With an earning potential rising above $60,000 annually, a career in manufacturing can provide the future stability you deserve. Better still, it’s never been a better time to take the plunge and dive into this field. As technology and automation continue rapidly evolving, manufacturing careers offer more opportunities to flex your creativity and develop your leadership skills than ever before.
At Goodwin University, our new associate degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology (MET) program offers students a chance to begin a dynamic career in just two years, with three specialized concentration tracks: Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Mechatronics, and Robotics and Automation.
By pursuing this career-ready degree path, budding professionals can open doors to opportunities that are not only secure but abounding with endless possibilities. Read on to discover what a manufacturing engineering technology career can offer and the cutting-edge jobs you can achieve in this future-proof field.
What is manufacturing engineering technology?
Playing a pivotal part in the production field, MET specialists bridge engineering principles with technical skills to improve the manufacturing process — designing, developing, and optimizing methods, machinery, and systems. These professionals’ dedicated efforts increase efficiency, quality, and output while reducing manufacturing costs and waste.
Manufacturing engineering technologists often focus on tasks such as:
- Process improvement: Identifying and implementing ways to make production processes more efficient
- Product design: Working closely with engineers to ensure products are designed efficiently
- Quality control: Monitoring production to ensure products meet certain standards and specifications
- Automation and robotics: Integrating advanced technologies like robotics and automation into the production process to streamline operations
With the rise of advanced production methods such as additive manufacturing (3D printing) and Industry 4.0 technologies (smart factories, data analytics), MET plays a critical role in modern manufacturing environments. It’s a career that blends hands-on work with technical expertise and opens doors to various industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, and more.
MET at Goodwin
At Goodwin University, our MET associate degree program is housed in state-of-the-art facilities. Our classes are taught by faculty experts with decades of manufacturing and instructional experience. By using accessible, hands-on instructional methods such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our MET program makes your degree journey engaging and applicable — preparing you for a thriving and fulfilling career in the field.
Better still, at Goodwin, you can tailor your MET degree to your professional goals and interests.
Our MET program offers three unique concentration tracks, including:
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
With a concentration in CAD, you’ll flex your creativity while honing your problem-solving skills— focusing on creating technical drawings and 3D models using advanced software.
Mechatronics
If you have an eye for detail and innovation, focusing on mechatronics can prepare you for a satisfying hands-on career — combining mechanical, electrical, and computer systems for complex machinery.
Robotics and Automation
Are you an analytical thinker with a passion for programming and lifelong earnings? Robotics and automation may be the perfect option for you! In this concentration, you will prepare to develop, operate, and maintain automated systems and robots.
Wondering what a degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology can do for you? Find out how Goodwin’s MET program can help you crush your career goals today!
Unexpected career possibilities with an MET degree
Regardless of the concentration track you follow to earn your MET degree, the skills you’ll learn can translate into diverse and unique professional roles.
Let’s explore a few manufacturing career paths you may never have considered.
1. Make a difference in modern medicine
Become a healthcare equipment technician
Modern healthcare relies on sophisticated technology to deliver better patient outcomes. When you earn a MET degree with a concentration in Robotics and Automation, you can discover a rewarding career as a healthcare equipment technician — making a meaningful difference in the medical field.
As a healthcare equipment technician, you can practice your trade in hospitals and clinics. With machines like robotic surgical tools and diagnostic imaging systems becoming integral to healthcare, the ability to maintain and troubleshoot this technology is in high demand. By choosing to commit to this career, you can truly find professional fulfillment and become a sought-after specialist.
2. Become a behind-the-scenes expert
Make movie magic as an entertainment industry technician
While you may be a movie, television, or music buff, did you know that the entertainment industry relies heavily on automation and robotics? With a MET degree, you can be cast in a role supporting the exhilarating world of entertainment — gaining the knowledge and skills to help creativity come to life.
From stage mechanics to special effects, technology plays a key role in creating the magic seen on screen. A background in mechatronics or robotics and automation could lead to a career designing and maintaining the systems used in concert venues, theaters, film production sets, and more!
3. Make Earth cleaner and greener
Power-up your career as a renewable energy technician
Are you passionate about protecting our planet? With the world moving toward greener solutions, the renewable energy sector is soaring to new heights.
MET graduates — especially those with skills in mechatronics — can pursue careers in the solar and wind energy industries, maintaining and optimizing equipment like wind turbines and solar panels. With a strong foundation in manufacturing systems, graduates can also contribute to developing new, more efficient energy technologies.
4. Press “go” on your professional path
Start your journey as a video game and simulation developer
If you’re an avid gamer, you’ve likely dreamed of making a living doing what you love. If you’re fascinated by gaming or virtual reality, a MET degree with a concentration in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) could be your gateway to a thrilling career in game design and simulation development!
CAD skills are crucial in creating detailed environments and characters, while a solid understanding of mechatronics and automation can help bring those designs to life in virtual simulations. This career path is ideal for graduates seeking to combine creativity with cutting-edge technology.
5. Help farmers feed your community
Answer your calling as agricultural automation specialist
The food industry is powered by the dedicated efforts of farming and agricultural professionals. Moreover, this indispensable industry is evolving thanks to state-of-the-art automation and robotics. As precision agriculture continues to grow, so will the demand for professionals with expertise in both engineering and farming — opening new doors for manufacturing experts to earn stable careers in a rewarding field.
MET graduates specializing in Robotics and Automation can find job security by working on, developing, and maintaining machinery used in modern agriculture, such as autonomous tractors, drones for crop monitoring, or robotic harvesters — making a positive impact by helping healthy food reach hungry tables.
Become career-ready at Goodwin University
A degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology unlocks career paths you may never have considered. Furthermore, earning your MET degree is just the beginning of an evolving journey in the tech-driven workforce. With the fast pace of technological advancements, continuous learning and upskilling are essential — paving the path to a career that’s dynamic, flexible, and full of endless growth opportunities.
If you’re ready for a hands-on career at the intersection of technology and innovation, Goodwin University’s MET program provides the foundation to explore exciting and unexpected professional possibilities. Students from Goodwin’s program will not only be prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation but also equipped with the tools to adapt and grow as new opportunities arise in emerging industries.
This Manufacturing Month, take your first step toward a future full of possibilities. Learn more about achieving your MET degree at Goodwin today!
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.