Undergrad degree that could qualify for a masters in mechanical engineering..

..my neighbors kid just got back from overseas military service, he is in bomb disposal.

He has 6 credits from AARTS and has transitioned from the Army to the National Guard.

He is looking for a school that is very flexible; classes start on a very frequent schedule and you can do the work at your own pace.

He thinks he wants to ultimately get a graduate degree in mechanical engineering.

School is not going to be his strong suite but he is a bright kid with a great work ethic.

He wants to do 100% online.

He and I talked and he was getting sucked into the UoP and other fringe schools.

I have never really paid attention to undergraduate programs. I want to point him to a school that is going to be reasonable inexpensive (he get the GIBILL so it doesn’t have to be dirt cheap). Some school that stands a chance of transferring into an okay state school with a graduate program.

I don’t get the feeling that he would excel at Harvard or MIT, if you get my jist, so it should be somewhere he will have a fighting chance of getting through.

Thoughts?

 

Most graduate degrees in engineering require an undergraduate degree in engineering (sometimes an ABET degree) or equivalent.
For example CSU has an online ME and here are the entry requirements
Application Information and Deadlines for Graduate Students

The only ABET engineering degrees on line that I know of are these:
http://distance.und.edu/engineering/?viewby=DEG
However I believe it would be tough to earn one of these degrees 100% online.

Excelsior has several BS Engineering Technology degrees that are ABET but grqaduate schools would probaly require additional courses. With a BSET degree one can get into an engineering job such as test technician, inspector, and drafter. Once in one of these good paying jobs continue ones education and obtain a masters degree.

In my case I obtained a BSLS from Excelsior that included many engineering courses and that got me into two engineering related graduate degree programs. But then I had significant engineering work experience.

 

Thanks Ian. He is still working in ordinance disposal in the national guard, plus I think the graduate work is as you suggest going to come much later and he will have work experiences that supplement the undergrad degree.

What is a BSLS, Liberal Studies? He was asking about that suggesting the same route as you do that he take a few extra math courses and undergrad engineering courses.

I don’t think the ABET is in play now, he needs a middle of the road and flexible program that, along with some good work experiences, wouldn’t be the thing that keeps him from doing graduate work later should that really be something he wants to do.

I also forgot to mention he wants a program that issues an associates degree along the way…

 

He needs to look REALLY HARD at Excelsior. IIRC, Army personnel (including National Guard) get to take Excelsior exams either free or at a deep discount. Also, you say he is in ordinance disposal. Have him check with Excelsior as to how much of his military training will count towards credit hours at Excelsior.

I would definitely steer him toward Excelsior, COSC, or TESC. He can go at his own pace, gets a discount on the exams, gets credit for military training, and they have engineering related degrees.

 

Excelsior offers many associate degrees including ones in technology
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Just an idea but maybe he can leverage his ordnance disposal experience with this associate degree
AMU Degree Program: Associate of Science in Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Also join ISEE About ISEE

There is high demand for explosives engineers in the civil engineering, energy, and mining industries. This is an area closely related to my field. Several universities offer graduate degrees in explosives engineering.

 

Thanks Everyone, I am going to give this information to him and see what happens.

DEL

 

As an FYI - as of this fiscal year, military personnel can't have free Excelsior College Exams...

DANTES funding no longer available for ECEs - excelsior.edu

 

What state is your friend in?

In Indiana, members of the National Guard go tuition free to any of the State U's or CC's

Shawn

 

University of Southern California (USC) offers various graduate engineering degrees through distance learning & the criteria for mechanical engineering states that the applicant should have:

"An undergraduate degree in engineering, math or hard science from a regionally-accredited university."
USC - Mechanical Engineering Information

So I would say an online math degree from a school like University of Illinois - Springfield would do the trick. That's probably the easiest when trying for 100% online because there won't be any lab requirements like engineering or science programs.

 

Nope, this is not good advice in this particular case.

I'm currently enrolled in the UIS math program. These are the entry requirements:

Minimum of 30 credit hours at the lower-division level

Grade point average of 2.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale from an accredited college or university

Three semester hours of English composition (as the minimum requirement for University admission) with the grade of "C" or better

Three semesters of Calculus

Demonstration of the ability to write computer programs in a procedural language

The General Education requirements for graduation include a minimum of two science courses. One must be in a physical science and the other in a life science, and at least one of them must include a laboratory component. UIS does not offer courses online which will meet these requirements.

It's a great program, but it's not an entry point for someone with no college credit.