Daniel Fleck ⋅ Minneapolis, MN U.S. Army, Sergeant ⋅ 4 years served

Arnold,

I am a civil engineer and went to University of Minnesota. I have colleagues that attended UND, but not their online program. You appear to have done your research and have answered all of the right questions.
Are you a hands on learner? If so, you may find an online degree difficult. You will be working where/when you are able without the guidance of a professor. All of your correspondance will be done via e-mail which can be difficult to explain a standard engineering problem over e-mail. My suggestion would be to invest in a decent scanner so you could scan your problem and then email it to the professor/teaching assistant.
Finally, I would strongly suggest that you find an internship somewhere where you can grow professionally and academically.

I left the Army in 2007 and went to college and I am now a project engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers in Minnesota.

Ben Pape ⋅ Chevy Chase, MD Kiewit Corporation ⋅ 3 years experience

Hi Arnold,

I just finished a masters degree in civil engineering at Columbia University this May. I did it in person at their New York City campus over the course of 18 months although it was financially difficult. They offer a Masters Degree online, through their Columbia Video Network service. http://www.cvn.columbia.edu/civil_MS.php

This isn't meant to advertise for Columbia, but maybe other top tier schools also offer similar programs, or have programs that are partially online with additional night classes that you can attend while working full-time. I know most of our courses were at 7 PM one night a week so that people could work and go to school at the same time. They would take two classes a semester for 5 semesters (2.5 years) and wrap up a masters degree part time.

I should note that I was looking for employment in the construction field, particularly heavy civil transportation/bridge/tunneling work. Many employers were not looking for someone with a Masters Degree. If you want to work in other specialized areas of Civil Engineering they may or may not require it. Definitely investigate before committing to what could be an expensive education.

Hope this helps,
Ben

Tom Yuhas ⋅ Bedford, OH Sparkle Wash International ⋅ 14 years experience

Arnold Daroy, may I ask why you're limiting yourself to getting a civil engineering degree?

Charles Burt ⋅ San Luis Obispo, CA Irrigation Training and Research Center ⋅ 40 years experience

Arnold -

First, your educational background will need some major upgrading before you consider an engineering degree. I received a BS in a non-engineering field, but I did take a year of engineering physics and a year of engineering calculus during my BS. When I went to grad school, I decided to shift to engineering, and fortunately there was a program that allowed me to do that.

I set up a similar program at Cal Poly State University (San Luis Obispo) called MS Engineering, Water Engineering. But before you get any credit for MS classes, you first need to complete about 30 quarter units of typical engineering classes, PLUS a year of calculus, plus differential equations, plus a year of engineering physics. About half of our students choose this route because they want to switch to engineering. The 30 quarter units are the typical pre-requisites such as dynamics, statics, concrete, engineering hydraulics, surveying, engineering economics, etc. We also require everyone to pass the fundamentals in engineering exams, so they are qualified to be an EIT.

You can take a lot of those classes on-line. BUT - in the field I work in (engineering with water - I'm registered as both a civil and agricultural engineer), I think you absolutely need a hands-on exposure in lots of labs throughout your coursework in your field of interest.

A problem is that many universities have professors who teach out of a book - without even teaching good labs. In that case, you may as well take on-line classes. But an excellent university program will have excellent teaching labs, and almost all of your classes will have at least 3 hours of lab per week.

So if you want to really be good at what you do, you need to first get the pre-requisites done. There is no shortcut in engineering. Then I suggest going to a good MS program such as ours which will allow you to focus on what you want to study. The MS will be worth more than a second BS. But DEFINITELY go to a school that has professors with a lot of practical experience, where the classes are taught by those professors (not TA's), and where there are a lot of excellent teaching laboratories that are actually used.

Charles Burt, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE
cburt@calpoly.edu

Prem Shanker ⋅ Bentonville, AR Walmart Stores, Inc. ⋅ 18 years experience

Arnold - I viewed your profile. You have Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA). While I am not aware of your personal preferences (so please don't get me wrong - Civil Engg is a great field); but just looking at your profile, it appears you may be better off doing an online MBA. It will also get you better job offers in a wide range of functional areas.

There are nice online MBA degrees. Just make sure they are of 2 years or less duration programs. Best wishes!

Daniel McGrath ⋅ Chester, VA Golder Associates Inc. ⋅ 14 years experience

One of the engineers that works with me completed his degree online at Old Dominion University. He got the basics from school and we taught him the rest over the years. He had the discipline to stick to it through the process and that is what we admired most.

Does it beat the classroom and lab experience? In my opinion, not even close. But in the end, a degree is a degree and it really depends on the position. Structural would be tough to do online, but with the basics of hydraulics, soils and some construction management, you'd have a lot of jobs covered. All experience is good experience. Certainly pursue a degree if that's what you want to do for a career.

Doug Davis ⋅ Chicago, IL American Airlines ⋅ 24 years experience

Hi Arnold,

I think you have some very good replies here. I can't speak specifically to the engineering field, but I would like to add that I think online education is a great opportunity. I just finished my MBA via an online course, and it was well worth it. Online courses are becoming much more common and accepted as brick-and-mortar equivalent. Many accredited universities now offer online programs that are identical to their classroom courses.

The in-person interaction is a small sacrifice to make for the benefits of an online program. Your military experience shows you have real-world leadership and teamwork skills. Obviously you would like some experience on your resume in your chosen field, but your military experience will speak volumes for you while you seek those opportunities.

I would not hesitate one second to take an online degree program. The benefits in time and location are tremendous. Make sure it is an accredited program from a university you would want on your resume. Your military experience far outweighs any classroom exercises that the online environment may not provide.

Good luck!
Doug

Frank Bailor ⋅ Middletown, DE DuPont ⋅ 30 years experience

I now teach at the University level in a bricks and mortar school...but in a 35 year+ industry career, I have hired a ton of folks from small to large schools....my opinion is that on-line grads lack a lot of team skills needed, are generally of lower technical skill levels, and we would hire only if we watched carefully...your call, but I think you are not wasting your time, but its possible in field opportunities might be somewhat limited

June R Massoud ⋅ Burlington, VT School Boards/Teaching, Tutoring Business and Technical Business ⋅ 25 years experience

I'm an engineer, but a computer/electrical engineer. The people I've known in civil engineering need to be accredited as they work with safety issues regarding the public, specifically, for instance, structural engineering: buildings and bridges. So just make sure that the program you're following will lead you to this type of accreditation or qualification. Maybe by taking this degree online, it could lead to similar opportunities in the future. Ask and find out. It never hurts to try. Best, June

Jim Spriggs ⋅ South Bend, IN JES Web Copy & Marketing ⋅ 15 years experience

Arnold...it sounds like you have done your research and weighed your options.
I am not a civil engineer so I can't answer your question from that perspective.

My question to you would be - what is your end goal and how are you getting there?

My guess is you have a specific goal in mind and the high pay scale isn't your only objective.
I did a little digging myself and learned that UND online is indeed a very good option.

Best Online Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering http://www.onlinecollege.org/bachelors/civil-engineering/

The one question I didn't find answered was their placement services. Does the school have assistance in this area and what do they consider placement? I also noticed they have a dedicated military affairs program to assist veterans.

So is it worth it? I would say yes, provided you have a clear objective in mind and follow through with a game plan.

I would advise you to research job postings on sites like CareerBuilder to see exactly what employers are looking for in a potential candidate for your chosen field.

After you do that, you can look for opportunities that you can pursue now while in school that would be in alignment with your chosen career path and professional development.

Tailor your resume to fit one of those opportunities and apply for the job.

Many companies are looking for candidates with real world experience over an inexperienced graduate so look for those opportunities that lend itself to being an investment in your career.

Wrapping it up...if you invest the time and the effort in this then it will pay off. If you can land a job that is in line with your end goal then that's a bonus and can fast track your career while possibly paying for it as well.