# On-Line Engineering Masters Programs - Reviews and Experiences



## Dleg (Oct 4, 2013)

I thought I would start a thread to collect information and opinions, about on-line Masters Degree programs for engineers. I know many of us have gone through these or are currently enrolled in one, and one of these days (?) it will become a requirement to get a PE license. I haven't seen much info out there about the quality of the programs, or what they are like. So this might be a good start.

I am currently attending an on-line M.S. program, and I will post my impressions below, but first I thought I would just set up a basic format for people to follow to tell us about their program. You don't have to, but it might make your advice easier to digest for others who are looking for a program to attend.

Please cut, paste, and answer the following questions:



> *Name of Institution:*
> 
> *Name of Degree Program (e.g., M.E. in Environmental Engineering) and area of specialization, if appropriate:*
> 
> ...


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## Dleg (Oct 4, 2013)

Dleg said:


> > *Name of Institution: *Johns Hopkins University
> >
> > *Name of Degree Program (e.g., M.E. in Environmental Engineering) and area of specialization, if appropriate:*
> >
> ...


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## MWC PE (Oct 8, 2013)

*Name of Institution:*

*Name of Degree Program (e.g., M.E. in Environmental Engineering) and area of specialization, if appropriate:*

The University of Tennessee. MS Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering)

*Website of degree program:*

http://www.engr.utk.edu/civil/gradprogram/distance-ed.php

*Years attended:*

2008-2009

*Indicate if you graduated, dropped out, or are still attending:*

graduated

*Is the Program Fully On-line or part time?:*

either, i did 2 classes a semester. Classes were scheduled to start at 5 to allow people to attend after work

*Is a Thesis or Capstone Project Required?*

Comprehensive Test

*Number of Courses/credits required to graduate:*

33 hours

*Cost per course or per credit:*

Don't know, sure its increased significantly since I graduated anyway. Work paid for most of it.

*What format are the courses delivered in? (live lectures, recorded lectures, assignments with no lectures, etc.). Provide a brief opinion as to how effective you think the on-line learning environment was:*

live lectures, but archived so they could be watched on your time.

I thought overall it was fine. The classes are being taught to students in the class room and to the distance ed students at the same time, some technical difficulties every once in a while would delay class. UT was good about making sure the classes were online though, I don't remember missing a class. Interaction with the teacher is a little harder but no impossible. The teachers were for the most part accommodating, and because you can get the classes after hours you can make it work around your work schedule.

*About how many hours of work per course is required to get through the courses?:*

5 or 6 depending on the class could be less.

*Name the: easiest, toughest, and best courses you took:*

Construction Management was pretty easy

The toughest was the erosion and sedimentation class

The best class was either the Traffic Characteristics-Operations or the Urban Hydrology class

*Were the professors from the full-time school faculty, or part-time adjunct professors? In general how did you feel about the quality of the professors?*

Mostly full time

A few summer courses were taught by adjunct.

Overall the quality was good, there was one adjunct that had no business teaching and was not asked back after the class was over, but he was an exception.

*Describe briefly your opinion of the quantity/selection of courses available to take (include comments on the availability of courses):*

Usually there were around 3-4 classes available. I never had any trouble getting classes.

*Describe briefly your opinion of the real-world applicability or usefulness of the courses you took:*

Several of the classes were useful in either my job and/or passing the PE

*Would you recommend this program to other engineers in your field? Or any specific subset or profession? *

Yes, especially if you can get someone else to pay. Also the 1 year experience exemption on the PE makes it worth it if you are just out of school.


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## Dleg (Oct 9, 2013)

Thanks for sharing your information, MWC PE! I really think this could be a useful resource, if we can get more people to respond. When I was shopping around for a Masters program, it was very hard to find any information concerning student's experiences and opinions.


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## knight1fox3 (Oct 10, 2013)

^ agreed. I will try to respond soon when I find a few spare seconds.


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## danfom (Nov 29, 2013)

*[SIZE=small]Quote*[/SIZE]
*Name of Institution: University of Washington.*

*[SIZE=9pt]Name of Degree Program (e.g., M.E. in Environmental Engineering) and area of specialization, if appropriate:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] M.S. in Civil Engineering (with an M.S. in Construction Management option). This program is heavily focused on construction engineering and all coursework is geared towards engineers and construction managers working in the heavy-highway construction field.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Website of degree program:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] http://www.constructionengineering.uw.edu/[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Years attended:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] 2010 – 2012.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Indicate if you graduated, dropped out, or are still attending:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] Graduated in December 2012.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Is the Program Fully On-line or part time?:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] Fully Online.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Is a Thesis or Capstone Project Required?[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] For MS in Civil Engineering students, a thesis or capstone project is NOT required. (Until 2012, a graduate research project was required but this is no longer the case.)[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Number of Courses/credits required to graduate:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt]14 courses / 42 credits.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Cost per course or per credit:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] $695 per credit (as of Fall 2013). Some small, reasonable fees and books are necessary.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]What format are the courses delivered in? (live lectures, recorded lectures, assignments with no lectures, etc.). Provide a brief opinion as to how effective you think the on-line learning environment was:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] The courses are well designed and broken up into discrete lessons that frequently build upon themselves. Each course has a dedicated website that contains: a course overview, course objectives, readings &amp; resources, course schedule, weekly lessons and assignments, an assessment &amp; grading guide, and (in some cases) final exam/project information. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Most classes involved the use of an online discussion forum. I was skeptical of the forum value at first but I learned to appreciate it as a great method to exchange ideas. I learned as much from other students on the forum as I did from the assignments. The professors were constantly commenting and/or guiding the forum discussions and providing added value inputs.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt] This type of course structure is ideal for the disciplined individual that can schedule and execute the tasks necessary each week. For me, this type of structure was fantastic. I made a point to arrive early or stay late in my office in order to complete coursework. I found that it was a better option than dragging it home with me.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]About how many hours of work per course is required to get through the courses?:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] The level of effort is different for each course. On average, I probably spent 10-15 actual hours per course per week reading, researching and/or producing work.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Name the: easiest, toughest, and best courses you took:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] Easiest: Statistical Fundamentals for Construction and Materials Applications (CEE 592)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Toughest: Temporary Structures (CM 580) OR Heavy Construction Estimating (CM 582)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Best: Construction Procurement Systems (CM 520) [/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Were the professors from the full-time school faculty, or part-time adjunct professors? In general how did you feel about the quality of the professors?[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] The professors were a combination of full-time faculty and part-time adjuncts. In any case, I felt that they were all well qualified and enthusiastic about their subjects. [/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Describe briefly your opinion of the quantity/selection of courses available to take (include comments on the availability of courses):[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt]The courses are given on a very specific timetable (reference the website) and I was always able to get a ‘seat’ in whatever class was required. [/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Describe briefly your opinion of the real-world applicability or usefulness of the courses you took:[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt] Before I started the coursework in 2010, I had already been practicing (although unlicensed) in the construction engineering field for 8 years. I found the coursework to be immediately applicable to my professional life. In numerous cases throughout my 2.5 years in the program, I was learning something one week and professionally applying it the next week. [/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Would you recommend this program to other engineers in your field? Or any specific subset or profession? [/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt]This program is heavily focused on the construction phase of the project lifecycle. I highly recommend it for construction engineers and construction managers working on heavy-highway projects including highways, bridges, utilities, dams, wastewater treatment, and energy production &amp; distribution systems.[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=9pt]Provide any additional comments or advice for anyone considering whether or not to attend this program:[/SIZE]*

*[SIZE=9pt]Look at the program website. The website is (in my opinion) accurate and realistic. The University of Washington allows individuals to take up to 12 credits before applying for admission to the actual graduate program.[/SIZE]*

*[SIZE=9pt]Another option might be a graduate certificate in ‘Heavy Construction Project Management’ or ‘Infrastructure Construction’. The certificate programs can be found at the UW Professional &amp; Continuing Education website at: http://www.pce.uw.edu/online-learning/[/SIZE]*


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## Dleg (Dec 2, 2013)

Thanks for the informative review! That sounds like a great program!


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## Dleg (Mar 19, 2014)

Bumping to get more input...


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## knight1fox3 (Mar 19, 2014)

Dleg said:


> Bumping to get more input...


I still have yet to add my info. Spare time at the moment is few in far between though. I'll get to it soon.


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## Janizzle (Jun 5, 2014)

Quote



> *Name of Institution: *Villanova University
> 
> *Name of Degree Program (e.g., M.E. in Environmental Engineering) and area of specialization, if appropriate:*
> 
> ...





> *About how many hours of work per course is required to get through the courses?: *Varies between 2 to 10 or more...Watershed Modeling was all projects.
> 
> *Name the: easiest, toughest, and best courses you took:*
> 
> ...


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## Michael Frolov (Jun 8, 2014)

While my MS degree was full-time and in a classroom setting, upon graduation, I enrolled in an online Graduate Certificate Program in Heavy Construction Project Management at the University of Washington. Since this was not a Masters Degree, I won't fill out the entire questionnaire but instead will point out a few things:

The program was 12 credits and allowed to me work full time while gaining exposure to topics that I felt were relevant to my professional career. The professors were full-time faculty and each class used forums as a way to communicate with other students. Some classes had final exams which were administered at the university while others had projects.

One major disadvantage of online learning is the inability to network efficiently.

Hope this helps.


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