a specialized skill set, we offer four concentrations that target unique manufacturing sectors including AI, Internet of Things (IoT) and cybersecurity, digitalization, and robotics. With this additional layer of customization, you can hone your industry expertise and establish yourself as a leader within this subfield.
Collaborate with Your Peers and Gain Real-World Experience
At UM-Flint, we prioritize hands-on experience, ensuring you can put all that you’ve learned into practice. Our MS in Smart Manufacturing program offers exciting opportunities to partner with classmates and work on real-world technology projects. During your program, you learn through team-based projects to build collaborative and problem-solving skills and grow as an influential team member and leader.
Participate in Ground-Breaking Research Projects
Deepen your academic experience by supporting faculty members’ research endeavors. The smart manufacturing program is led by a group of highly esteemed educators and researchers, driving industry innovation. During your graduate studies, we encourage you to get involved and collaborate with our faculty on their exciting research projects, allowing you to start making meaningful contributions to the manufacturing industry while earning your degree.
Meet our faculty and discover their research interests.
Make Impactful Industry Connections
Located in southeast Michigan—one of the nation’s best-established industrial hubs—the University of Michigan-Flint and its College of Innovation and Technology have cultivated long-standing partnerships with industry leaders, such as Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Consumers Energy, and others. Through these partnerships, we strive to offer opportunities for you to connect with potential employers and engage in leadership training.
Smart Manufacturing Program Curriculum
Designed to challenge you and spark curiosity, the Master of Science in Smart Manufacturing program offers a broad-based curriculum that strives to improve your skills in problem-solving, technical support and training, and software and hardware management. You also gain valuable industry insight from our expert faculty that supports your professional development and helps you analyze trends in the field and anticipate growth opportunities.
To earn your MS in Smart Manufacturing degree, you must complete 32 credits comprised of the following:
- 16 credits of core courses
- 8 credits in your chosen concentration
- 8 credits in your option of choice:
- Thesis track
- Non-thesis track
Review the MS in Smart Manufacturing curriculum overview to learn more.
Smart Manufacturing Concentration Options
To better align your master’s with your professional goals and acquire specific industry knowledge, choose one of the following four concentrations:
- AI, Digital Twin, and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AV/VR) in Manufacturing equips you with the skills to automate manufacturing data pulling, cleaning, structuring, and transforming, along with augmented reality adoption in manufacturing and Industry 4.0.
- Industrial Internet of Things and Cybersecurity for Smart Manufacturing covers the skills required to design secure smart factories to ensure sensitive data remains secured within the factory following the best cybersecurity practices.
- Digitalization of Manufacturing Systems provides you with the skills needed to enable the digital transformation of manufacturing factories, including data collection, analysis, and beyond.
- Collaborative Robots in Manufacturing empowers you with the ability to safely operate and maintain the robots and the design of robotic automation to work safely alongside human workers in a shared, collaborative workspace.
Thesis or Non-thesis Track
Whichever concentration you select, you also must choose between the thesis track or non-thesis track to complete the degree requirements.
In the thesis track, you enroll in eight credits of thesis research courses. Additionally, you must select a faculty member, write a research paper, and conduct an oral defense of your thesis before a faculty panel.
In the non-thesis track, you must complete eight additional credits in graduate-level smart manufacturing electives.
Academic Advising
UM-Flint’s dedicated program manager and director guide you through each step of your educational journey. Have questions about which courses to take or need additional academic support? Our staff and faculty work with you one-on-one to offer their assistance and help you earn your master’s in smart manufacturing.
For any questions, contact Aubree Kraut at [email protected] or 810-766-3121 or book an appointment today.
Career Outlook for Smart Manufacturing
With continuous technological advancements and increasing demands on the manufacturing industry, employers seek out competent, forward-thinking workers ready to tackle new challenges with excitement.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that industrial production employment, including digital manufacturing, will grow by 2% from 2022 to 2032, closely matching the average growth rate in the United States. Additionally, working in manufacturing and production offers stable earning potential. Industrial production managers and related positions make a median annual wage of $107,560 but can earn up to $178,470.
Earning your master’s in smart manufacturing at the University of Michigan-Flint equips you with advanced computing and data analysis skills, giving you a competitive edge to pursue leadership positions in the technology industry.
Admission Requirements (No GRE)
Interested in applying to UM-Flint’s Master of Science in Smart Manufacturing program? As you begin your application preparation, please ensure you meet the following requirements:
- Bachelor of Science from an accredited institution. Preference is given to students with a background in any Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field.
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a four-point scale. Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements may receive admission. Admission in such cases depends heavily on other indices of the student’s ability to handle graduate-level work. These might include a strong performance GPA in the major and/or other experiences indicative of strong academic ability.
- Applicants with a three-year bachelor’s degree from an institution outside of the US may be eligible for admission at the University of Michigan-Flint if it is determined through the credential review process that the three-year degree completed is equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree.
- The University of Michigan considers a three-year degree from India equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree if the degrees have been earned with a minimum of 60% marks and the awarding institutions have been accredited by India’s National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a grade of “A” or better.
State Authorization for Online Students
In recent years, the federal government has emphasized the need for universities and colleges to comply with the distance education laws of each state. If you are an out-of-state student intending to enroll in an online program, please visit the State Authorization page to verify the status of UM-Flint with your state.
How to Apply to the Smart Manufacturing Graduate Program
When applying for admission to the MS in Smart Manufacturing program, please submit the following materials:
- Online graduate application.
- $55 application fee (non-refundable).
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Please read our full transcript policy for more information.
- For any degree completed at a non-US institution, transcripts must be submitted for an internal credential review. Read the following for instructions on how to submit your transcripts for review.
- If English is not your native language, and you are not from an exempt country, you must demonstrate English proficiency (additional information can be found below).
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate your scholarly and/or professional ability (at least one recommendation must be from an academic reference). This requirement is waived for all University of Michigan Alumni.
- Statement of Purpose describing your objectives for graduate study and reasons for selecting this program.
- Students from abroad must submit additional documentation.
Supplemental application materials can be emailed to [email protected] or delivered to the Office of Graduate Programs.
This program can be completed 100% online or on campus with in-person courses. Students living abroad may also complete this program online in their home country. If you are a non-immigrant visa holder currently in the United States, please contact the Center for Global Engagement at [email protected].
As a new academic degree, this program is not currently accepting applications from international students seeking an F-1 visa. This program will accept applications from international students who are required to have an I-20 as soon as authorization from the Department of Homeland Security is received.
Special Requirement for Citizens of India
Applicants who attended an institution in India where the language of instruction was exclusively English cannot use that method exclusively to meet the English proficiency requirements. Applicants who attended a verified English-medium institution must also submit an approved test score or use one of the other approved methods. Those with a 5.0 IELTS score will be eligible for standard admission and will have no further English proficiency requirement; those with below a 5.0 IELTS score will not be admitted.
*If you are a US citizen or permanent resident and wish to waive this requirement, you may make your case to the director of the SE program. The director, in turn, must make the case to the Dean of Graduate Programs. You must provide sufficient evidence that you have the requisite English proficiency.
**The university reserves the right to require an applicant to provide other evidence of English proficiency if independent sources cannot verify that the language of instruction was exclusively English.
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester Early Deadline: May 1*
- Fall Semester Final Deadline: Aug. 1
- Winter Semester: Dec.1
- Summer Semester: April 1 (domestic students only)
*You must have a complete application by the early May 1 deadline to guarantee application eligibility for scholarships, grants, and research assistantships.
Estimated Tuition and Cost
The University of Michigan-Flint strives to provide comprehensive, tailored financial support, empowering you to achieve your goals. Our Office of Financial Aid and our team of experts are ready to offer their insight and connect you to valuable resources. With their support, you can overcome any financial barriers and be on your way to earning your MS in Smart Manufacturing degree.
Envision New Possibilities—Pursue Your Master’s in Smart Manufacturing
Whether you want to elevate your current expertise or make a long-awaited career change, UM-Flint’s Master of Science in Smart Manufacturing program can transform your education and expedite your skill growth.
Become a changemaker in the tech field today by studying at the University of Michigan-Flint. Request more information, or begin your UM-Flint application today!