2024 Best Online Engineering Degrees (2024)

Overview of Online Engineering Degrees

Keeping the world's water supply safe, improving the country's transportation system, and inventing prosthetic devices all have something in common: They require the work of an engineer. There are manytypes of online engineering programs available for students who want to do everything from constructing buildings and creating computer systems to protecting the public.

Most online schools for bachelor's degrees in engineering require undergraduates to complete 120-126 credit hours, which might take as little as four years of full-time attendance. Online engineering courses often require students to complete projects to gain hands-on experience in their chosen specialty. Many programs lead to a Bachelor of Applied Science, but there are also Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Engineering degrees.

What Is an Engineering Degree?

An engineering degree is a STEM major that integrates math, science, and business courses into its curriculum. You may begin by learning general engineering concepts and fundamentals before choosing from several specialties in your second year of study. Coursework includes general core classes, major core classes, and electives. Lessons are delivered via in-person or virtual class instruction, lab work, and hands-on learning opportunities such as internships.

Engineering student outcomes generally include the following:

Identifying and solving complex engineering problems by applying science, math, and engineering skills
Creating safe and sound solutions that benefit humankind and the environment
Communicating effectively and demonstrating leadership skills
Conducting work in an ethical and professionally responsible manner
Working as a contributing and collaborative member of a team

Engineering Majors

Engineering is a broad term for methods of analyzing and solving problems and designing products and processes. Engineering techniques can apply to a variety of fields, giving prospective students a wide range of engineering majors to choose from. It's not unusual for a college of engineering to offer eight or more types of online engineering degrees across many areas of specialization, such as petroleum engineering, environmental engineering, nuclear engineering, and agricultural engineering.

The most popular engineering specialties include those listed below:

Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace engineers use their knowledge of physics and mechanical and electrical engineering to design and build planes, satellites, space shuttles, and other airframes. Students can first earn anaerospace engineering bachelor's degree, then they can pursue an online engineering school that offersmaster's degrees in aerospace engineeringfor a more advanced education.

Chemical Engineering

Chemistry helps create many of the industrial and consumer products available today, from food to electronics and clothing. Chemical engineers often develop new products or processes in the manufacturing industry and oversee production in large facilities. Before entering the workforce, students can explore a bachelor's in chemical engineering or amaster's degree in chemical engineering.

Civil Engineering

Both abachelor's in civil engineeringand amaster's in civil engineering teach students to design and supervise the construction of large-scale infrastructure projects. These from roads and sewer systems to bridges and airports. Professional civil engineers are trained in the technical aspects of the industry so they can calculate the cost and structural stability of their designs.

Computer Engineering

Computer engineering combines hardware, software, manufacturing, and design practices into one comprehensive field. Computer engineering curricula seek to develop students' critical-thinking skills while teaching advanced math, electronic circuitry, instrumentation, and signals. You can specialize in computer engineering at the bachelor's level, while master's programs in computer engineering allow students to focus on a concentration to advance their learning in a specialty.

Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineers design and build electrical devices in a range of industries. Subfields of electrical engineering include microelectronics, telecommunications, and signal processing. Bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering are available online. Master's programs in electrical engineering include concentrations in telecommunications, microelectronic devices, and embedded systems.

Engineering Management

Engineering management degreesblend technical skills with business practices and leadership. A bachelor's or master's degree in this field might set students up to oversee large engineering projects featuring budget oversight, staff onboarding, and completion timelines. Classes often cover finance, law, economics, systems engineering, and supply chain management.

Industrial Engineering

Industrial engineers find the most effective ways to use the major facets of production, such as machinery, materials, personnel, and energy. Industrial engineers research product specifications and industrial methods to figure out how to increase productivity, decrease waste, and use time, energy, and money effectively. Industrial engineering degrees are available online for undergraduates.Master's degrees in industrial engineeringare also available for those who want to move into management positions.

Engineering Courses

All engineering programs require a healthy sense of curiosity alongside analytical skills in mathematics and science. With so many types of engineering, there's no single curriculum that applies for each kind of bachelor's degree. But most engineering programs will include the following courses:

Applied Mechanics and Dynamics

Students learn to analyze how objects move and interact with one another. They might study the physics of particle systems and rigid bodies or fluid mechanics (the movement of liquids and gasses).

Calculus

Most engineers need to learn how to solve both single-variable and multivariable equations to do their work well. This course might introduce differential equations, or the mathematics of change.

Operations Research

This class covers how to analyze the efficiency of a project or ongoing operation. Students can then apply lessons from this discipline to their particular branch of engineering.

Principles of Programming

This course's faculty explore problem-solving through computer programming languages and algorithms. Faculty teach how to design, code, and implement programs to help engineering projects.

Careers in Engineering

You can find engineers in various industries, from healthcare to construction to information technology. Many lucrative engineering careers require only an undergraduate degree, although some graduates must also obtain professional licenses to practice.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects promising salary and job outlook projections for various engineering fields, including those below:

Aerospace Engineers

Annual Median Salary:$126,880

Job Growth:6%

Aerospace engineers design and build airplanes, satellites, spacecraft, and missiles. They also develop new technologies for use in aircraft and spacecraft. Their work incorporates knowledge of physics, materials, computer science, and IT.

Chemical Engineers

Annual Median Salary:$106,260

Job Growth:8%

Chemical engineers use chemistry and other sciences to develop manufacturing processes for natural and synthetic products. They troubleshoot performance issues, tackle safety concerns, and ensure the efficiency of equipment.

Civil Engineers

Annual Median Salary:$89,940

Job Growth:5%

Civil engineers design and oversee construction of roads, railroads, bridges, pipelines, dams, and power plants. Their job is crucial to ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations.

Is an Online Engineering Degree Worth It?

A bachelor's degree in engineering is probably worth the cost and effort if you're passionate about becoming an engineer. This is because you'll nearly always need this credential to land your first entry-level job in the field. But you may want to weigh some of the additional pros and cons before committing to an online program:

Potential Benefits

Engineers usually earn impressive salaries. Many engineering jobs require only a bachelor's degree to enter the field, and professionals typically work their way up to salaries in the high $90,000s and above.
Advanced engineering degrees often lead to even higher salaries. You may qualify for even more advanced, higher-paying positions if you later earn an online master's degree.
You can build strong leadership skills. You can even earn anengineering management master's degreeto help build the skills you'll need to motivate and advise others when working on large projects.
You'll be learning work that may benefit society. Completing an engineering degree program can help you gain the skills and confidence necessary to eventually work on projects that positively impact the environment, energy consumption, medicine, or transportation.

Potential Drawbacks

The engineering curriculum can be intense and demanding. STEM degrees can be intellectually challenging, and while this can be motivating for some, it may prove too difficult for others. It can also be difficult if you're trying to balance school with work and family, especially if you find it challenging to carve out time to study.
Engineering is a highly competitive field of study to get into. Read our guide on applying to college for tips about how to apply and make your application stand out.
You'll have to commit to lifelong learning. Technology changes at an alarming pace, and you'll have to keep up to remain competitive in the job market. You may have to earn an additional degree and certification to keep pace with industry demands. Going back to school will take extra time and money.
An engineering degree can be expensive. Some universities charge more for engineering degrees because the coursework is more complicated than other programs and requires costly materials. Schools pass these costs on to students resulting in additional fees.

FAQs About Engineering Degrees

Can You Get an Engineering Degree Online?

You can complete many engineering bachelor's programs 100% online. Others may have asynchronous online courses but require some in-person laboratory work. Still others — such as aerospace engineering — have very few online offerings because they require intensive lab work using large equipment.

What Degree Do You Need to Be an Engineer?

Most entry-level engineering jobs call for a bachelor's degree in the same type of engineering that's in the job title. But there's some crossover because many kinds of engineering teach broadly similar technical and soft skills. For example, a systems engineering job ad might ask for a bachelor's in electrical, industrial, or systems engineering.

Can You Be an Engineer Without a Degree?

Yes, you can earn an undergraduate diploma or certificate to become an HVAC technician, a CAD technician or industrial designer, a mechanical technician, an electrical technician, a land surveyor, a computer network engineer, or a wind turbine technician.

How Long Does It Take To Get an Engineering Degree?

The length of time it takes to complete an engineering degree program is two to five years depending on the degree level:

An associate degree generally requires 60 credit hours and takes full-time students two years to complete.
A bachelor's degree typically requires 120 credit hours and takes full-time students approximately four years to complete.
A master's degree requires approximately 30 credit hours and can take full-time students two years to complete.
A doctoral degree requires approximately 36 credit hours and typically takes three to five years, depending on level of expertise, field of study, and enrollment status.

What Is the Best Engineering Degree?

The best engineering degree is the one that's most relevant to your career interests. For example, it makes sense to study civil engineering if you want to be a civil engineer. It's not the highest-paid or fastest-growing engineering field, but you're more likely to enjoy and thrive in a job that interests you.

Based purely on the numbers, a petroleum engineering degree might pay off with the highest salary, and a software engineering degree might give the greatest job stability.

What Else Should You Consider?

Most importantly, you should only consider accredited institutions because accreditation gives some assurance that a college periodically opens itself to an independent quality review. Enrolling at an accredited college also gives you more access to financial aid and makes it easier to transfer credits if you switch schools. You can search the Department of Education's Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs to find a school's accreditation details.

Additionally, specialist agencies conduct programmatic accreditation in certain fields. For engineering, this the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). ABET accreditation is respected in each engineering field but it's more important in some than in others. In particular, you typically need an ABET-accredited degree to get a civil engineer license, and some states may have similar licensing rules for other types of engineers. ABET has a searchable database of accredited engineering programs. You can find both on-campus and online options there.