Engineering Degrees From Accredited Distance Learning Programs

Programs leading to a bachelor's degree are often degree completion programs - junior and senior level courses are available. Typically, applicants must have an associate's degree in a related field from an accredited school. Participants may need to attend a specified number of labs on campus or attend training sessions at a school-approved local business in addition to distance learning instruction.

Course Topics

In a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, students are concerned with the design, testing, supervision and manufacturing of electrical equipment. A focus is placed on generation and supply of power. Instruction in this discipline generally includes the following:

• Analog integration circuit design
• Analog design
• Management and engineering economics
• Electronics
• Fluid mechanics
• Applied thermodynamics

Distance learning master's degree programs in engineering are generally conducted entirely online while geared toward working professionals. Required credit hours vary according to school and program. Often, students have the option of submitting a thesis, which serves to fulfill a certain number of credit hour requirements. At the master's degree level, several specializations are available, some of which are noted below.

Construction Engineering or Civil Engineering Course Topics

In learning how to apply management techniques and engineering principles to the field of construction, candidates for this degree typically study the following subjects:

• Construction procurement
• Construction materials
• Pavement construction
• Environmental regulations and requirements
• Structural analysis
• Seismic design

Mechanical Engineering Course Topics

In this broad-based category of engineering, individuals develop the necessary skills to analyze, design and manufacture tools, machines and mechanical devices used to manufacture products. Some of the typical courses covered in this program include:

• Finite element analysis
• Electronic packaging and materials
• Heat transfer
• Solid mechanics
• Thermodynamics
• Fluid mechanics and dynamics

Computer Software Engineering Course Topics

Fields that deal with the design and development of software systems for computers generally require the following courses:

• Operating systems principles
• Advanced structure
• Artificial intelligence
• Graphics
• Software engineering
• Analysis of algorithms

Bachelor's Degree Holders

Holders of a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering or Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering are prepared for entry-level work in a number of fields, including the following:

• Computer systems and networks
• Power generation and distribution
• Instrumentation and automation
• Telecommunications
• Construction

Master's Degree Holders

Those who complete a master's degree program in construction or civil engineering have a wide range of employment opportunities in private industry, as well as in local, municipal and federal agencies involving the design, supervision, renovation, demolition and replacement of roads, buildings, bridges, ports, water supplies and sewage systems.

Graduates with Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering can find employment in the following areas:

• Marketing
• Research and development
• Systems management
• Manufacturing
• Product design

Individuals who earn a master's degree in computer software engineering can work as independent consultants. They can also find work within the following:

• Computer systems design firms
• Software firms
• Government
• Manufacturing companies
• Financial institutions
• Insurance providers

Online engineering students might consider a hybrid degree-completion program to earn their bachelor's or a fully online master's degree program. At the graduate level, students have the ability to choose more specific study paths within the engineering field, like mechanical engineering or computer software engineering.