MSEE from California National Univ for Advanced Studies (DETC)?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by kkcheng, Dec 9, 2005.

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  1. kkcheng

    kkcheng Member

    Greetings everyone,

    Does anyone have any experience with California National University for Advanced Studies (http://www.cnuas.edu/). I know they are DETC and this MSEE is non-ABET too. I am wondering what would be the utility of this MSEE (even if I have no nitention of becoming licensed). Would you consider it a program "just for personal satisfaction"?

    Thanks for your time!

    KK
     
  2. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    CNU

    I'm not an engineer (damn it) but I do have one observation that might help you think it out...

    Although there are NO pure D/L ABET BSEE programs out there, there ARE numerous D/L master's degree programs in engineering from various ABET schools. CNU is not particularly cheap. You might want to do a bit of comparison shopping before deciding on a program.

    BTW, I actually talked with CNU about their BSE a few years ago. It looks like a good program but is IS expensive and, of course, not ABET accredited. I really needed an ABET degree for what I had in mind.
     
  3. eric.brown

    eric.brown New Member

    My opinion:
    • If you are going to get the MSEE degree and plan to get licensed, go with an ABET program.
    • If you are trying to break into a job that requires a MSEE degree and you don't have a BSEE, I'd go with an ABET accredited program.
    • If you are currently working in the EE world and are going to get the degree to expand your knowledge and to increase your opportunities as a non-licensed engineer, the CNU program would be good for that.
    • If the degree is a "personal satisfaction" goal, then CNU would be good for that.
    In my experience, most employers wouldn't know the difference between ABET and non-ABET schools, but they may look at RA vs DCET (I've seen a lot of job reqs saying "EE degree must be from a RA school").
     
  4. JLV

    JLV Active Member

    What Nosborne said. There are many EE programs from real engineering schools. They should be cheaper than CNUAS. For personal satisfaction I would do the real thing, and I would take longer to complete it.
     
  5. bing

    bing New Member

    Re: CNU

    I have looked at a number of MS and doctoral programs in engineering. Already being an engineer will allow one to be admitted to a MS program in most fields in engineering. Trouble is that, from what I see, most ABET schools won't allow people to enter a MS program in engineering unless they have certain coursework...mostly an engineering degree from an ABET school. However, you might find some schools willing to take you in as a MS student if you have a degree in physics, chemistry, or math. They are looking for those math classes and other physics related courses.

    Kettering is a good example. They say right in their literature that you have to have an ABET BS in engineering prior to acceptance to their MS in engineering programs.

    CNUAS is likely a good candidate. I saw a guy's resume that had an undergrad in history. He took additional coursework at CNUAS and got a MS in engineering there. CNUAS is way cheaper than a Kettering, too.

     
  6. eric.brown

    eric.brown New Member

    Re: Re: CNU

    You are exactly right...my undergrad was in Physics and when I entered the MSEE program at OSU, I had to take ~12 hours of Pre-req courses prior to being fully admitted to the program.
     
  7. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Please do not be mislead by my earlier post; I'm sure CNU offers a good, legitimate program.

    But its utility may be limited.

    I look at it a little like getting a law degree. It's SO MUCH WORK however you decide to do it; it would be wise to earn the best accepted degree you can.
     
  8. bing

    bing New Member

    Your advice is good.

    I can see where an engineering master's might be fine from CNUAS.

    For one thing, most engineers are not licensed. The vast majority are not. They don't need to be. If you never plan to become a PE then don't worry about an ABET school. But, some companies do want ABET engineers. That is possibly limiting.

    Many people working in manufacturing or electronics are more business end people. Here is where a Master's in engineering might come in handy. Business people that desire a more engineering oriented education might benefit from a non-ABET program.

    I work with a guy(not in my deparment) that has an MBA and works in biomedical. He then earned a degree in EE(or EET, or Electronics) from Grantham. He said it was a good deal for him and when he posted for a more technical job he got it because of that degree. I don't even think anyone knew anything about Grantham or that it was even a distance program.


     
  9. Testing

    Testing New Member

    nosborne48_Re: CNU

    nosborne48,
    If it is not confidential, I would love to know what you had in mind for an ABET engineering degree?

    ----------------------------
     
  10. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Why did I talk to NCU?

    No, not confidential at all...before I signed up in my present program, I was toying with the idea of Patent Law, mostly because it pays OBSCENELY well. (It should; have you ever actually read a patent?)

    Anyway, D/L studies won't usually qualify a Patent Bar applicant but taking and passing the F/E exam will. The New Mexico Board for the Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors pretty much requires an ABET degree "or equivalent" which would mean a resident engineering degree from a foreign school, most likely.

    Well, time marches on...we have a perfectly good ABET school right here in Las Cruces; it even offers an accredited BSET for the math challenged and the New Mexico Board would accept that degree as well, but these are full time day programs (as are all the hard science programs, too.) When I worked it out, it just wasn't financially feasable.

    Next life, maybe! ;)
     
  11. bing

    bing New Member

    Re: Why did I talk to NCU?

    A good friend of mine finally passed the patent exam about three years back. I think it took him three tries...and numerous trips to DC for either bone-up classes or exams. He still works in IT, though. My company hires a lot of patent attorneys but if you don't have a Harvard, Yale, or other equally prestigious law degree then don't bother applying. State U. isn't going to cut it.

     
  12. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    State U. won't cut it?

    That may well be, I don't know. But I suspect that it varies from location to location and field to field...a friend of mine took her J.D from U. Utah after receiving a state school B.Chem.Eng. and had no trouble at all finding work in the Bay Area.

    Times do change, though, and this was ten years ago.
     
  13. eric.brown

    eric.brown New Member

    Re: State U. won't cut it?

    I currently work in the Intellectual Property Litigation Support field and from my experience, most Patent prosecution and litigation attorneys that I work with are from regional schools and not from Harvard, Yale, etc. 99% of them are technical people with technical degrees that have then gone on to get a JD at the closest law school.
     

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