Several of the best engineering schools in the United States offer top-ranked mechanical engineering online programs.
This article reviews some of the best graduate engineering degrees online as well as an online bachelor's program accredited by ABET.
Mechanical Engineering Degree Online – University of Illinois
The University of Illinois, which boasts the six-ranked mechanical engineering degree program in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, offers an online Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME).
The MSME program requires 32 credit-hours of courses, 24 of which must be graded coursework, leaving 8 hours for thesis courses. However, students can apply for a non-thesis degree, which, if approved, requires 36 hours of graded coursework and an independent study project.
Online courses are delivered via a centralized management system which allows student to log in and view lectures whenever it is convenient for them. This includes both the 400 and 500 level courses.
Students interested in the MSME program must meet the following eligibility requirements in order to enroll:
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited school
- Minimum of 3.25 GPA in a student's last 60 credit hours
For more information on one of the best engineering degrees online, contact UI at 800-252-1360.
Engineering Degrees Online – Purdue University
Purdue University's mechanical engineering degree program was ranked as the eighth-best program by U.S. News & World Report; the school offers a fully online Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
The mechanical engineering degree online is intended for working engineers who are interested in gaining additional skills and advancing within current careers.
Similar to several of the best engineering online programs available, the Purdue University program allows students to choose between thesis and non-thesis degree options. For both options, students must complete 30 hours of coursework, nine of which are thesis hours for those who choose a thesis option.
Online courses are offered via streaming video over the internet, and some courses also have physical supplementary learning materials. Courses are available in the following areas:
- Acoustics and Noise Control
- Automotive Systems
- Biomechanics
- Design and Computer-Aided Design
- Energy Utilization and Environmental Control
- Fluid Mechanics
- Heat Transfer
- Manufacturing and Materials Processing
- Mechanics and Vibrations
- Systems, Measurements and Controls
To be eligible for enrollment, students must have an undergraduate degree from an ABET-accredited engineering school.
For more information on one of the best engineering degrees online, contact Purdue at 877-598-4233.
Engineering Online Programs – University of North Dakota
UND offers an ABET-accredited online Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering program, which is one of the few undergraduate engineering degrees online accredited by ABET.
The program requires that students complete 129 credit hours, which UND estimates takes six years to complete. The online courses are delivered via an asynchronous schedule, which allows students to log in and learn whenever it is most convenient for them.
UND does require that students visit the campus each summer in Grand Forks, ND for a week-long intensive lab sessions.
For more information on one of the best undergraduate engineering online programs, contact UND at 1-800-342-8230.
Benefits of a Mechanical Engineering Degree Online
For working engineering and professional students, many of whom are unable to attend campus-based programs, quality online mechanical degrees allow students to simultaneously benefit from academic learning while maintaining careers.
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David Harris-Gershon - David Harris-Gershon – a blogger for Tikkun magazine and a freelance writer on Israel, the Middle East and America’s role in ...
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