Penn Foster Engineering tech degrees

Do these degrees carry much weight? I was interested in enrolling in one of their courses for one. I am just curious if they are worth it.

 

It really depends on your career goals.
Getting a technician or engineering support job is pretty competitive - unless you have other experience, I would suggest that an RA associate degree from your local community college or from one of the big three would be a better idea. You can then use the associate as a stepping stone to a bachelor of technology (or engineering studies) degree.

 

I have only been looking into this for about 2 weeks. I am not used to all the acronyms and what not. What is RA? Who are the Big Three?

 

Okay, I understand RA. But the big three I have no clue.

 

OK D no sweat. Sometimes we talk in code. Smart newbies (like you) ask questions. There are three schools that seem to be most amenable to distance learning/transfer credits/portfolio assessment etc. As a group they have become known as the big three. They are all different in their own way. One might be better for you that another. That's something you'll have to decide. Each one has a specific, required process. Testing out. GREs CLEPs. DANTEs. FEMA courses, portfolios. It's all just a bit complicated. But, if you do your homework you can earn your degree in a way that suits your needs. Here's a link to a site that has some good info (including the real names of the big three) that can help you on your way.

http://bain4weeks.com/Whichcol.html

 

Some other commonly used terms;

NA - Nationally Accredited (DETC, ACICS, TRACS, AALE)

DETC - Distance Education and Training Council

ACICS - Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools

TRACS - Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools

AALE - American Academy of Liberal Education

AACSB - Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (business school accreditor which is generally considered to be the most prestigious for b-schools)

ACBSP - Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (another business school accreditor which is generally considered the second most prestigious)

IACBE - International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (business school accreditor which is generally considered the least prestigious)

 

Great site to review and look at the Who’s done it?...that Randell is a smart guy

 

Big Three=
Charter Oak State College, Thomas Edison State College, Excelsior College

 

Have you currently taken any college courses?

If so, how many college credits do you have?

Do you have any college credits in Math/Science/Technology/Engineering courses?

What City and State do you live in?

Thanks, with this info I am sure we can find a fantastic program for you. Good luck in your goals!

 

Here are the links to the big three technology programs (AA and BS)

https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/School_of_Business_and_Technology/Technology_Programs
http://www.charteroak.edu/Prospective/Programs/Concentrations/TechnologyStudies.cfm
http://www.charteroak.edu/Prospective/Programs/Concentrations/Engineering.cfm
http://www.tesc.edu/2469.php

If you are interested in quality assurance then CSUDH offers this on-line degree
http://www.csudh.edu/bsqa/
However the requirements are pretty rigid compared to the big three.

Other members will probably point to additional programs.

My Excelsior degree is in Liberal Studies but heavy in math and science and almost all my electives are engineering (transferred from UK schools).

 

Who told you that?

I heard he flunked out of the instructor certification training for the University of Phony, so how the hell could he be smart???

 

I have no college credit. I am located in Danville, Kentucky. We have Colleges and Universities around here that offer online classes and distance learning but the have a set time that the lecture or class is taught and you must set in front of the computer for it. I am looking for something that I can do and not really be on a set schedule. I work full time and must work full time.

 

Damn you....curse you....or was it smart @##...?

 

Indeed so, looking at your current sig* - most impressive. Bruce giving you a hard time? It's likely just parchment envy. You have a larger square footage. No doubt those less well endowed of academic achievement will find solace in the bromide that size doesn't matter .

*Randell
US Army BMET School, AA,
BS/MBA ,
BS ,
MS ,
graduate certificate
enrolled in a PhD program
computer certs -
MCP+I,
MCSE NT4.0,
MCSA W2K,
A+,
Network+,
Server+,
Security+,
Project+,
i-Net+

 

One way to do it is to take Cleaveland Institute of Electronics - program.
http://www.cie-wc.edu/

They are NA DETC accredited.

You can start by earning a diploma and then progress to AAS degree or BEET degree. You can also transfer your AAS ET degree to enter WGU BSIT or BSNT.
WGU enjoys DETC NA and also number of RA accreditation.
You can also check WGU for their programs.

http://www.wgu.edu/

They have Information Technology, Network Technology degrees.

In our days the best way to get in to this job market is by combination of degree and leading vendor certifications.
WGU offers both you earn Vendor Certifications and a degree.

They don't have Engineering Technology program.


But IT in my view is a better paying and very interesting field.
Technicians with ET degrees don't enjoy as many opportunities and the pay but its a very interesting field as well.

Go to a site like DICE.com or Monster and check.
Network Security and technology degrees are very good as well.

 

Are the engineering technology courses ACE reviewed for college credit? Penn Foster College offers many courses in general education subjects, for example, which are ACE reviewed and which would transfer into a degree at another school.

Thomas Edison State College offers an Associate in Science in Applied Science and Technology (ASAST) degree in Electronics Engineering Technology. The credit hour distribution is provided. You can use this as a guide when looking at the course offerings at Penn Foster College. By the way, you can enroll in individual courses at Penn Foster College: Workforce Development line: 1-800-233-0259 and "let them know that you need to take a couple of courses for college credit" - japhy4529. If you need the actual list of courses Penn Foster College offers, PM me your email address and I will forward a copy of the course list. The list is too large to post on this board due to attachment size limits that also affects PM attachments.

 

Even if he does have parchment envy, I have name envy - University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Although, a certificate from UF is a strong it does not match up to a masters.

 

Lawrie, long time no see!

How's things?

 

Terrific Bruce. You've done a great job keeping the natives in check and this peerless asset relevant and current.