Online Engineering Schools in Tennessee
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Aspiring engineers in Tennessee (TN) not only enjoy a relatively bright career outlook with promising job growth and salary prospects, but they also enjoy other benefits. For one, Tennessee residents living in Nashville are close to Vanderbilt University, which retains some of the most well-known engineering programs in the country. In addition to traditional undergraduate and graduate programs, Vanderbilt also provides other educational and networking opportunities in the field. Furthermore, job opportunities in the state abound; by illustration, Indeed (July 2017)—one of the most popular job post websites—yields over 4,000 engineering openings in Tennessee.
In that same vein, openings for engineers look promising across several subfields of the discipline around the U.S. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (October 2016) reported that between 2014 and 2024, the following specializations would add the most positions nationally: civil engineering (305,000 new positions, 2014-2024); mechanical engineering (292,100 new jobs); industrial engineering (243,200 new jobs); electrical engineering (180,200 new jobs); and computer and hardware engineering (80,100 new jobs). Of course, when expressed in percentage terms, the fastest growing specializations changed. According to the same analysis, some of the top-growing engineering fields in percentage terms were biomedical engineers (23.1 percent increase in openings across the U.S., 2014-2024); marine engineers and naval architects (8.9 percent), and civil engineers (8.4 percent increase). It’s worth noting that all of these percentages are higher than the average growth expected across all U.S. occupations during that same decade (6.5 percent).
And the prospects are even brighter for residents of Tennessee. By illustration, Projections Central (2017) anticipated greater-than-average increases in openings in biomedical engineering (29.5 percent increase in TN positions, 2014-24); environmental engineering (20.8 percent increase); aerospace engineering (20.4 percent increase); computer hardware engineering (19.9 percent increase); civil engineering (18.9 percent increase); and industrial engineering (16.6 percent increase). All of these Tennessee-based engineering fields were expected to grow more than twice as fast as the national average.
For working engineers or for those just entering the industry, there’s another lure: the competitive compensation in engineering. To elaborate, while the average annual salary for all jobs was Tennessee was $42,350 (BLS May 2016), the average compensation for all engineers was $73,010. Of course, the average annual wage for some types of engineers was actually much higher; for example, chemical engineers earned $97,570 per year on average, and civil engineers made $95,110.
So how does a person enter this high-growth and well-paying career field in Tennessee? Not surprisingly, engineering occupations require technical skills and knowledge, and a majority of these professionals have at least a bachelor’s degree prior to seeking employment. While on-campus engineering programs are more traditional, aspiring engineers in Tennessee may consider distance-based programs, as well. Online engineering programs may be relatively new, yet they are hosted by renowned institutions and can provide a high-quality, more flexible education.
This guide explores the online engineering programs in Tennessee, including information about typical coursework, costs, and three exceptional professors.
