Is a a.a.s. Really a good career choice?

Ok so I'm trying to decide on what to go to school for, I'm really leaning towards an associates in applied science to become an engineer techinician with the option of continuing my education later to go on to get a bachelors or beyond, (I want to be able to get a job right out of school and I read that a a.a.s. is good for the likes of factory maintainence and a few other things) so far in my research I've found that aerospace, chemical and electrical are the most in demand I guess you could say according to a U.S. government site I saw, the outlook on employment for the next 10 to 20 years looked good according to the site. So is a a.a.s. a good choice? Does the field of engineering techician have a future? I read some posts around this forum and it appears that physics would be a very useful thing to have somewhere while getting my education, is that possible with a two year? What are your opinions on this and what are the must know's if I choose what I have described. Also what other forums or websites should I check out to help with my decision. Thanks.

 

An associates degree is fine if you immediately follow it up with bachelors studies if your intent is to work in aerospace, chemical or electrical engineering.

 

I would second Steve's advice about checking in with companies you want to work for. Also, your school is likely to have a placement office, and it should be able to give you statistics about how many students in the particular program you are interested in ended up getting a job in-field after graduation. My understanding is that two-year technical degrees are a definite leg up in the job market, but they put you a little bit behind in terms of earning a four-year degree, since much of the "major" coursework won't transfer. If a quick boost in your earning potential is what's important, the A.A.S. degrees are very attractive.

Best of luck to you!

 

I have an A.A.S. (several of them, actually) and it didn't hinder me in any way when going on to get my B.S.

The course work filled most of my lower level elective and general education requirements.

 

There's a huge difference between engineering and engineering tech, and you want to make sure you understand the difference. Just sayin'.

 

I have an AAS degree in Electrical Technology. I’d say find an AS degree in a technical field if you can. You can always do an AAS degree and go back and get the general education classes you will need for a BS, but I think it’s better to get it done the first time around. I’ve found several schools that will allow you to transfer in an applied science degree, but I feel you’ll have more options if you get an AS degree off top. Just my .02.

I think it all depends on what you are trying to do. I was able to land an operations job a month after I finished my diesel mechanics and industrial maintenance certs. My plan was to find a maintenance job as a mechanic or electrician, but operations paid more. Do a search for chemical operator jobs and look over the requirements. The field pays well and will be in high demand in the near future from what I’ve been told.

 

In my opinion chemical engineering, electronics engineering, and civil engineering are growth industries and all employ technicians.

For a technician position a AAS is a good start and can be followed up with a BSET (check out the Excelsior website).

I suggest your AAS degree include a courses in physics, math, chemistry, and several engineering courses. A course in technical writing is often a plus.

 

I know this is an old thread but did you ended up doing an a.a.s degree? If so how do you like it and what field is it?