On-line Masters of Science in Engineering degrees 6

[geostruct]

I am actually expanding this from another thread.

I understand that an on-line school is not the conventional way of obtaining a graduate degree for engineers. However, as I understand it, what are the academic advantages of going to graduate school in person? Heres my list:

1. Ability to work in teams with students.
2. Ability to ask professor for help in person.
3. Attend classes in person.
Let me know if there are any other academic advantages that I am leaving out.

Here is how I would counter those advantages with the online degree:

1. On-line Engineering graduate students still do team projects with other students. Except in this case, most of the communication is done over the phone or email etc. This is how a majority of the communication ie conf calls, emails, phone calls is done in industry, right?
2. The same general answer as #1, except for anyone who is working at the time, if you cant get your answer from the professor over the phone/email, why not ask colleagues at work to help explain? I'm sure they would spare a few minutes now and then to help you improve your technical capabilities.
3. I believe that a technical engineering graduate degree is something that you should WANT to get. If someone is able to read chapters, study examples, do excercises online etc., why shouldnt this be sufficient as a graduate degree? Graduate degrees are meant to be a primarily an independent study anyway, right?

Everyone struggles when they need to balance work, family, school, and other personal issues. The business world has certainly adapted to people obtaining their on-line MBAs, and I know that business classes are different than engineering classes, but isnt it time for engineering to evolve and adapt now as well?

What does everyone think?

 

[frv]

Although I agree that perhaps the engineering community should adapt and move toward more options for advanced degrees, I don't think we're there yet.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there really aren't any reputable schools offering on-line engineering degrees.

I'm sorry, but I think getting a masters in engineering from some obscure, no-name school may not be worth the paper it's written on. Please let me know if you know of any that are actually descent.

BTW, another advantage of doing a masters in person is the possibility of being involved in research projects.

 

[hokie66]

I don't know anything about on-line graduate degrees, but one thing in your query raised my hackles.

My daughter recently completed her degree, and the worst part of the experience for her was the "team projects". She had to do all the work and share the credit with the slackers. I think that would be even worse when you can never get face to face with your team members.

 

[davidbeach]

University of Idaho has a good Engineering Outreach program. Not exactly "on-line" as course material is mailed weekly, but there are a good range of courses available.

 

[zdas04]

This is a rapidly evolving field. Today, every "name" school has a distance learning department. Most of the ones with engineering schools have undergraduate engineering degrees on line. Many of them have Masters programs on line. I think Georgia Tech was the first to have an MSME through their distance learning program, but many have followed. I've never looked at the programs for Geotechnical Engineer, but I would expect that those schools with the department would be likely to incorporate the program with their Distance Learning programs eventually.

I interviewed a guy 5 years ago with a distance degree and found him to be as prepared for an entry-level job as any graduate from a traditional program and his diploma had the big-name school's logo on it--no different from the traditional graduates.

David

 

[frv]

zdas04-

That's good info. Georgia Tech is a great school. I guess there are some good ones out there offering these programs. As I wrote in my previous post, I think the engineering community (or, more appropriately, Academia) should evolve to meet a changing employment landscape.

 

[GregLocock]

My final year at uni I only attended lectures for entertainment value or social reasons - I covered most of the courses via the library. I've never quite seen the point of sitting in a lecture hall copying down what is written on a screen. Some of our lecturers were better than that admittedly.





Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[geostruct]

frv-
As zdas04 said, I'm only going to name a few more because there are so many:
North Carolina State University
University of Tennessee
University of Delaware
Auburn University
Iowa State University
Pennsylvania State University
Oregon State University
Villanova University

I agree with you on the research aspect. I feel that if your goal is to do research, then online schools probably arent a good bet, especially since a phd is probably what you should be working towards. But if you are in industry, a research project may not be as important as solidifying/gaining new knowledge which is what you will gain while in an independent study online format.

I also believe that obtaining a Masters degree online AFTER obtaining a BS on location at a school is a lot different than simply going online for a bachelors or bachelors and masters. Correct me if I'm wrong but I dont think there are many ABET accredited BS programs. Remember up until recently ABET only accredits a schools BS or MS program, not both. If it were up to me I would require an engineering student to attend classes on campus for the bachelors program.

A point that jives with zdas04s. Obviously there are different caliber and rated schools out there. When hiring someone do you automatically turn someone down if they havent gone to MIT, Cal-Berkeley etc.? Obviously not. After the top two tiers (top 20 schools?) how much of a difference is there between quality of the curriculum? After all, I know engineers who have gone through good programs who can solve a nasty dif eq, but struggle to tie their shoes. I believe a lot of what makes a good engineer is their experience and what they make of their experience. BS and MS degrees just give that engineer the base knowledge.

hokie66-
Thats a shame, but I'm sure it happens a lot (and have seen it happen) in face to face schools, and in industry for that matter. I guess all you can say is the people who did the work in school got a lot more out of it and are better engineers for it.

More feedback and input please??

 

[MedicineEng]

Other important issue for attending classes in person: networking.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

MedicineEng,

You make a point, but I think (particularly younger) people are becoming more and more comfotable with meeting/working with/networking with people they have not met in person.

 

[zdas04]

I went to college after 6 years in the Navy. I was married and lived 15 miles from campus. I probably would have gotten more "networking" opportunities on a Distance Learning program than I did at school. My son just spent 2 years in a BSME program at a large state school and all of his friends at the end were people he knew in high school (which I think was a factor in his leaving school). Networking either happens or it doesn't. It is a lot more about personalities than it is about education-delivery choices.

David

 

[jorton]

Norwich University offers an online structural MCE degree. They are a private military university that has been around since 1819. It seems like they would be considered reputable after almost 200 years.

 

[MechEng2005]

I didn't realize the number of degrees available from "big name" schools as online/distance programs. I would question the hands-on learning and laboratory experience. That was a big part of BSME, and don't know how well it could be done with an online program. Sure, the experiments could be video taped, but that's definately not the same. There is vaulable experience in determining what went wrong when your physics experiments give you an acceleration of gravity of 12 m/s2.

Anybody know how labs are performed in these programs?

Also, I don't know that networking can be performed the same over phone/email. There definately is something to working face-to-face that I don't think technology can replace.

If I were a professor, I think that it would be much harder to write recommendations and such. Generally, I think the an important aspect of the school experience is lacking in distance programs. I think some people may be able to compensate and excel with distance programs, but I if I were a hiring-manager I would definately scrutinize a candidate with degrees from a school where he/she hasn't set foot on campus a little more. Then again, I'm not a hiring manager...

-- MechEng2005

 

[HgTX]

Ohio State has an online welding engineering MS program. You have to go to campus for a week or two over the summer to do the labs.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[ShaggyPE]

Here is another:
USC Distance Education Network

http://den.usc.edu/

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Certified SolidWorks Professional

 

[zdas04]

Actually, today it is more likely that an ABET approved engineering program WILL have a Distance Learning program than that they won't. The things are becoming ubiquitous, whether the engineering community likes it or not.

David

 

[geostruct]

Thanks everyone for your input.

As far as labs go, I havent seen too many online programs that have them. I am not very familiar with labs for Masters programs, do they all have them? If everyone believes they are so valuable, how would the same experience in industry compare (for geotech, test boring inspection, test lab experience)?

As everyone can see, I am an advocate for online programs, and it may be because of my personal situation. Here are my reasons why I think they are good for someone who is currently working:
1. Ability to work on classes on your own time.(Avoid conflicts with work)
2. Avoid transportation time/costs to travel to class from work.
3. Continue to gain industry experience simultaneously.
4. Opportunity for an "independent study" format on a topic you really enjoy as most classes are set up as "independent study" classes.
5. Keep a job that you currently enjoy.
6. Find a school that is cheaper than local schools in your area.

What is the overall industry view on an online technical masters degree?

I would say they are the new way of the future especially for working professionals who want to continue their education.

 

[GRoberts]

University of Washington is in this game as well.

http://www.engr.washington.edu/EDGE/prog_over.html#degree

 

[caluna]

Do any Candian universities offer on-line Master' degrees in engineering??

 

[Lion06]

frv-
USC also has an online graduate program and they are a top ten grad school.