Arctic engineering

[ilovechickens]

Hi All,

I am interested in doing the paper on artic engineering that is required to be registered in Alaska as an engineer. Does anybody know any universitys that offer this as an on-line learning option since I do not live in the states?

 

[davefitz]

University of washingtonin seattle has the course 2 times per year- I think it is a 4 day course.

 

[Cockroach]

University of Alberta, Edmonton Alberta Canada. Cold weather engineering is a strong point with the Mechanical Engineering Department, I know that first hand.

Kenneth J Hueston, PEng
Principal
Sturni-Hueston Engineering Inc
Edmonton, Alberta Canada

 

[Rich2001]

The Univeristy of Alaska, Anchorage offers several online options from short courses to graduate courses

http://www.engr.uaa.alaska.edu/programs/arctic/online/index.cfm

http://soe.uaa.alaska.edu/soe/courses/ce603/

I took CE603 several years ago oline and thought it was good. However taking the Mid-term exam on webTV in a hotel room was horrible.




Vita sine litteris mors est.

 

[pmover]

i am compelled to offer my opinion about the artic engineering class.

prior to me taking the artic engineering class, i spoke to several engrs whom have taken the class and they all spoke highly of the class (i.e. best class i ever had, very informative/beneficial, etc.). nearly all got very excited and wanted to share their experiences of the class. so i looked forward to taking the class in fall 2001 . . .

of course, there are several mediums (in class over a semester, via internet, short courses, etc.) and at the time, i opted for the class offered via internet as i would be traveling during the semester.

without a doubt, the internet is a poor communication medium to exchange information between students and professors. there is nothing better than interacting in person with other students and professors in learning the material. frequently, there were mis-communication between the professor and students, ambiguous quiz questions, problems with accessing various websites/university boards, etc.). halfway through the semester, i was so frustrated with the communication difficulties, that i nearly dropped out (out $650 bucks too!). but decided to complete the class and thoroughly convey these problems in the class evaluation (do not remember if one was ever done). btw, there were two other individuals whom took the class with me that experienced the same problems.

bear in mind, that the hardware communication problems may have been corrected, but my point is, there is nothing better than interacting with other students/professors in person to gain a better understanding of the material.

i will never again take any class via internet. i believe that learning is best done by example; thus in person.

the choice is yours and the links provided by Rich2001 are sufficient to guide you in taking CE603.

Oh! yes, there is certainly a lot of valuable information to be presented/learned, and that part i am grateful to have learned. sometimes, i think about sitting in a 2-week session and getting a refresher or learn material that was not covered in my internet class (yes, that has occurred).

lastly, be certain that you take the class that is approved by the Alaska State Board! go to the Alaska State Board webiste for a list of the classes.

again, my opinion only regarding the class via internet . . .

regardless, good luck and have fun!
-pmover

 

[KiwiMace]

If you are in fact a kiwi, there is more to getting registered in the US than sitting a course. PE registration is a nightmare in the US involving detailed exams and years of experience... check the following thread i posted a while back.

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=146667

 

[ilovechickens]

Hi guys,

Thanks all for your suggestions and comments, I appreciate them. PMOVER, I would imagine your comments are all quite correct and online study is not my preferred option, but geography and money means this is the only way for me to complete this class.

Cincimace, yes I am a Kiwi but want to take this class for my own selfish reasons rather then because I want to work in the States. (I'd need to work somewhere where they work in metric anyway, the only thing I know about feet is that I have two).

 

[Cockroach]

TurboKiwi, you need to learn how to work in BOTH metric and imperial systems. The United States is strictly imperial and Europe is strictly metric, as is much of the rest of the world.

But in Canada, there are both systems which are used in various industries. Fasteners is typically a blend of both systems but imperial is stronger. The oilfield uses metric system for weights, volumes, etc but pipe tally are imperial as is threads. But distances are metric as is velocity. Still people will refer to "mileage" in kilometers but buy groceries in metric.

So you need to be versed in both systems, no matter where you are, less the United States.

And what's wrong with that? You need only memorize a few basic statistics, 1.0 in = 25.4 mm, 1.0 lbf = 4.448 N, 32.2 ft/s^2 = 9.8 m/^2 and everything else is arithmetic.

Kenneth J Hueston, PEng
Principal
Sturni-Hueston Engineering Inc
Edmonton, Alberta Canada

 

[ilovechickens]

Cockroach

It isn't the maths that scares me, it is having a feel for what the magnitude of the numbers mean. I imagine it is a bit like learning another language, for a long time you always have to translate back to your native language to work out the actual meaning, rather than thinking directly in a foreign language, and things can often get lost in translation. (Bit like the space satellite that got lost in space....).

 

[Cockroach]

The "meaning" of the numbers doesn't change despite the system of measurement being used. Afterall, is not 296.5 MPa the same as 43.0 ksi? Mild steel is mild steel in any system, whether it be metric or imperial.

But I understand where you are coming from.

Kenneth J Hueston, PEng
Principal
Sturni-Hueston Engineering Inc
Edmonton, Alberta Canada