ONLINE ENGINEERING DEGREE PROGRAMS

If you have family or work obligations, an online engineering degree program may be your best bet.

About Online Engineering Degrees

Online learning has become increasingly popular in recent years for a variety of reasons, including its convenience, its cost-effectiveness and its general practicality. And online engineering degrees are no exception. Working adults or parents who want to build their engineering skills and credentials can look to an online education in engineering as a means for achieving their academic goals without sacrificing commitments to work or family.

Types of Online Engineering Degrees

Traditional four-year universities and online colleges offer online engineering degrees for undergraduate and graduate-level students. As you might expect, some online engineering degrees are more prevalent than others, as are some specialties. Because online education is so flexible, however, you are not limited to just those academic programs available at schools close to home. In other words, you have access to a catalog of programs across the country, which increases your chances of finding the program that matches your educational goals.

Following is a list of the types of online engineering degrees available:

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BS or BSE) or Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BET): A number of colleges and universities offer online bachelor's degrees in engineering, the standard, entry-level credential in the field. When it comes to undergraduate specialties, students focusing on computer science, systems engineering or a related field will likely find the most choices in online engineering degree programs.
   
• Master of Science in Engineering (MS or MSE) or Master of Engineering (MEng): By far the most popular among online engineering degrees, master's in engineering programs are available at colleges and universities across the U.S. And they offer an extensive list of specialties, from information systems to environmental engineering, giving current engineers a strong incentive to pursue graduate-level training.
   
• Doctorate of Engineering (PhD): The least common of online engineering degrees, PhD in engineering studies usually involve five to seven years of intensive, specialized course work, original research and a written dissertation. Designed for students looking for careers in academics or research, PhD programs may include some online training, but, for the most part, require significant in-person time in class or in research settings.