Online Engineering Choice

[armstrongsubero]

So basically I am doing the BALS at TESU and will hopefully start the capstone in February or April and graduate in June or September. However I really want a degree in engineering, I originally signed up for computer science at TESU, but realized it can't be tested out of as quickly and I want something with "Engineering" in it. So I'll get a "tick the box degree" and take my time (hopefully no more than 2 years) and finish my dream degree, something with "Engineering" in it. 

Supposed one day I plan to migrate to the US or Canada or England, (never know what the future holds), Now I can't afford a lot, as US dollars is almost 7 to 1 locally and is rising. Which program would be the best option for me based on what I can afford, what my goals are and which has the most applicability?

Here is my dilemma base on options:

Option 1. American Military University,  Electrical Engineering (PROS: Regionally Accredited, Engineering.   CONS: non-ABET, long @ 3-4 years)

Option 2. TESU, Electronic Systems Engineering Technology   (PROS: Regionally Accredited, ABET,       CONS: non-engineering, expensive, long @ 5-6 years)

Option 3. Excelsior, same as TESU

Option 4. Grantham Electronics Engineering (PROS: ABET, Accepts Penn Foster AS as 60 credits, CONS: non-engineering, nationally accredited, 2-3 years)

Option 5. Charter Oak State College Engineering Studies (Electrical Concentration) (PROS: Regionally Accredited, Fast @ 1-2 years (with classes from AMU)   CONS: Non-ABET,  How would I list this on my resume? "BS in General Studies, concentration in Engineering Studies, with a Specialization in Electrical Engineering" or can I just put "BS Engineering Studies, conc. Electrical Engineering")

Option 6. Start my capstone later and fill up my degree with lots of math, phys and EE courses from AMU and hope to get into grad school for engineering PROS: Fast @1 year CONS: nearly impossible)

It's such a dilemma, AMU is regionally accredited and EE but that ABET stamp has me worried. 
Grantham is not engineering and nationally accredited, but has the ABET stamp and I could potentially cut the program length in half or more by doing the Penn Foster AS which as an articulation agreement transfers in as 60 credits and I spoke with them and they accept ACE, but COSC seems so fast and cheap cause I can take classes through AMU and transfer.

Some contenders were also California National University For Advanced Studies (Pros: Engineering  CONS: non-ABET, nationally accredited, long @ 3-4 years, cost just over AMU per course)

and Arizona State University (Pros: ABET, Engineering, Regionally Accredited CONS: Very very expensive and Long @ 4 years)

So thanks to you guys I'll most likely be graduating in June or September (depending on life), now I need your advice, which path should I pursue?

[sanantone]

The engineering technology programs at Excelsior and TESU can be greatly shortened by testing out of most of the general education requirements. You should have many of them filled from the BALS.

This varies by state, but not having an ABET accredited degree can increase the time it takes to become a professional engineer. The same applies with engineering technology; you may need more years of experience before qualifying for a license.

I think Old Dominion University has some ABET-accredited, online programs.

[dfrecore]

Engineering vs. Engineering Technology - ET degrees are not true Engineering degrees.

I also would probably not get any kind of degree here if you're not planning on coming here. I would plan more for where you live, or where you plan on living, then on what you think might possibly conceivably happen in the future if the stars aligned. That seems way too loosey-goosey to plan your life around.

[armstrongsubero]

@sanatone hmm so there is chance with an engineering technology degree or non-ABET? Then I will go for the COSC or AMU one cause the program seems really nice, thanks!

@dfrecore yes I know ET is not EE thats what caused my dilemma in the first place. I honestly wish I could do an engineering degree locally as it would be equivalent of RA and ABET at almost no cost (government pays tuition).The local engineering degrees are accredited by our local engineering boards as well as the Engineering Council in the UK, the Caribbean Accredation Council for Engineering and Technology CACET and are recognized by the canadian government. So it would be ideal as persons have gone on to be registered engineers all over the would with programs from UWI and UTT. But there are no online prgrams here worth doing, literally a handful from one place focused on education and social sciences. I work full time and I really cant spend 4-6 years going to school. I also may leave cause we are dependent on oil and gas and things aren't looking too good right now.

I would like to live in the US as first choice cause awesome compaines like Microchip Technology and TI exist there and there are a lot of embedded engineering and IoT jobs in the US, but getting an H1-B is like waiting for a lottery ticket. I have had a lot of people migrate to England and Canada and get residency much easier than the US cause we are a commonwealth country. I can also go to any caribbean Island I want to work becase of the CSME agreement. However I feel that these countries lag behind the US in tech, and there are less opportunities for jobs I want to do at the companies I one day hope to work at.
I understand ABET, but this whole RA vs NA thing is so senseless, especially to me where accreditation is done by the governnent basically and every program has accredation by the relevent professional bodies.

So I know it sounds loosey gooesy but I have no choice. I would love to work in the US but I learnt that its best not to put your eggs in one basket, so those are my backup plans. I really wish their was another way, but their isn't. I spent almost 8 years at a local college going to school part time, and still have 15 credits to finish for an associates degree in criminal justice from them. So schools like TESU and the american system is a dream come true for me, I can study after work and take exams really late from proctorU at low cost. Thanks for your advice as well.

[posabsolute]

If you are going in software that denomination in your degree will be useless in Canada. Literally, nobody cares if you are a "true" engineer or not in software. Also, you need to face the fact that for you to use the engineer title in Canada (on your CV) you will need to be a member of the order, which mean you need a recognized degree, which as you seem to know, doing online will be impossible.

I don't have a lot of knowledge on hardware positions, but I know that there isn't a lot of programs in Quebec that aren't linked with the engineering order that delve into that, not sure how it would influence your "marketability".

I can't really help you there but personally, there are 3 masters I have been considering for computer science/software

Georgia Tech
Online Master of Science in Computer Science

Boston University
Online Master of software development (online courses are accelerated, 7 weeks), You would do the master in 1.3 year.

Illinois University
Master of Computer Science in Data Science (through coursera)

[armstrongsubero]

@posabsolute I dont plan going pure software, I can do it, and I like it to an extent but I already work in software part-time and its not my passion...I would like embeded engineering or applications route..they are far more fun. my main aim is applications engineer at Microchip Technology or TI, and looking at their job requirements they require EE , I already have experience in software, but I really dont like pure software. Low level software, embedded and robotics is my passion. Basically anything meshing hardware and low-level software. It's very fulfilling to have a physical device to work with rather than pushing pixels around a screen. I already spend all my free time learning math and EE from MIT ocw and edX and experimenting with ROS.

When Iook at Job Bank, there are very little jobs in that field in Canada, which means very little chance of getting hired.

and yeah I know the requirements for Canada, a few of my friends migrated to Canada as Engineers (mostly petroleum) using degrees from local institutions and they said it's not easy to be recognised in Canada as engineer. Canada is very strict on engineers from what I've heard. Though some have had success after doing the Canada-CARICOM leadership scholarship program.

I was just wondering about the utility in the US based on what I can pursue cause, like I said US is my first choice as more people have had sucess working as engineers there from my country and have more opportunuties in that field. Once I get an undergrad in engineering if I don't get through to the US, I could always take two years vacation leave and do a local masters in engineering before trying again for US and if I dont get a job then somewhere else. I just dont have enough leave or time for the 4-5 year undergrad locally as I would have to quit my permanent governemnt job or take no pay study leave, and I'm not getting younger..lol. Even if I get en ET or non ABET degree I could try with the deans here locally to admit me to a local masters program, but even that is unsure cause the masters programs have specific requirements for entry.

Part if the reason I dint finish comp sci at TESU is because it wont get me admission to a local Com Sci masters unless I do all the expensive tesu courses and definately wont grant me admission into an engineering masters here. So thats why I really asked for help to decide.

Thanks!

[sanantone]

@sanatone hmm so there is chance with an engineering technology degree or non-ABET? Then I will go for the COSC or AMU one cause the program seems really nice, thanks!

COSC doesn't offer engineering courses, so you would have to take them somewhere else. Getting a non-ABET-accredited degree is taking a big risk. You need to gain the experience somehow to get the engineering license, and some employers will require an ABET-accredited degree. You might want to take a look at some of the states you're interested in moving to and see what employers are requiring there in their job ads.

[armstrongsubero]

@sanatone. I know, I was thinking of taking the courses I needed through AMU then transfer to COSC. That way I can get AMU's cost with COSC's name (state college vs AMU's for-profit) and at a faster speed.

The funny thing is Microchip Technology or TI dint have the words 'Licenced' or ABET accredited EE degree in any of their ads for jobs I was interested in.

Good idea! I'll look at other jobs in those areas.

[bjcheung77]

Muévase lentamente!  Piensa lentamente mi amigo!

Option 1. American Military University,  Electrical Engineering (PROS: Regionally Accredited, Engineering.   CONS: non-ABET, long @ 3-4 years)

1) They allow transfers into their program, up to 91 credits, but total cost of this program even with the transfers are over $12-$13,000 in total cost.

Option 2. TESU, Electronic Systems Engineering Technology   (PROS: Regionally Accredited, ABET,       CONS: non-engineering, expensive, long @ 5-6 years)

2) This program is a very good program, but transferring courses into the program are the ones harder to find, probably the same price as Excelsior, but without the ABET accreditation

Option 3. Excelsior, same as TESU

3) **For your currently situation, I recommend getting a TESU BALS with a CS/Engineering for it being the cheapest/easiest/fastest of the bunch.  This is the ideal one I would pick and I would recommend this over the others due to ABET, cheaper/easier/faster, I'll get into the details in a second**

Option 4. Grantham Electronics Engineering (PROS: ABET, Accepts Penn Foster AS as 60 credits, CONS: non-engineering, nationally accredited, 2-3 years)

4) They allow transfers too, but it's $34,000, even if you can transfer over 60 credits, that'll be $17,000

Option 5. Charter Oak State College Engineering Studies (Electrical Concentration) (PROS: Regionally Accredited, Fast @ 1-2 years (with classes from AMU)   CONS: Non-ABET,  How would I list this on my resume? "BS in General Studies, concentration in Engineering Studies, with a Specialization in Electrical Engineering" or can I just put "BS Engineering Studies, conc. Electrical Engineering")

5) I seriously don't know what the difference is with this BS General Studies with say a TESU BALS (Nat Science concentration), if you take the exact courses for AOS.  The BALS sounds better than a BSGS - its virtually identical in appeal, but TESU would come out cheaper/easier/faster.

Option 6. Start my capstone later and fill up my degree with lots of math, phys and EE courses from AMU and hope to get into grad school for engineering PROS: Fast @1 year CONS: nearly impossible)

6) This is another option, take the BALS with a concentration in Nat/Science, choose all CompSci, CIS and/or Engineering courses

California National University For Advanced Studies (Pros: Engineering  CONS: non-ABET, nationally accredited, long @ 3-4 years, cost just over AMU per course)

7) This one is too expensive for Nationally Accredited as well, similar to Grantham in all regards but missing ABET

Arizona State University (Pros: ABET, Engineering, Regionally Accredited CONS: Very very expensive and Long @ 4 years)

8) As you mentioned, lengthy time frame and expensive, but they probably have the largest online offering of any school, and well recognized state university

It's such a dilemma, AMU is regionally accredited and EE but that ABET stamp has me worried.
Grantham is not engineering and nationally accredited, but has the ABET stamp and I could potentially cut the program length in half or more by doing the Penn Foster AS which as an articulation agreement transfers in as 60 credits and I spoke with them and they accept ACE, but COSC seems so fast and cheap cause I can take classes through AMU and transfer.

I was thinking of taking the courses I needed through AMU then transfer to COSC. That way I can get AMU's cost with COSC's name (state college vs AMU's for-profit) and at a faster speed.

There are a few times I recommend WGU or Excelsior and it's for their IT degrees, in this case, Excelsior wins my vote over TESU.
They have an ABET (Computing) BSIT with 4 concentrations (General IT is the one I would choose, Cybersecurity, Info Security, Network Ops).  The requirements are similar to the COSC Engineering Studies with the main difference being COSC requires Bio/Chem/Physics labs, Calculus II/III, but Excelsior doesn't.

https://www.charteroak.edu/catalog/curre...tudies.cfm
COSC Engineering Studies Concentration Requirements (36 cr, 15 UL)

Calculus 1-2    6 cr
Calculus 3 or Multivariate Calculus    3 cr
Differential Equations    3 cr
Five (5) courses that emphasize a specifically focused traditional engineering area    15cr upper level
Two (2) engineering courses from outside your area of focus  6 cr
EGR 499: Capstone    3 cr

Co-requisites: (12 cr)

General Physics with Lab (calculus-based), 4cr
CHE 101: Chemistry with Lab, 4cr
BIO 110: Biology I with Lab


Check page 43 of their Tech Catalog - http://publications.excelsior.edu/progra...index.html
https://www.excelsior.edu/programs/techn...lor-degree
There are 48 credits that's part of the IT Component, several of them are easily available at online CC's or ACE/NCCRS

There are 15 UL required in the 48 IT compenents, choose General option to "design/make your own concentration"
For these 15, I highly recommend you the APU/AMU route in getting those credits using their ENTD courses OR the CSU Global CBE's that might fit into this area.  https://csuglobal.edu/admissions/transfe...t-exam-cbe

**More to come, I should do a "pricing" breakdown or at least do the one for COSC, TESU and Excelsior.
I'll give you another option that might be another way as well... going to put the kids to sleep first...**

¡Buena suerte!  ¡Adiós mi amigo!

[armstrongsubero]

@bjcheung77 gracias! muy detallado!

Yeah I know COSC is heavy on math and labs, but thats what grad schools would want to see for admissions into EE programs..Excelsior's EET based on the catalog you linked also requires a lot of labs and math and stuff and not interested in the IT program, even if I wanted an IT degree and from WGU, they do not accept foreign students...TESU Electronic Systems Engineering Technology is ABET accredited..

Hmm so you recommend the loading up the TESU BALS option, I'll consider it. I already bought Precalc, Stats, Calc I and Calc II from SL. and plan on doing the chem and phys with labs. I'm currently doing the MIS from ED4Onine and I'm also doing the study.com Technical Writing and Saylor Software engineering. I figure these would fit into almost any option I take.

One other thing I know is I can't go wrong doing at least 5 amu EE courses, Differential Eq, Linear Algebra, Phys II and Calc III and the one mechanical engineering course they have. The only downside with AMU courses is the US 12 000 in lab equipment, but it can be broken down to about 3 000 based on what I've seen on ebay and stuff I currently have...the TESU EET program does look good but to pay the comprehensive tution plan..would be an arm, a leg..maybe if I sell two kidneys I could pay that..lol.... though I am confident I can make the 36 credits in one year...sigh...if only penn foster could have their EE courses evaluated by ACE again...

Digging around today I found a local school offers an EET from the university of Greenwich with a 1 year completion time if you have an associates degree in EE or EET

http://www.sbcs.edu.tt/programme/beng-ho...hnology-2/

(praise the UK system) but I dont know if they will accept NA degrees, a former police comissioner hired from Canada (Dr. Dwayne Gibbs) to work here had two NA doctorates from California Coast University and they made a big deal about it's recogniton and accredation etc and said it was a degree mill...so some schools are skeptical of NA degrees...I know a lot of the UK programs available locally do not accept NA associates as equivalent to a local associates cause some of my friends did penn foster and ashworth..the degrees themselves are recognised by ACTT and evaluated as equal but not for entry into UK programs hosted locally here..

So I guess I am a little better off where I started...it boils down to either loading up the BALS with math and EE courses or the COSC option...