Online Master's Degrees > Online Master's Degree in Engineering

ONLINE MASTER'S DEGREE INENGINEERING

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TOP SCHOOLS: ONLINE ENGINEERING MASTER'S PROGRAMS

The 10 best schools for online master's degrees in engineering, also known as a M.Sc.Eng. or MScEng, are a diverse group, geographically and qualitatively.

Several stood out for their focus on engineering in relation to all other degrees, some for their affordability, and others for their commitment to flexibility — something necessary for students who juggle graduate work in and around a full-time job and/or family demands.

Here's more about our top 10 schools. For complete details on how we derived each score, please click on "methodology" above the chart.

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Rank	School	Tuition	% Grad Students in Online Courses	% Grad Degrees Conferred	Related Degrees
1.	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	Tuition$8,088	% Grad Students in Online Courses31.2%	% Grad Degrees Conferred27.83%	Related Degrees15
2.	Naval Postgraduate School	Tuition$0	% Grad Students in Online Courses45.04%	% Grad Degrees Conferred36.17%	Related Degrees6
3.	Missouri University of Science and Technology	Tuition$9,566	% Grad Students in Online Courses38.47%	% Grad Degrees Conferred59.74%	Related Degrees10
14.	The University of Texas at Tyler	Tuition$4,896	% Grad Students in Online Courses77.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.11%	Related Degrees2
23.	Iowa State University	Tuition$8,474	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.87%	% Grad Degrees Conferred26.38%	Related Degrees6
25.	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology	Tuition$6,101	% Grad Students in Online Courses19.61%	% Grad Degrees Conferred47.73%	Related Degrees2
28.	Louisiana Tech University	Tuition$6,593	% Grad Students in Online Courses46.94%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.53%	Related Degrees1
33.	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	Tuition$9,628	% Grad Students in Online Courses37.51%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.77%	Related Degrees5
34.	Old Dominion University	Tuition$8,736	% Grad Students in Online Courses51.87%	% Grad Degrees Conferred20.12%	Related Degrees2
38.	Villanova University	Tuition$17,917	% Grad Students in Online Courses44.55%	% Grad Degrees Conferred12.26%	Related Degrees9
43.	University of Maryland-University College	Tuition$8,244	% Grad Students in Online Courses92.18%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.14%	Related Degrees1
48.	University of Central Missouri	Tuition$6,683	% Grad Students in Online Courses30.27%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.3%	Related Degrees1
50.	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	Tuition$6,714	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.35%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.18%	Related Degrees1
52.	Morgan State University	Tuition$7,074	% Grad Students in Online Courses26.38%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.7%	Related Degrees1
56.	University of Alaska Anchorage	Tuition$9,768	% Grad Students in Online Courses48.58%	% Grad Degrees Conferred13.55%	Related Degrees1
67.	Virginia International University	Tuition$9,144	% Grad Students in Online Courses30.98%	% Grad Degrees Conferred4.1%	Related Degrees1
68.	University of Arizona	Tuition$11,372	% Grad Students in Online Courses24.77%	% Grad Degrees Conferred7.44%	Related Degrees4
69.	The University of Alabama	Tuition$10,470	% Grad Students in Online Courses37.22%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.45%	Related Degrees1
72.	Southern Methodist University	Tuition$40,896	% Grad Students in Online Courses14.2%	% Grad Degrees Conferred13.59%	Related Degrees10
73.	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Tuition$15,267	% Grad Students in Online Courses17.9%	% Grad Degrees Conferred19.36%	Related Degrees5
74.	University of Virginia-Main Campus	Tuition$15,026	% Grad Students in Online Courses12.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.44%	Related Degrees6
79.	Stratford University	Tuition$13,365	% Grad Students in Online Courses34.66%	% Grad Degrees Conferred21.14%	Related Degrees1
92.	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley	Tuition$22,776	% Grad Students in Online Courses65.49%	% Grad Degrees Conferred19.76%	Related Degrees1
101.	Stanford University	Tuition$47,331	% Grad Students in Online Courses7.56%	% Grad Degrees Conferred30.24%	Related Degrees7
107.	University of Southern California	Tuition$41,592	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.35%	% Grad Degrees Conferred15.86%	Related Degrees4
109.	Florida Institute of Technology	Tuition$22,338	% Grad Students in Online Courses29.23%	% Grad Degrees Conferred21.01%	Related Degrees1
114.	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Tuition$21,466	% Grad Students in Online Courses2.48%	% Grad Degrees Conferred24.35%	Related Degrees3
116.	Case Western Reserve University	Tuition$42,576	% Grad Students in Online Courses11.56%	% Grad Degrees Conferred9.79%	Related Degrees5
117.	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus	Tuition$21,564	% Grad Students in Online Courses23.02%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.3%	Related Degrees1
121.	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Tuition$21,748	% Grad Students in Online Courses11.45%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.57%	Related Degrees2
122.	New York University	Tuition$39,936	% Grad Students in Online Courses8.39%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.41%	Related Degrees4
123.	Carnegie Mellon University	Tuition$41,807	% Grad Students in Online Courses12.99%	% Grad Degrees Conferred30%	Related Degrees2
126.	Cornell University	Tuition$29,500	% Grad Students in Online Courses3.57%	% Grad Degrees Conferred28.73%	Related Degrees1
128.	Harvard University	Tuition$43,296	% Grad Students in Online Courses13.58%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.39%	Related Degrees2
7.	Southeastern Oklahoma State University	Tuition$4,464	% Grad Students in Online Courses77.76%	% Grad Degrees Conferred39.33%	Related Degrees1
11.	Mississippi State University	Tuition$7,780	% Grad Students in Online Courses33.89%	% Grad Degrees Conferred9.78%	Related Degrees7
12.	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	Tuition$4,088	% Grad Students in Online Courses41.24%	% Grad Degrees Conferred17.96%	Related Degrees2
13.	South Dakota School of Mines and Technology	Tuition$5,740	% Grad Students in Online Courses27.01%	% Grad Degrees Conferred61.11%	Related Degrees2
15.	University of Florida	Tuition$10,770	% Grad Students in Online Courses43.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred19.86%	Related Degrees8
16.	Arizona State University-Tempe	Tuition$10,810	% Grad Students in Online Courses94.97%	% Grad Degrees Conferred28.64%	Related Degrees6
18.	University of Central Florida	Tuition$6,916	% Grad Students in Online Courses39.4%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.5%	Related Degrees4
27.	Purdue University-Main Campus	Tuition$9,208	% Grad Students in Online Courses20.94%	% Grad Degrees Conferred36.46%	Related Degrees6
30.	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	Tuition$4,886	% Grad Students in Online Courses36.03%	% Grad Degrees Conferred7.37%	Related Degrees1
31.	Kansas State University	Tuition$9,670	% Grad Students in Online Courses32.44%	% Grad Degrees Conferred7.68%	Related Degrees6
37.	University of Houston-Clear Lake	Tuition$7,074	% Grad Students in Online Courses35.46%	% Grad Degrees Conferred23.88%	Related Degrees1
39.	University of North Dakota	Tuition$7,185	% Grad Students in Online Courses52.34%	% Grad Degrees Conferred3.78%	Related Degrees1
40.	University of Arkansas	Tuition$7,379	% Grad Students in Online Courses38.18%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.21%	Related Degrees2
45.	Ohio University-Main Campus	Tuition$9,510	% Grad Students in Online Courses42.03%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.65%	Related Degrees3
46.	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	Tuition$4,968	% Grad Students in Online Courses23.14%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.98%	Related Degrees1
47.	Capitol Technology University	Tuition$10,530	% Grad Students in Online Courses99.41%	% Grad Degrees Conferred7.77%	Related Degrees2
57.	Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs	Tuition$12,139	% Grad Students in Online Courses94.68%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.34%	Related Degrees3
60.	Florida International University	Tuition$8,912	% Grad Students in Online Courses36.82%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.73%	Related Degrees1
61.	West Virginia University	Tuition$9,000	% Grad Students in Online Courses34.02%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.46%	Related Degrees1
66.	Kettering University	Tuition$13,712	% Grad Students in Online Courses79.15%	% Grad Degrees Conferred34.81%	Related Degrees1
71.	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Tuition$12,790	% Grad Students in Online Courses44.27%	% Grad Degrees Conferred9.18%	Related Degrees2
75.	Florida State University	Tuition$9,684	% Grad Students in Online Courses22.77%	% Grad Degrees Conferred4.8%	Related Degrees1
78.	Illinois Institute of Technology	Tuition$27,678	% Grad Students in Online Courses20.14%	% Grad Degrees Conferred33.5%	Related Degrees6
81.	Washington State University	Tuition$11,224	% Grad Students in Online Courses20.85%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.54%	Related Degrees2
84.	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Tuition$12,467	% Grad Students in Online Courses20.9%	% Grad Degrees Conferred23.66%	Related Degrees2
87.	Lawrence Technological University	Tuition$19,116	% Grad Students in Online Courses27.34%	% Grad Degrees Conferred44.4%	Related Degrees2
88.	Gonzaga University	Tuition$16,457	% Grad Students in Online Courses58.56%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.17%	Related Degrees1
93.	Clarkson University	Tuition$29,286	% Grad Students in Online Courses42.29%	% Grad Degrees Conferred17.36%	Related Degrees3
94.	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Tuition$10,728	% Grad Students in Online Courses6.14%	% Grad Degrees Conferred17.1%	Related Degrees1
95.	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Tuition$15,207	% Grad Students in Online Courses7.82%	% Grad Degrees Conferred12.21%	Related Degrees4
96.	University of Dayton	Tuition$16,020	% Grad Students in Online Courses21.63%	% Grad Degrees Conferred40.22%	Related Degrees1
97.	University of Toledo	Tuition$13,166	% Grad Students in Online Courses23.18%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.88%	Related Degrees1
98.	Ohio State University-Main Campus	Tuition$11,560	% Grad Students in Online Courses11.33%	% Grad Degrees Conferred19.46%	Related Degrees1
99.	University of California-Berkeley	Tuition$11,220	% Grad Students in Online Courses5.21%	% Grad Degrees Conferred20.28%	Related Degrees1
100.	University of Maryland-College Park	Tuition$11,718	% Grad Students in Online Courses10.06%	% Grad Degrees Conferred17.99%	Related Degrees1
102.	Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network	Tuition$23,728	% Grad Students in Online Courses83.46%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.39%	Related Degrees1
103.	University of California-Los Angeles	Tuition$11,220	% Grad Students in Online Courses2.85%	% Grad Degrees Conferred15.68%	Related Degrees1
104.	Columbia University in the City of New York	Tuition$43,552	% Grad Students in Online Courses6.35%	% Grad Degrees Conferred12.86%	Related Degrees8
106.	University of Illinois at Chicago	Tuition$13,263	% Grad Students in Online Courses16.4%	% Grad Degrees Conferred16.7%	Related Degrees1
108.	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	Tuition$16,536	% Grad Students in Online Courses19.24%	% Grad Degrees Conferred9.18%	Related Degrees2
110.	Drexel University	Tuition$32,184	% Grad Students in Online Courses45.52%	% Grad Degrees Conferred13.4%	Related Degrees1
113.	Mercer University	Tuition$15,557	% Grad Students in Online Courses16.99%	% Grad Degrees Conferred6.58%	Related Degrees1
118.	Rochester Institute of Technology	Tuition$41,804	% Grad Students in Online Courses23.82%	% Grad Degrees Conferred25.04%	Related Degrees2
120.	George Washington University	Tuition$28,800	% Grad Students in Online Courses30.57%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.48%	Related Degrees1
127.	University of Delaware	Tuition$30,960	% Grad Students in Online Courses12.94%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.91%	Related Degrees1
4.	Texas Tech University	Tuition$5,400	% Grad Students in Online Courses41.79%	% Grad Degrees Conferred14.46%	Related Degrees6
5.	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus	Tuition$5,033	% Grad Students in Online Courses31.56%	% Grad Degrees Conferred19.5%	Related Degrees6
6.	Texas A & M University-College Station	Tuition$5,784	% Grad Students in Online Courses14.39%	% Grad Degrees Conferred22.81%	Related Degrees8
8.	The University of Texas at Arlington	Tuition$7,141	% Grad Students in Online Courses48.99%	% Grad Degrees Conferred21.09%	Related Degrees5
9.	Kennesaw State University	Tuition$4,734	% Grad Students in Online Courses55.15%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.77%	Related Degrees3
10.	Auburn University	Tuition$9,072	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.16%	% Grad Degrees Conferred21.92%	Related Degrees9
17.	Texas A & M University-Kingsville	Tuition$3,228	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.98%	% Grad Degrees Conferred42.31%	Related Degrees1
19.	Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico-Miami	Tuition$7,110	% Grad Students in Online Courses100%	% Grad Degrees Conferred30.77%	Related Degrees1
20.	University of Idaho	Tuition$6,460	% Grad Students in Online Courses38.2%	% Grad Degrees Conferred15.68%	Related Degrees3
21.	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi	Tuition$3,568	% Grad Students in Online Courses54.42%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.69%	Related Degrees1
22.	East Carolina University	Tuition$4,656	% Grad Students in Online Courses65.74%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.68%	Related Degrees1
24.	University of Michigan-Dearborn	Tuition$11,300	% Grad Students in Online Courses46.68%	% Grad Degrees Conferred31%	Related Degrees6
26.	California State University-Fullerton	Tuition$6,738	% Grad Students in Online Courses37.13%	% Grad Degrees Conferred21.09%	Related Degrees2
29.	University of Wisconsin-Stout	Tuition$6,878	% Grad Students in Online Courses77.48%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.37%	Related Degrees1
32.	University of Wisconsin-Platteville	Tuition$7,640	% Grad Students in Online Courses88.02%	% Grad Degrees Conferred13.84%	Related Degrees1
35.	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide	Tuition$7,440	% Grad Students in Online Courses91.6%	% Grad Degrees Conferred3.44%	Related Degrees1
36.	University of Alabama in Huntsville	Tuition$9,834	% Grad Students in Online Courses39.83%	% Grad Degrees Conferred26.03%	Related Degrees4
41.	University of Alabama at Birmingham	Tuition$7,588	% Grad Students in Online Courses48.44%	% Grad Degrees Conferred9.27%	Related Degrees1
42.	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	Tuition$13,452	% Grad Students in Online Courses38.82%	% Grad Degrees Conferred50.22%	Related Degrees5
44.	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	Tuition$5,570	% Grad Students in Online Courses22.96%	% Grad Degrees Conferred14.85%	Related Degrees1
49.	Clemson University	Tuition$8,826	% Grad Students in Online Courses22.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred29.33%	Related Degrees3
51.	University of South Carolina-Columbia	Tuition$12,398	% Grad Students in Online Courses29.65%	% Grad Degrees Conferred4.91%	Related Degrees7
53.	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Tuition$25,344	% Grad Students in Online Courses32.4%	% Grad Degrees Conferred53.55%	Related Degrees7
54.	University of Maine	Tuition$7,524	% Grad Students in Online Courses29.06%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.25%	Related Degrees1
55.	University of South Florida-Main Campus	Tuition$8,350	% Grad Students in Online Courses34.36%	% Grad Degrees Conferred9.46%	Related Degrees1
58.	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	Tuition$11,044	% Grad Students in Online Courses17.32%	% Grad Degrees Conferred11.74%	Related Degrees6
59.	Youngstown State University	Tuition$8,492	% Grad Students in Online Courses32.79%	% Grad Degrees Conferred7.73%	Related Degrees1
62.	University of Houston	Tuition$7,956	% Grad Students in Online Courses10.43%	% Grad Degrees Conferred19.99%	Related Degrees2
63.	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	Tuition$9,983	% Grad Students in Online Courses41.13%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.49%	Related Degrees1
64.	University of Colorado Boulder	Tuition$10,836	% Grad Students in Online Courses7.62%	% Grad Degrees Conferred36.76%	Related Degrees4
65.	Stevens Institute of Technology	Tuition$33,328	% Grad Students in Online Courses52.88%	% Grad Degrees Conferred44.03%	Related Degrees5
70.	New Jersey Institute of Technology	Tuition$19,008	% Grad Students in Online Courses39.89%	% Grad Degrees Conferred42.64%	Related Degrees3
76.	Michigan Technological University	Tuition$17,384	% Grad Students in Online Courses11.8%	% Grad Degrees Conferred67.31%	Related Degrees3
77.	Norwich University	Tuition$17,073	% Grad Students in Online Courses98.97%	% Grad Degrees Conferred11.79%	Related Degrees1
80.	University of Kentucky	Tuition$10,925	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.78%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.75%	Related Degrees1
82.	Lehigh University	Tuition$25,560	% Grad Students in Online Courses18.49%	% Grad Degrees Conferred31.25%	Related Degrees6
83.	Oregon State University	Tuition$12,150	% Grad Students in Online Courses25.32%	% Grad Degrees Conferred25.26%	Related Degrees1
85.	Wright State University-Main Campus	Tuition$13,474	% Grad Students in Online Courses30.81%	% Grad Degrees Conferred28.52%	Related Degrees1
86.	George Mason University	Tuition$10,628	% Grad Students in Online Courses19.6%	% Grad Degrees Conferred5.06%	Related Degrees1
89.	Johns Hopkins University	Tuition$50,410	% Grad Students in Online Courses47.5%	% Grad Degrees Conferred11.87%	Related Degrees5
90.	DeVry University-Illinois	Tuition$18,384	% Grad Students in Online Courses89.69%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.09%	Related Degrees1
91.	University of Louisville	Tuition$12,246	% Grad Students in Online Courses16.17%	% Grad Degrees Conferred14.35%	Related Degrees2
105.	University of New Haven	Tuition$15,660	% Grad Students in Online Courses24.43%	% Grad Degrees Conferred19.7%	Related Degrees1
111.	Milwaukee School of Engineering	Tuition$20,520	% Grad Students in Online Courses17.16%	% Grad Degrees Conferred38.18%	Related Degrees1
112.	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Tuition$16,240	% Grad Students in Online Courses13.52%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.29%	Related Degrees2
115.	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	Tuition$19,964	% Grad Students in Online Courses6.67%	% Grad Degrees Conferred23.78%	Related Degrees2
119.	St. Mary's University	Tuition$15,570	% Grad Students in Online Courses6.15%	% Grad Degrees Conferred7.86%	Related Degrees1
124.	University of Detroit Mercy	Tuition$27,666	% Grad Students in Online Courses16.82%	% Grad Degrees Conferred17.82%	Related Degrees1
125.	Western New England University	Tuition$24,120	% Grad Students in Online Courses7.09%	% Grad Degrees Conferred8.6%	Related Degrees2

MASTER'S IN ENGINEERING PROGRAM DETAILS

You may already have some schools on your shortlist so let's talk acceptance. One major question is if you need an undergraduate degree in engineering in order to gain entry into a M.Sc.Eng. program. Perhaps surprisingly, it's not mandatory in all cases. Some schools offer a transition program to help career changers both understand and overcome the differences between the discipline of engineering and other majors. One prominent example is the Late Entry Accelerated Program at Boston University, which helps those with non-engineering undergraduate degrees earn master's degrees in a range of competitive disciplines, including computer engineering.

So while it is technically possible for the art history major to gain acceptance into an engineering graduate program, the majority of graduate students will have backgrounds and degrees in engineering.

What's maybe most important is that you understand precisely the requirements for a particular program and meet them all by the given deadline.

Here's one real-world example: The Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of Florida — the largest academic program on the University of Florida campus by enrollment, according to the university — shares these minimum requirements for admittance into its master's program for mechanical engineering:

"A baccalaureate degree in Mechanical Engineering or in Aerospace Engineering, or baccalaureate degree in a closely related engineering discipline from an ABET accredited program." ABET is a nonprofit organization that accredits colleges and university programs in applied sciences and engineering.
At least a 3.0 GPA out of a 4.0 scale
A combined GRE score of 301 or higher on both verbal and quantitative, with at least a 151 score on the quantitative portion. The GRE is the Graduate Record Examination.
International students will have to submit scores and meet minimum requirement on the TOEFL, or Test of English as a Foreign Language.

There may also be requirements to include a resume, official undergraduate transcripts and recommendations. Some of these may take time to procure, so it's smart to start as far in advance as possible.

And this is just for admission overall. Different engineering disciplines may have special requirements, so read the fine print for all admission requirements to be the best prepared possible. For example, Purdue University's online dual Master of Science in Engineering-Master of Business Administration (MSE-MBA) requires students with non-engineering bachelor's to take three math courses in order to be eligible, so expect to brush up on the calculus and algebra.

Nearly all engineering programs will include a mix of practical learning, research and theory and coursework will vary tremendously based on the school's focus, your engineering background and any sub-specialities you wish to pursue. A quick review of several course catalogs for master's degrees in engineering shows a wide range of topics and approaches, from "Advanced Orbital Dynamics" to "Linear System Theory."

Fully online vs. hybrid programs

With many degree programs, you can choose an on-campus or online option or both, so as part of your decision-making process, you will want to evaluate how much a program caters to distance learning, student reviews of the online experience, and that it carries the type of program you wish to pursue.

For example, at Purdue University, some programs are full online but others may only be offered in "hybrid format" where students are required to spend at least some time on campus.

It may also be important to some to know the mix of distance vs. traditional students within a degree program or simply for the school overall.

Among our top 10 ranked schools, the percentage of students involved in distance learning in some aspect varied widely, from a high of nearly 42 percent with Missouri University of Science and Technology to a low of around 13 percent at Texas A&M University-College Station. It makes sense to understand — and ask — if online classes are materially identical to what's offered on-campus. In their marketing materials, many colleges promote the fact that there is no difference between earning a graduate degree on-campus vs. online. Others say degrees granted will not differentiate if it was obtained solely online vs. on-campus.

Internships

The role and availability of internships will vary from program to program, but it pays to investigate opportunities and expectations upfront as internships are an excellent way to learn and to make professional connections. They may also be mandatory in order to receive your degree, much like a research thesis might be.

Accreditation

It's important your chosen college or university is fully accredited. For two-year and undergraduate work in engineering, the gold-standard is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), which accredits programs within colleges and universities. The ABET commission does not accredit graduate programs, but a particular program may require that your undergraduate degree come from an ABET-accredited program. Please check with the school directly but if you have any questions or you can contact the accrediting body directly. In your research you may also come across regional accreditation, such as the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Scholarships

Financial assistance may be available as you pursue your online master's degree in engineering, whether full- or part-time. To find that help, you should search across two tracks — general scholarships for graduate work which would be applied to engineering, or those specific to engineering tracks. Some may be designed to encourage distance learning while others may be applied to programs regardless of online or on-campus. A good source might be Peterson's, an online portal for scholarships. Just be sure to fully vet the opportunity by researching past winners and the reputation of the organization. Also good to remember: It's not just about scholarships. Extra financial support for your graduate study may be found in the form of fellowships and grants as well.

Licensing

While it's not required in order to gain employment as an engineer, the National Society of Professional Engineers does license engineers, allowing them to use, if they wish, the designation of "P.E." after their name (professional engineer). While not specific to graduate education, the prerequisites for this program include, according to the society, a four-year college degree and at least four years of work experience under an existing professional engineer. You will also have to pass two exams and pursue a state license in order to qualify for licensure.

TOP CAREERS IN ENGINEERING

Earning a master's degree in engineering can lead to a positions and careers in a wide range of industries. Here is an overview of three positions and the work entailed in those careers:

1. Petroleum Engineer

A petroleum engineer is all about extracting valuable fuel from the earth, whether natural gas or oil, and harnessing it for the benefit of a private company or government agency. Ideally a professional in this field would have an undergraduate degree in petroleum engineering, but other engineering disciplines may be acceptable. While there are myriad jobs in the wider industry that do not require a bachelor's degree, this one usually does, so an undergraduate degree is the first foot in the door. An advanced degree could help advance along an existing track to become a manager or branch out into sub-specialties.

Average Salary

$156,780

Projected Job Openings

2,500

Job Growth Potential

2.6%

2. Architectural and Engineering Manager

Architectural and engineering managers love seeing an idea for a structure, home or building come to life and are well-grounded in the disciplines of math and science. They also need to be highly skilled at project management, as the core of this job is coordinating the diverse roles and deliverables necessary for a company to succeed in the architectural and building trades, from finance to marketing. While not required, an advanced degree that combined a master's in business administration with a background in engineering would certainly support the dual nature of this role — part engineer and part administrator.

Average Salary

$152,930

Projected Job Openings

14,600

Job Growth Potential

2.8%

3. Aerospace Engineer

An aerospace engineer has their head in the clouds much of the time — literally. This is a job for people who love flying, whether in the form of working on aircraft, spacecraft, satellites or missiles, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most professionals will come to this title from one of two tracks, aeronautical engineering or astronautical engineering. Duties include research, testing, direct fabrication of engines and materials and more. An advanced degree in this field can be a preferred background for those interested in pursuing management positions, but it's not mandatory. Like most engineering disciplines, a bachelor's degree in engineering is required.

Average Salary

$145,450

Projected Job Openings

6,100

Job Growth Potential

5.9%

ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING JOBS AND SALARIES

JOB TITLE	AVERAGE SALARY	PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS	JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL
Nuclear Engineers	$120,700	1,100	-0.5%
Chemical Engineers	$117,090	2,400	6.3%
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	$110,210	9,000	-0.9%
Electrical Engineers	$103,480	13,900	4.8%
Marine Engineers and Naval Architects	$98,730	800	8.9%
Agricultural Engineers	$98,290	200	5.4%
Materials Engineers	$97,890	1,700	0.2%
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers	$97,090	1,500	3.6%
Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers	$96,990	500	2.6%
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors	$94,810	2,000	5.1%
Civil Engineers	$94,360	28,300	6.3%
Environmental Engineers	$94,220	4,600	5.1%
Mechanical Engineers	$93,540	22,900	4.1%
Industrial Engineers	$92,660	22,600	8.3%

Nuclear Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$120,700

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS1,100

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL-0.5%

Chemical Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$117,090

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS2,400

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL6.3%

Electronics Engineers, Except Computer

AVERAGE SALARY$110,210

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS9,000

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL-0.9%

Electrical Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$103,480

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS13,900

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL4.8%

Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

AVERAGE SALARY$98,730

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS800

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL8.9%

Agricultural Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$98,290

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS200

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL5.4%

Materials Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$97,890

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS1,700

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL0.2%

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$97,090

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS1,500

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL3.6%

Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$96,990

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS500

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL2.6%

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors

AVERAGE SALARY$94,810

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS2,000

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL5.1%

Civil Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$94,360

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS28,300

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL6.3%

Environmental Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$94,220

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS4,600

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL5.1%

Mechanical Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$93,540

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS22,900

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL4.1%

Industrial Engineers

AVERAGE SALARY$92,660

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS22,600

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL8.3%

ENGINEERING SALARIES BY STATE

Average Salary for Engineering

Average Annual Job Openings

Hourly Mean Wage

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