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Dr. Jason Durfee is a professor of mechanical engineering and technology at Eastern Washington University. He is also a retired command pilot from the Washington Air National Guard and a former airline transport pilot.
He has a professional engineer (PE) license in mechanical engineering from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He earned his PhD studying turbulent flow through forests at Washington State University. He teaches primarily fluid mechanics and engineering graphics courses.
OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com: What is something you wish the public understood about engineering technology degrees and certificates?
Dr. Durfee: Our mechanical engineering technology degree is fully accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET.
Students with a mechanical engineering technology degree can pursue professional licensure as mechanical engineers in the state of Washington. The engineering technology program is an engineering program. It is more application-oriented and incorporates more hands-on experiences into the curriculum than other degree programs.
OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com:What advice would you give to aspiring engineering technology students?
Dr. Durfee: Although an engineering technology program is less theoretical and does not require the same level of math as an engineering program, math is still important. In other words, stay in your math classes until you have completed the necessary level for the engineering technology program. Math serves as the foundational language of engineering, providing the necessary tools for problem-solving, analysis, and critical thinking essential in both engineering and engineering technology disciplines.
Engineering technology may be an ideal field for those seeking a degree or certificate program in a practical, hands-on discipline. Fortunately, for prospective students who cannot attend a brick-and-mortar campus, there are various online accredited training programs available in this discipline.
Many online students have full-time jobs, family commitments, or other constraints preventing them from committing to an in-person program. These schools typically include some empirical learning opportunities through short-term on-campus immersion sessions or other approved instruction at locations close to students’ homes.
| School | City | State | Website | Undergrad | Graduate | Grads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
West Lafayette |
IN | www.purdue.edu | 99 | |||
Kennesaw |
GA | www.kennesaw.edu | 62 | |||
Philadelphia |
PA | www.drexel.edu | 32 | |||
Pittsburg |
KS | www.pittstate.edu | 27 | |||
Pensacola |
FL | uwf.edu | 25 | |||
Bemidji |
MN | www.bemidjistate.edu | 20 | |||
Medford |
MA | www.tufts.edu | 19 | |||
Portales |
NM | www.enmu.edu | 11 | |||
Fort Wayne |
IN | www.trine.edu/adult-studies | 11 | |||
Sanford |
FL | www.seminolestate.edu | 2 | |||
La Jolla |
CA | www.nu.edu | 1 |
Derived from real online programs’ admissions requirements, the application process for a bachelor of science (B.S.) in engineering technology program generally calls for:
Some online B.S in engineering technology programs also require prerequisite courses such as:
Generally, admissions to an online master of science (M.S.) program may require a B.S. degree in engineering (or a related area), as well as completion of prerequisite courses such as:
In addition to coursework, application requirements for online M.S. programs may also include:
In addition to the requirements above, international applicants may also need to provide:
It is strongly recommended that prospective students ensure their target engineering technology program is properly accredited before beginning the application process. Being “accredited” means that the program voluntarily agreed to be evaluated by an independent, external organization regarding the program’s quality of student outcomes, curricula, faculty, facilities, and other core features.
Accreditation may be granted on either a programmatic or institutional basis. As mentioned in the introduction, the most common and well-renowned programmatic accreditation board for engineering technology programs is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Specifically, engineering technology programs are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission.
Although distance-based (i.e., online) programs are rarely accredited programmatically by ABET, these programs are nevertheless subject to institutional accreditation, a similarly rigorous process. More commissions exist for institutional accreditation, and students are encouraged to seek programs accredited by commissions verified by the U.S. Department of Education’s Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Several examples of verified commissions are listed below:
The online courses in engineering technology are designed to create innovative, problem-solving leaders in today’s industrial and technological society. Here is a sample of online courses for bachelor's and master's level engineering technology programs.
Bachelor of science (BS) in engineering technology courses may include:
Master of science (MS) in engineering technology courses may include:
Some specializations within engineering technology may include:
Many of the online engineering technology programs are available at the master’s level due to the field’s focus on research and applied methods. Additionally, there are various specializations within engineering technology that one can choose. Here are ten institutions that offer general engineering technology programs, which feature the academic profiles of several remarkable professors in the field.
Purdue Polytechnic Institute of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, offers an online master of science (MS) in engineering technology. The program is designed for working professionals with a background in engineering technology and prepares graduates for leadership roles and career advancement.
This 30-credit-hour program prepares students for leadership and advanced technical positions in business, industry, government, and academia. Courses include technology from a global perspective; collaborative leadership and agile strategy; energy sustainability; facilities engineering technology; and smart manufacturing and global supply chain management, among other areas.
Students are trained to drive technical and innovative solutions, identify and analyze opportunities for conserving energy in industrial/commercial systems, apply best practices for advanced systems, and understand the maintenance and operation of high-performance buildings in the modern world.
At the end of the program, graduates can pursue opportunities such as computer and information systems managers, industrial production managers, information security analysts, database administrators, industrial engineers, and manufacturing managers, among others.
The College of Engineering at Drexel University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers a distance-based master of science in engineering technology program. The accredited program features an interactive e-learning method that provides career-oriented practices and applications.
Made up of 45 credits, this online program is ideal for students who wish to advance their careers and seek managerial positions. The program includes courses such as engineering statistics; networks for industrial environments; microsystems and microfabrication; nanomaterials and nanoengineering; materials for emerging technologies; renewable energy technology; introduction to project management; and a thesis project, among other subjects.
Graduates of this program will be able to apply skills and concepts learned to various areas, including energy conversion technologies, materials properties, green manufacturing, quality control, rapid prototyping, and computer applications that improve production techniques and processes.
Pittsburg State University’s Department of Engineering Technolog in Pittsburg, Kansas, offers an online master of engineering technology (MET) program. The MET program is designed to provide a terminal professional degree in six areas of emphasis within engineering technology: construction technical, electronics technical, manufacturing technical, mechanical technical, plastics technical, and a general emphasis.
This 33-credit program includes core courses such as current issues in engineering technology; systems engineering and analysis; engineering project management; value engineering; collaborative projects for engineering technology; and quality management and control.
Courses in the emphasis areas include:
The program's graduates can pursue roles such as head of engineering, engineering systems specialist, and global technology services leader.
Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio has an online master of mechanical and manufacturing engineering technology degree specializing in engineering technology [ENGT], providing students with technical knowledge and advanced skills. Along with leadership skills, students also develop expertise in conducting applied research.
This 33-credit program involves courses on design in the industry, instrumentation, electronic devices, synchronous quality planning, lean systems analysis, and concurrent engineering technology.
The program attracts candidates and students from diverse fields to develop advanced methods in engineering technology. Graduates will be well-equipped to work as engineering managers, industrial engineers, plant managers, engineering systems integrators, research and development managers, applications engineering managers, process development managers, engineering operations managers, professors, and software/automation engineers.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University based in Daytona Beach, Florida is an online campus that offers a bachelor of science in engineering technology. The online BS in engineering technology program at ERAU is designed for those with specific career goals in engineering technology.
The program features virtual research labs and various specializations within engineering technology, including aeronautical science; aviation safety; logistics management; project management; helicopter operations and safety; management information systems; security and intelligence; occupational safety and health; and unmanned aerial systems.
This 122-credit program is entirely online and includes courses such as circuits for engineering technology, material science for engineering technology, thermodynamics for engineering technology, control systems, introduction to research methods, fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, and introduction to engineering.
The program teaches students to conduct tests and measurements, design components, processes, or systems for engineering technology problems, and perform well as technical team leaders.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte offers an online bachelor of science in engineering technology program in fire and safety engineering technology option.
The bachelor of science program in fire safety engineering technology can be completed entirely online. It emphasizes both technical and non-technical aspects of fire and safety. The curriculum prepares students for increasingly responsible roles in management and leadership, providing comprehensive courses on active and passive protection systems, fire behavior, and the foundational principles of research investigation.
This program, which comprises 61 credits, includes courses such as fire safety in the built environment, industrial hazards and electricity, risk management, active fire protection, command and control of major disasters, and advanced fire service administration.
The University of Arkansas Grantham’s College of Science, Engineering, and Technology offers an online bachelor of science program in electronics engineering technology, providing students with the required skills and knowledge needed for entering the workforce and advancing as professional engineering technologists, specifically in the electronic field.
This online program's 120-credit curriculum includes courses such as programming in C++, digital electronics, microprocessor systems engineering, fundamental properties of DC circuits, fundamental properties of AC circuits, circuit analysis, analog integrated circuits, instrumentation and measurement, signals and systems theory, and technical project management.
Notably, the University of Arkansas Grantham offers several more programs in engineering technology, which include an online bachelor of science in computer engineering technology, an online associate of science in electronics and computer engineering technology degree program, an online associate of science in engineering management technology degree program, and an online bachelor of science in engineering management technology degree program.
Daytona State College offers an online bachelor of science in engineering technology (BSET) program preparing students for technical positions in the expanding fields of mechanical design, construction design, and industrial operations. Graduates of this program will be ready to take positions such as systems engineers, process analysts, technical sales engineers, project engineers, field engineers, and calibration engineers.
The program, which consists of 128 credits, includes courses such as electricity and electronics, programmable logic applications and devices, metrology and instrumentation, dynamics, engineering economics analysis, engineering quality assurance, materials and processes, thermodynamics, construction materials and methods, and directed study in industrial systems.
Daytona State College also offers an online bachelor of science in engineering technology with an electrical engineering technology (BSEET) concentration preparing students for technical positions in the expanding fields of digital, electrical, microprocessors, and computers.
Washington State University offers an online master’s degree in engineering and technology management. This program prepares business and engineering professionals to make operational and strategic decisions and become leaders in technology management. The curriculum provides practicing engineers with the tools, skills, and knowledge for managing projects, organizations, people, and operations.
The program comprises 30 credits. Students are required to take at least one course from each of the following six core areas: managing organizations and people; managing resources; managing analytical methods; managing projects; managing variability; and managing strategy.
Courses include finance for technical systems, operations research and analytics for managers, project management, quality control and reliability, constraints management, lean tools for systems improvement, risk assessment and management, and system supportability and logistics management.
Capitol Technology University's engineering technology program is just one of fifteen colleges and universities approved by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) as a provider of quality engineering education. Ranking high with the U.S. News and World Report, the online master of science in engineering technology program offered by Capitol Technology University educates students in designing and developing applications from the inception stage through the manufacturing, testing, and delivery of a product.
Students in this program will be prepared for real-world situations in various industries, including manufacturing, engineering, design, production, evaluations, and testing of materials and products worldwide. Graduates of this 100 percent online program will be ready to take up roles such as engineering technologists, engineering specialists, and lead engineering specialists, to name a few.
Comprising 30 credits, the program includes coursework in technology-enabled operations, the impact of emerging technology on management and public administration, designing for reliability and manufacturability, designing for testability, security risk management, and legal aspects of cybersecurity and information privacy.
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