http://engineeringonline.ncsu.edu/

http://engineeringonline.ncsu.edu/EOL_DEGREES/Master_Engineering.pdf

It's a 30 credit hours online distance ed program. Its not a Masters of Science, its just a "Masters of".

I have a EE/CPE double undergrad, but i'd like more mechanical E classes and scope. This would be easy since its distance and online. I'm currently looking for a job so i could start now while i'm off and continue at night, etc after i found a job, no matter where it is.

BUT. wtf is a "Masters of"? Better than nothing?

3/15/2009 5:31:13 PM

i looked into this a while back and decided in the long run it probably carries the same weight as a degree from the university of phoenix. this was 5+ years ago, so it may have developed into something more distinguished at this point.

3/15/2009 9:50:41 PM

it's a "professional degree".

meaning, it's a way to make money off industry professionals who want to increase their education and credentials but can't commit to the rigors of a full-fledged MS program. typically done via extension programs or distance ed, on a part time basis while working. companies often will pay the expense.

like an MBA or MPA, but not quite as established in the corporate culture.



[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 10:02 PM. Reason : ]

3/15/2009 9:53:04 PM

i know that my superiors have said they respect this as much as a normal Masters considering most people are doing it while working full time etc.

Actually had a big conference thing for the employees at our NC and SC offices who have been out of school within the past 5 years and one of the sections was on continued education and this was a question brought up and they all spoke very highly of it and said it meant as much to them as a normal masters.

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 10:08 PM. Reason : ]

3/15/2009 9:59:59 PM

Quote :

"probably carries the same weight as a degree from the university of phoenix"

oh, hell no.

U of Phoenix is a running joke across the nation. you show up with a 'degree' from U of Phoenix, everyone knows what that means. with this program, you have a Masters degree from NCSU, it's a master's from NCSU. it doesnt carry any stigma.

but, it's true, a "Masters of Engineering" it's obviously not as academically rigorous as an MSEE (or whatever discipline) ... and people who understand these things will recognize this.

but what it does is open doors for you that might not normally be open to you, for instance job positions that either require or prefer a masters degree. it makes you more competitive and gives you more leverage with your current or potential employer to negotiate salary and job titles. it can also help you get into a specialty field that you normally would not be able to get in due to lack of specific experience.

3/15/2009 10:03:08 PM

^good to know. i've been working long enough now to forgo the "master's preferred", but still would like to get a masters at some point. maybe i'll re-investigate master's of engineering thing.

3/15/2009 11:21:33 PM

I think it depends on the situation. If you're getting this as part of your road to a PhD then no, a Masters of Engineering isn't going to do you jack. If you're a working professional who needs to boost his resume with the prestige of a masters degree, then yes, I think this degree will carry significant weight, especially since its coming from the most prestigious engineering school in the state.

If I remember correctly, isn't the Masters of Engineering basically a masters degree sans thesis?

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 11:52 PM. Reason : Thesis comment]

3/15/2009 11:51:32 PM

I thought you can get an MSEE without a thesis from NCSU?

3/15/2009 11:56:14 PM

Yeh, there is no thesis, no oral presentation, etc. Also minimal lab work, but there are labs. You do stuff at home and take video of it. lol.

I dunno. on one hand it would be convenient in both time and location. Its better than nothing. I do believe it would help coming from NCSU.

On the other hand, isn't the point of grad school to get into labs and work on projects and interact with smart people and build connections, etc with professors? I'd feel kinda lonely doing all this crap alone. What if i needed help, etc?

I'm going to call tomorrow and ask some questions. I also wonder if the class credit would apply toward a MS degree if i changed my mind down the road. I don't see why not, the class numbers and descriptions are the same between EOL and the standard program.

3/15/2009 11:59:29 PM

yeah, the big difference between this and a "traditional" masters is the lack of a thesis...as noted above, this is a "professional" degree instead of an academic one

degrees like this are still widely accepted as being "just as good" as a traditional degree because a thesis program is really only beneficial in certain environments...if you're not going to be doing research or developing new methods/materials/etc, what's the point of a thesis (in a company/industry world, i mean)? you still have to work for the master's...degrees like this provide a valuable service to those in the professional world - it keeps people updated with the most current methods and practices and makes them AWARE of the research that's going on...that's valuable to industry

i don't think there's any stigma attached...at least, none that i've encountered (i've placed - and hired - a number of grads from programs like this)...a degree from NCSU, especially in a field like engineering for which NCSU is known to excel at, is a degree from NCSU...before each of these degrees are instituted (because there really are a fair number of them), the departments do some fairly extensive research in the corresponding industry to determine 1.) if there's a demand for them, and 2.) if industry would support graduates of the program...to date, i'm not aware of any sector being anything but supportive of these professional degree programs

i'm currently doing a program like this, as well as a traditional master's...they're related, so i can duplicate some coursework (so doing two master's isn't as hard as it sounds, in this case )...i already work in the industry associated with my degrees, and they love that the option is available (also, the professional degree is paid for by the company, while my traditional one is being paid by the taxpayers)

[Edited on March 16, 2009 at 8:02 AM. Reason : my $0.02]

3/16/2009 7:58:54 AM

yeah, this is more or less accepted as a standard masters degree. and i don't believe there will be any indication that you did it online vs. on campus.

although, i have to admit i'm always skeptical of online programs... I would personally prefer to do such a program onsite. I realize the nature of education is changing, and is moving in the online direction, but still, it doesnt seem quite right.

3/16/2009 11:40:38 AM

^ i feel the same way you do...i usually refer to my professional degree as a "master's-by-mail"

i have always loved school, and the online programs feel more like work than education...plus, someone like me does a lot better in a hands-on environment, so i find myself more willing to just do enough to pass with a good grade than actually comprehend the material in its entirety when it comes to my online coursework

3/16/2009 11:44:17 AM

How hard is it to take real grad classes on campus at night? Maybe i could start doing that and switch to EOL if i moved. Really it depends on where i find a job, but paying instate tuition is the plan so NCSU it is really.

3/16/2009 11:55:31 AM

it's not "hard", per se...i chose online because i could do it whenever i wanted...as a general rule, it's a "here's your information, work at your own pace" thing instead of being there every wednesday night or whatever...for my second degree, i wanted it to be flexible so it'd mesh with my schedule, not move my schedule around to fit the classes on campus

*shrug*

3/16/2009 11:59:27 AM

Quote :

"I also wonder if the class credit would apply toward a MS degree if i changed my mind down the road. I don't see why not, the class numbers and descriptions are the same between EOL and the standard program."

most "masters' of ____" prof degrees will not transfer to a MS or PhD program. if you plan to go for a PhD in the future, this might not be teh program for you. (obviously, confirm with the dept. you would transfer into for the final word)

ive known of some people with less-than-stellar undergrad records use these programs as a backdoor into a traditional PhD program, to boost their application.

but for me, attempting to start a PhD program in my 30's with a kid and mid-level engineering job isnt a reasonable expectation anyhow.

Quote :

"i usually refer to my professional degree as a "master's-by-mail" "

aha .... luckily I'm very close to the University of Washington. my program has a couple classes that are online, but the majority of them are on campus. you can't really do things like physiology and anatomy labs at home.

next quarter I'll be cutting open human cadavers in the basement of the UW Med Center

Quote :

"How hard is it to take real grad classes on campus at night? "

thats what i'm doing. obviously the question is how far away do you live. its convenient for me b/c I live fairly close to my campus.... but another thing is it forces me to stay on top of the class. Because i know i *Have* to go, and cant skip (much).

when i'm left to my own devices, i procrastinate like hell, surf the interwebs, and don't get anything done. I personally don't think i could do a full online program.








[Edited on March 16, 2009 at 12:09 PM. Reason : ]

3/16/2009 11:59:44 AM

Quote :

"when i'm left to my own devices, i procrastinate like hell, surf the interwebs, and don't get anything done. I personally don't think i could do a full online program."

honestly, this scares me as awell. I really benefit from study groups as much for motivation as for help

3/16/2009 12:09:28 PM

i tried to take one online language class to complete my undergrad. and i couldnt even do that. i always put shit off by goofing off til the last minute, then inevitably something "real" would occur delaying me even more, and i'd miss deadlines. i wound up having to go take German II at the community college just to complete my BSEE

you definitely have to have self-discipline to do an online program. if you're on campus, then half the battle is won by just showing up.





[Edited on March 16, 2009 at 12:13 PM. Reason : ]

3/16/2009 12:12:07 PM

i can speak from experience that MOST of the classes offered online at the graduate level, at NCSU, are actually just the online versions of classes that meet anyway...most of the professors i've dealt with have encouraged me to attend class whenever possible

3/16/2009 12:19:03 PM

Talked to an advisor. nonthesis = MR (Masters of) degree, on or off campus, distanced Ed or not.
thesis = MS (Master of Science of), only possible on campus.

So the "Masters of" isn't an online/distance Ed only distinction which is good.

I'm leaning hard toward doing this

3/17/2009 10:47:14 AM

most professional degrees whether it's a "Masters of Engineering" or "Masters of Business Administration" are earned on campus or at least on a satellite (extension) campus

some purely-online programs are available but this is not the standard.

at least, not yet.

3/17/2009 1:14:26 PM

yeh. btw i found this demo lecture quite informative and helpful: http://mediasite.eos.ncsu.edu/Mediasite/Viewer/?peid=46f249337219468e815304f33a9a5c9a

He discusses how it will all work, how to get help, what he expects, etc, etc.

3/17/2009 1:26:37 PM

Damit now I'm interested.

3/17/2009 7:41:26 PM

interesting....

3/22/2009 6:50:16 PM

Quote :

"interesting...."

3/22/2009 7:13:26 PM

wonder if I can sweet talk my way into this without an undergrad

3/22/2009 8:03:25 PM

it says you don't have to have graduated yet.. but obviously they want you to be pretty far along..

3/22/2009 8:09:35 PM

i think i'm in this program now

at any rate i'm going for a non-thesis engineering degree

guess i need to switch over the thesis, i want a MS

3/22/2009 8:52:59 PM

how much $ does this run?

3/23/2009 10:11:33 AM

http://engineeringonline.ncsu.edu/policiesandprocedures/tuition.htm

3/23/2009 10:17:07 AM

i started this in the fall, but it was very difficult to balance with starting my new job and traveling. it definitely takes a lot of effort to do a distance program in engineering where you are on your own and watching videos online of normal classes. its tough.

^^ its $720 or so per 3 credit hours.

[Edited on March 23, 2009 at 1:21 PM. Reason : $]

3/23/2009 1:20:13 PM

Disclaimer: I used to work for Engineering Online so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

The difference between and Masters of and a Masters of Science at NC State is typically whether or not you have to do a thesis. In all other regards the distance Masters programs are the same as the on campus programs, same classes, same instructors, same work and are MUCH more highly regarded than Univ. of Phoenix.
Is it harder to do a distance degree, I would say so. You have to be self motivated and you have to have the time. Many students drop classes because they are working, kids acting up, significant other having problems, ... If you don't have a reliable 10-15 hours a week in your schedule that you can devote to the class, don't bother.

As far as the Masters of Engineering Program. This is meant to be a "customized", interdisciplinary degree, for example, you might want to take both EE and MAE concentrations. Unless you want to cross majors, you are better off applying for the degree program in your particular area like the Masters of EE or Masters of MAE. These will more acurately reflect your competence in a particular area on a resume.

4/14/2009 1:45:06 PM

not to mention you can have a minor within the scope of your MS

4/14/2009 1:48:01 PM