Greeting! First, let me say that I understand there are many postings of this type. However, I am looking for some current answers and opinions. First, my background. I am attending TESC and will very soon be graduating with a BSAST in Nuclear Engineering Technology. Most of the core credits come from Naval Nuclear Power School and other Navy nuclear training. I have taken over 35 credits from a local college and then transferred to TESC. I will have taken 24 credits in guided study and online classes from TESC at the time of graduation. I have taken no cleps/dantes or TESCEP exams. I now have a few questions. 1) Since most of my education was completed in a classroom (local college and military schools), when asked if my degree was earned via distance learning what should I say? Partially? 2) How much utility is there in with the BSAST? Especially since the degree is not ABET accredited? I always knew that I would not walk into an "engineering job" with the degree. However, I recently saw a posting for an "Operations/Maintenance Engineer". Based on the job description, it is really not an engineering job (in terms of design and analysis). The job entails planning maintenance activities and evaluating system performance at a steam plant. Considering that I have been working at steam plants for 10 years, I thought that I should be qualified for this job. However, I am wondering what kind of reaction I will get. Also, I saw a government job for a "General Engineer". Similar situation for job description. However, the requirements were an ABET accredited engineering degree or similar college degree with calc based engineering courses. I have taken Calc I and II but since my core classes (thermo, physics, etc...) were from Navy Nuclear Power School, they were not calc based. 3) Most importantly, I am hoping that someone who has a BSAST from TESC will post their opinions of their degree and what it has done for them. I do not believe the BSAST to be a waste for me. It has gotten me accepted into the next licn class as a Senior Reactor Operator. I will be a Shift Technical Advisor. The NRC requires an engineering/technology degree for the STA position. The TESC degree meets that requirement. Clearly, it is not a waste. I am just wondering if the degree has any utility outside of the nuclear industry. I also understand there are people on this forum who love TESC and those who despise it. After much research, I have come to really respect TESC as an institution. They seem to be most like a traditional college with regards to community service. Most universities do research or some other form of service. TESC, does a lot with New Jersey such as running the Watson Institute for Public Policy and administering the New Jersey library. These things build credibility with me. I just wonder if I should have gotten a business degree instead. Thanks for listening and thanks in advance for any comments.
Capper, Well, you can still do it. Have you considered joining an MBA program after you conclude your current studies? That may be a great addition and complement to your background that may open some doors for you. I am not American, and I am not too familiar with this college but I think TESC has some arrangement with some of those professional isntitutions to see on case-by-case basis if the degree can be considered equivalnet to that of an ABET curriculum. I think I read it in the TESC web page. By the way, the University of Tennessee has a Master's distance program in Nuclear Engineering that would help dissipate any doubt a possible employer may have about your credentials. For god's sakes, of course not. Here in The Netherlands, people with a nuclear engineering background ends up in some cases consulting maintenance procedures, reliability engineering, etc,... I have found the page at TESC relating professional accreditation: It says as follows Good luck
I don't think I've encountered one person on this forum who despises TESC. Personally, I have a very high regard for the school. Not for a second do I think that you are wasting your time with a TESC degree. Not having an engineering background myself, I'm not familiar with ABET requirements or the admissions requirements for engineering graduate programs. If your goal is to go on to become a nuclear engineer, going on and pursuing a grad degree in this subject from an ABET school seems like a plausible way to accomplish this, as recommended by JLV. Alternately, the MBA route would be a good choice as well as it would open up engineering management positions. Cy (who has a very high regard for TESC)
Greetings. Before continuing, please consider the following: + My interest is in electronics, not nuclear power. + I haven't gone job hunting in over ten years. + I have never work in HR, or in any other capacity that would involve hiring people. + I am not an expert. Caveats aside, here are my opinions on your questions: 1) "Do I have a distance degree?" First, is anyone really going to ask you if your degree was by distance education? Those who know about TESC will assume it was mostly/entirely by distance, those who don't know about TESC probably won't ask at all. Assuming someone happened to ask, you could simply state that some/much/most of the course work was done in residence. 2) "Golly, my technology degree isn't ABET accredited!" ABET has been working hard -- as hard as any incompetent bureaucracy can -- towards gaining total control over training and licensure for all technical fields. They have been all but totally successful in the domain of engineering. They have all but totally failed in the fields of computer programming & technology. Sure, it would be swell if your BSAST degree were ABET accredited (assuming ABET accredits nuclear technology programs?), but, as a fellow who has spent years around nuclear reactors, I think you have bigger problems to worry about. <g> Indeed, rather than worrying about the reception your degree will elicit, I'd worry more about finding someone to present it to: AFAIK, there are few job opportunities available on civilian nuclear attack submarines. <g> 3) What's a BSAST degree good for? I suspect that a BSAST degree in Electronics Technology/EET is about as useful for its holders as my Vocational/Technical High School diploma was for me (which is really quite useful, so long as you set your sights low <g>), the exception being that an HS diploma won't get you a commission in the military. I have no idea how things work in the nuclear energy field; presumably they can't be as selective, what with the high attrition rate caused by radiation poisoning. <g> Bonus Question: "TESC's 'arrangement' with NJ's licensure board" TESC states that "The NJ PE Board reviews applicants on a case by case basis." Almost any state will review applicants on a case by case bases regardless of what sort of degree, if any, you have: this is hardly a special service they provide to TESC (which is not to devalue the benefit of having TESC's hopefully knowledgable advisor plot a suitable degree strategy for you). Of course, reviewing and accepting are two different things. <g> Indeed, I *THINK* (???) that a TESC BSAST (EET) degree holder would already be qualified to take exactly the same EIT tests in NY, and I KNOW (based upon a correspondence dated Mar. 2003) that almost anyone is qualified to take the same EIT tests in New Hampshire (the "Live free or die" state has minimal requirements for the EIT tests). Getting an actual PE license -- and there are no Nuclear Power PE licenses AFAIK -- is a trickier issue I won't go into. Cordially, Richard Kanarek
Thanks for responding. I truly appreciate your opinions and advice. I just must comment on this for conversation sake. There are 103 Nuclear Reactors operating in this country. Infact, I have been out of the Navy for four years working as an operator at one. Jobs in the nuclear business are plentiful with the right background. As I mentioned the degree is great for advancement in the operations ranks; I was hoping to move into engineering someday. I DO appreciate your opinion. Thanks!! one more though. I don't know anything about New Hampshire, but there most certainly is a nuclear engineering PE licn. in at least some states. Thank you to everyone who responded. I was trying to judge how people felt. Thanks again for the advice, comments and opinions. As a newbie to this website I have come to value the opinions and discussions that take place here. --THANKS
Richard, in line with your last posting, wouldn't you happen to know if those EIT examinations are available abroad (I live in The Netherlands)? I got my B.S. in the States, I lived there six years, but I never bothered to take then that examination which I regret. I am not sure what it would add to me, but I wouldn't mind to take it, if available. I would be interested in the Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination in Manufacturing. And returning to Capper, I thought I read in one of your postings couple of months ago that it was possible to go to ABET and have your degree evaluated and declared comparable or equivalent to an ABET degree (of course provided that your degree meet the ABET expectations). Am I right? If this is true, wouldn't this be a great option for this gentleman if ABET people themselves took a look at his degree?
JLV, You will not be able to take the PE Exam for Manufacturing Engineering. The last exam will be given in October of 2003. This has always been a once a year offering and with low attendance rate for the past several years, the decision was made to drop it. I was hoping it would run for a few more years since we updated the question database about two years ago. Also ABET does not look at individual degrees. Local registration boards make the decisions as to what constitutes equivalency. ABET does program accredition. Arrangements can be made with State Registration Board to take the FE and Principles & Practice exams overseas. The issue is getting an acceptable proctor. You will need to contact your local board for details. Adresses can be found at http://www.ppi2pass.com (Michael Lindberg's Professional Publications site) Dick
Richard, I have a few questions to ask. I hope you don’t mind. I am myself a member of SME (and ASME) and I was considering taking the exam leading to Certified Manufacturing Engineer by SME. I live in Europe, and I am not sure what are the benefits it could bring if I would ever pass it. I have the feeling that SME is not putting much effort to make this certification worthy; it is basically unknown abroad; and I don’t think there are many advantages besides the personal satisfaction to be recognized by your peers. But it costs a lot, even for members, and recertification can be much worse. Respect to the PE examinations, well, it is such a pity what you tell me. What will happen to those thousands of manufacturing engineers that graduate from ABET programs each year? Will they ever be able to become PE’s? It is great what you say about taking that exam abroad. You also mention that I should contact my local board. What do you mean? The board of the state where my university was? I don’t belong to any American board as far a s I know (?), and I don’t have any current association with the States other than sentimental (I love it there!). Would you be so kind to clarify it? Thanks in advance
JLV's Questions CMfgE is not for everyone... That is why there is Certified Enterprise Integrator and Certified Engineering Manager as well as Certified Engineering Technologist. Way back when the CMfgE was instituted, the thought process was to document experience and education for the multi-faceted Manufacturing Engineering discipline. What evolved was a fairly good examination to document the requirements for an entry level engineer for manufacturing who did not necessarily have an "Manufacturing Engineer" BS degree. This was originally accomplished via two proctored exams and documentation of a total of 10 years Education/Work experience with no more than 5 years counted in education. CMfgE was not an easy credential to earn. For those who wonder what gives the SME the right/ability to make this evaluation.. Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the society that sponsors the PE Exam, provides the ABET Volunteer evaluators, and writes the question pool for these exams. The series has not been popular outside the US since the vast majority of test takers reside in the US. SME Membership outside the US is mainly centered in Ireland, Japan, and Canada. As far as future graduates go, the PE registration in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering are all viable options. JLV, the Local board I refered to was the State registration board where you want to practice as a professional engineer. Registration is regulated by each state. For multiple state practice, you must apply to each jurisdiction you want to practice in. After you pass the series of exams, this process is simplified via registration via Comity clauses in state requirements. Dick
Thanks Dick, thanks a lot for your lines. I still would like to give it a shot to that CMfgE examination, even though I am not sure about what it would add to my career. It is such a pity that SME let that qualification devaluate like that. Even for Americans it is not clear to me its value at all other than personal satisfaction. Nevertheless thank you very much again for your very helpful comments. I hope Capper didn’t mind I changed a bit the direction of the discussion.
