Are Online Engineering Degrees Worth Doing?

Civil engineers earn on average about $43,000 per year. For electrical engineers, earnings are almost double that. The chemical, drugs and plastic industries seem to have the highest-paid engineers of all, with a median income of $85,000 for those over 35 years of age.

For these reasons, it is worth while obtaining suitable qualifications which will give you recognition within your chosen speciality. For those already working within the industry but lacking the necessary qualification to advance, an online degree offers you the flexibility of studying time you need.You can also avoid unnecessary travel to campus and study exactly when and where it suits you, even on the road. Trips to the library also become unnecessary, with the downloading of online course material. Finally, prospective employers will know you have the necessary Internet skills to perform well in a modern industry.

But there are so many courses on offer, it is difficult to know where to start. Here are some pointers to help you embark on an online degree course which you will not end up regretting.

The first thing you should check for is that the degree is accredited. Accredited centers include Centenary College of New Jersey, Capella University, University of Phoenix, Walden University and many more. Genuine online degree programs require student involvement in the form of tutorials, or online discussions, as well as other intercommunication with tutors and other students.

The following six accreditative regions have Association Commission on Institutions of Higher Education and will probably be able to tell you all you need to know: the New England , North central, Middle States , Southern, Western and Northwest. In each case you should consult the body in question to see if it covers the state you wish to study in.

By far the biggest accredited institution is the University of Phoenix Online, which has been operating since way back in 1976, and currently offers the highest number of accredited online degree programs. Average studying time until degree completion is two to three years.

Typical studies will include a focus on core studies of higher mathematics, including calculus, algebra and geometry. Other areas of study may include physics and chemistry, depending on your major.

The first level of engineering jobs will require a bachelor's degree. Although there are several such courses online, the majority are at graduate level. Beyond that, there are broad-based degrees and a very wide range of specialist degrees, which are grouped in six main areas of engineering, as follows: chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, material science and mechanical. Further specialisations as a college major range from mining to aerospace engineering.

One major advantage of this kind of course is that no matter how long you take, even if you have to relocate in the middle of the course, your studies will be in no way affected.

There are also many non-academic institutions which offer degrees online for payment. Prospective candidates should ask for accreditation validation from the regional or national accrediting bodies before to signing up . After that, it's up to you – with a couple of years' concentrated study, you could be on the way to a star salary, even if your speciality is not aerospace engineering.