Online Engineering Degree Programs

Online engineering degree programs offered by accredited online colleges and universities can be in the field of civil engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering degree programs, computer engineering, biomedical engineering degree programs, environmental, systems engineering, engineering certificate programs and other related specializations.

Online engineering degree programs may be right for you if you like to solve complex problems, enjoy working with your head as well as your hands and are interested in finding practical solutions to physical challenges. All engineers must have an engineering degree, and often possess certificates from professional associations, as well.

Engineers apply the principles of physics to solve technical problems, and use complex mathematics to test and communicate their ideas.

Accredited Engineering Degrees Online Programs and Certificates

Online engineering degree programs and distance engineering degrees are available in these and more areas of study:

Biomedical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering
Software Engineering
Systems Engineering

Engineering Degree Online Programs

Doctorate/PhD degree in Engineering
Engineering Certification Programs

Earning Online Engineering Degree Programs

Many students pursue their engineering degree through distance learning. Online engineering degree programs offered by accredited online colleges focus on providing working people access to high-quality engineering courses at any time of the day or night. You should be careful to make sure that the online degree program you attend is accredited to ensure that your degree will be accepted by employers and other colleges and universities, and to protect yourself against fraudulent degree programs and diploma mills.

What can you expect from an engineering degree program?

Engineering degree programs steep you in the principles of physics, chemistry and mathematics. Coursework for an engineering degree includes mechanics, electricity and magnetism, optics, thermodynamics, college algebra, trigonometry, calculus, statistical analysis, computer science, electronics, and more.

As the world becomes more complex technically, more and new engineering degree programs come into existence to meet the needs of new challenges in engineering. As a result, environmental engineers, civil engineers, petroleum engineers, and biomedical engineers are expected to enjoy tremendous growth in job opportunities over the next decade.

Biomedical engineering degree programs focus on providing you with knowledge in physiology, cellular and molecular biology, medical imaging, biomaterials, biomechanics, and tissue engineering. Biomedical engineers are involved in developing new diagnostic equipment for physicians, new prosthetic devices for people who have suffered from amputation, and creation of artificial tissues for use in therapy.

An environmental engineering degree program will train you about ecosystem management, soil science, hydraulics, fluid dynamics, and atmospheric sciences to model the dispersion and effects of pollutants on the environment. Environmental engineers help industry and government prevent and respond to industrial and natural disasters, design waste treatment and recycling facilities or serve as consultants to help industry meet government environmental quality regulations.

Your civil engineering program will train you in materials science, hydraulics, statics, surveying, geology and soil sciences, and mechanics. Civil engineers often serve as the practical problem-solver who mediates between the designers and the builders of dams, roads, bridges, buildings and structures in which people work, live, and play.

Petroleum engineers find new ways to extract oil and gas from underground, and help develop new drilling equipment. Petroleum engineers either take specialized courses in petroleum engineering while studying for their bachelor's degree in engineering, earn a post-graduate certificate in petroleum engineering, or a master's degree in petroleum engineering. Most online petroleum engineering degree programs are master's degree programs.

Software engineers are responsible for designing, evaluating, testing, and building software systems upon which computers operate. Software engineers use mathematics and computer science to accomplish their goals, such as designing a new game. Software engineering is such a new field that it does not have licensing requirements. Currently, it is one of the fastest growing occupations in the US.

Computer engineers design and build new computer hardware, robots, develop new ways for computers to process and transmit information, often using breakthroughs in materials science and quantum physics. Computer engineers must be skilled in electronics and circuitry, system design, and computer programming. Having have a masters degree or PhD in computer engineering offers a competitive advantage as a computer engineer.

Find online software, civil and computer engineering degrees>>>

Occupational Outlook and Salaries with Engineering Degrees

Your online engineering degree program will open doors in a wide variety of careers. Both private companies and government entities hire engineers of all kinds. The US Army Corps of Engineers is one of the largest employers of engineers, many of whom are civilian employees.

With an associate's degree, you can work as an engineering technologist, under the supervision of an engineer. Engineering technologists or technicians often work as quality control inspectors, data collectors, and may assist engineers and research scientists in the design and development of new solutions to engineering problems.

Your bachelor's degree in engineering will help you land a job in which you will design and develop new equipment or methods of working. You may work as quality control supervisor or become involved in designing the processes that are used in a factory to ensure efficient production of products.

A Master's degree in engineering helps engineers to specialize, gain technological competence, or update their skills to meet the needs of a changing industry. Engineers who earn a Master's degree frequently become managers in engineering firms or government engineering departments.

A PhD in engineering is the gateway to a professorship at an engineering college, a career as an independent consultant, or a government policymaker.

Salaries for graduates vary widely, depending upon the degree you earn, the industry you choose, and where you live. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2008), graduates with an associate's degree in engineering technology can expect to earn an average of over $40,000. Bachelor's degree graduates can start at over $50,000 on average, and have the opportunity to earn in excess of $100,000 with experience. Similar salaries are available to engineers with a MS or PhD. Overall, careers in the engineering professions are expected to grow at average or above average rates over the next ten years.