Looking For E-learning Educator Who Offers Engineering Degrees

Q: I have a few questions about e-learning or distance learning that I'm hoping somebody will be able to help me with. I have graduated from a 2 year college program in Canada and I have received a diploma in Telecommunications Engineering Technology. This is similar to an Associates Degree in the USA. I would like to upgrade this diploma in the USA to an engineering degree via distance learning or e-learning. I have a few questions about e-learning. Does the degree you receive from a distance learning provider have the same title as the traditional on campus degree from the same institution. That is, would an employer or anybody else for that matter be able to differentiate between a degree earned from a distance provider and a traditional on campus method??? Secondly, will I be able to receive credit towards my degree for all of my previous schooling, work experience, and certifications?? Thirdly, does anybody know of any credible institutions that are recognized within the engineering world that would offer the type of degree that I am looking for? One that will allow me to upgrade my diploma to an engineering degree of some sort?

A: -If you wish to continue in Telecomm studies. There is one particular school I would recommend you examine thoroughly. http://www.fhsu.edu -Most states and employers require you to hold an engineering degree that is ABET approved. ABET is the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology. They do the same for engineering degrees that the American Bar Association does for law degrees. All states require your degree to have come from an ABET school in order to test for the PE license. In order to meet ABET requirements for depth the schools require that you attend labs. Some schools will allow you to attend lab classes at other schools and transfer your work. Others require that you attend their labs. ABET does not recognize your work experience as lab work. I found this out after working for fifteen years in R & D. I was working with some of the most advanced wireless communications systems and the school would not give me credit for the lab work. Keep in mind I was only asking for credit for lab work not course work. Most local community colleges do not have the resources for the advanced engineering labs. The only schools that I have come across that offer distance education for engineering degrees, that are ABET approved, is the University of North Dakota and Iowa University. In order for a school to get ABET recognition they must also hold regional accreditation. This information is only what I have learned in the last few months and my information may or may not be complete. There may be schools that I don't know about. If anybody else can add to the list it would be helpful. As far as industry recognition is concerned, unless your degree came from a well known engineering school such as MIT, Rice University, Stanford or the school is associated with a large research project or government agency such as University of Houston (NASA) it doesn't really matter. All ABET engineering degrees have nearly identical requirements is the sciences and engineering courses. ABET is the cooking cutter and all ABET engineering degrees are recognized equally. The real proof of an engineers worth is the work they do. I have seen engineers from well known schools that didn't know how to use a voltmeter and I've seen others from small schools that were gifted.

Looking For E-learning Educator Who Offers Engineering Degrees

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