I’m looking to apply to this program and I do not have a background in engineering. I do have a bachelors degree in biology but I’m now looking into becoming an engineer. During my undergrad, I worked for 3 years in an IT department as a lab supervisor and I also spent a lot of time assembling computers as a hobby but never got into coding or learning C/C++/python etc. Although I am a quick learner. I talked to a counselor regarding the program and I have sent them my resume. They said from the looks of it, I have a great chance of getting into the program. My questions are…
Are online masters in electrical and computer engineering frowned upon by companies when it comes to hiring? Especially without an undergrad in engineering?
What is a PE license? Is it something that I have to obtain to find a job?
Has anyone taken this online master’s from U of A? If so, how did it go?
Is anyone in the same situation as I am? How did you manage to pull through? How tough was it to find a job?
Do you need a strong background in Math FOR the JOB? Or are we most likely trained on the job with the different duties?
If anyone can answer any my questions that would be really helpful. This is my first post here by the way. Thanks everyone!
Like you, I did my undergrad in biology, then, after some time in between, went on to get an MS in Mechanical Engineering (though mine was not online, and it was thesis-based).
I’m not familiar with UoA or its online Master’s program, but as long as you’re taking the same classes as students in the physical, brick-and-mortar Master’s program, and there’s no designation on your transcript that it’s an online degree, then it won’t matter whether you physically attended classes or took them online because employers will never have to know it was online (nor would it matter that it was online). Even then, online MS degrees are relatively common in engineering.
Have you taken any engineering courses? How’s your math background? It’s unlikely you’d get admitted to any engineering graduate program without a solid foundation in engineering theory and mathematics, and if you do, you may have to take remedial coursework as part of the degree. I took some additional math, but had never taken an engineering class or really learned much programming before starting my graduate program, but I am the exception, not the norm. Although I ultimately survived, I would not recommend attempting the route unprepared, and while my graduate degree/experience/specialization uniquely qualifies me for some jobs, it leaves me less qualified in general than my peers, who have had the advantage of the full breadth of mechanical engineering coursework.
You can do a search for what a PE license is and how to get it, but be aware that at most schools, only the undergraduate engineering program is ABET-accredited (this has to do with the way ABET accreditation works–generally, only one program at a school can be accredited, either Bachelors or graduate). In some states, that may make it more difficult (or impossible) to obtain a PE without an engineering undergraduate degree. Most engineers don’t need a PE–mostly, it’s necessary in civil engineering and related areas. EEs usually don’t tend to need a PE. A lot of consulting firms seem to like engineers with the PE, in case you’re thinking about consulting.
Thanks for the information. You’ve answered a lot of questions I had in mind. I have never taken any engineering courses and my math background goes as far as to college algebra and statistics in which I have a solid foundation. I spoke to a counselor and she said that they do not require students to take undergrad engineering classes. I read the course descriptions and most of them had pre-requisites and co-requisites but I was told that it was something that I did not have to take. How tough was your program? Was it math heavy? How hard was it to find a job? My main concern is the math and finding a job after. Are calculus and physics used daily in your job or were you trained on the job to do specific things that do not require much math? As far as for accreditation I believe that the school is ABET accredited but I will double check with its grad program being ABET accredited. Sorry for all of these questions but I’m just happy there’s someone out there who were in my position.
When you say you spoke to a counselor, what exactly does that mean? Was it someone who works in the university’s ECE graduae department? Have you taken the GRE? I find it very hard to believe that anyone directly associated with the program would say you have “a great chance of getting into the program” considering you’ve never taken an engineering course and have only taken math up to algebra, but maybe I’m wrong. More importantly, I think it’s a little premature of you to even be thinking about engineering programs if you’ve never taken calculus, as principles of calculus form the foundation of a lot of engineering math. Did you take calculus in high school, at least? How is your mathematical aptitude?
I apologize if I sound negative. I don’t mean to discourage you. I’m just trying to bring up points that need to be addressed if you’d realistically like to continue down this path. These are questions you need to answer (or at least consider) before you give the plan any more real thought.
Yes, my program was math-heavy (and most engineering graduate programs will be, to varying degrees). I would say it was a relatively demanding program to begin with, and was even more taxing for me since I didn’t have the same math/engineering background as my peers. A solid understanding of multivariable calculus, ordinary differential equations, and linear algebra were essentially prerequisites for everything we studied. Some of the topics I learned about in my courses included or involved partial differential equations, Fourier transforms and Fourier series, Lagrangian mechanics, and a variety of numerical methods and algorithms, as well as advanced Newtonian mechanics, the behavior of incompressible fluids, and the solving of mesh grids in finite element analysis. As a prospective ECE graduate student, you’ll need to have at least a solid understanding of the basics (multivariable calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra), and likely also a solid familiarity in other areas such as circuit analysis, stochastic modeling, signal processing, control theory, or physics, depending on your area of specialization.
I can’t answer your questions about a job, yet, because I’m still searching! Graduated a few months ago and still hunting. My mistake was not doing an internship. Turns out it’s harder to get hired without experience than I thought it would be. I’m sure I will find something soon enough–have had a handful of bites and phone interviews, but no offers yet.
Thank you for that information. Very helpful and descriptive of what getting a Master’s in Engineering is like. I received some very good news today that I have been accepted into dental school. A master’s in engineering was my backup just in case I didn’t get in this application cycle. Anyways, thanks for being straight up and honest. Good luck in Engineering and I hope you find an awesome job soon!