Why choose to get your Degree or Certification Online?
Online Degree Programs are a great educational alternative to traditional in the classroom learning for both new students fresh out of high school, and those individuals who may have been out of school working for a while who want to get their degree. Besides being more flexible than in class degree programs as to when you are attending instruction, Online courses are a great way for someone who has been in their field for an extended period of time to refresh their knowledge and skills or acquire new certifications, as well as receive updates in regards to industry changes. This is especially so in technical fields such as Electrical Engineering.Choosing a Program that Counts
It is important when choosing an online program to make sure the classes are accredited and will work towards your goals. Choose an accredited school and verify with the academic advisors that the classes are accredited in the accreditation program that you are interested in. Since there are more than one or two accreditation organizations out there. This will save you frustration, time, and money in the end.[Also read: 11 of the best universities for electrical engineering]
The Top Online Electrical Engineering Degree Programs
According to the Guide for Online Schools website, the accreditation that you should be looking for in the Electrical Engineering field is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), and the top three schools that offer this are:- University of Delaware
- University of Arizona – Engineering
- Grantham University
University of Delaware
Although the tuition is not the cheapest around, coming in at just under $30,000 per year at the time of this article, they do have one of the most expansive Engineering Divisions, with 18 programs and 1 being specifically in Electrical Engineering. The Electrical Engineering degree that you will receive upon completion of their program is a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, making it a postgraduate program.University of Arizona – Engineering
For a little less money, you can also obtain the same degree at the University of Arizona for just over $27,000 per year. However, the selection of programs is significantly less with only four Engineering programs and one of which being in the Electrical Engineering specialty. These programs are also fully accredited by ABET.Grantham University
Grantham University comes in third simply because they do not off a Master’s program. But, if that is not a requirement for you, this is a school you should look into. The tuition runs about $6,500 per year, and they have 44 Engineering Programs with two of them being Electrical Engineering Degrees; Associate of Science in Electronics and Computer Engineering, and the Bachelors of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology.Other things to Consider
One of the nice things about online classes is that you can live anywhere and attend that school. It is not always a good thing to choose a school out of your area though. If you need to deal with financial or administrative issues you will have to do it all either by mail, phone, or email. Additionally if you need extra help such as a writing service, or tutoring services you will have to search outside of the school since you will not be near campus to take advantage of these services if they offer them. Some universities have taken this into consideration and established satellite offices or schools to offer these services to their out of state online students as a way to entice more enrollment in their programs. This is something that you should figure into your decision making process.Author: Elizabeth Leer is a former Children's Book Editor, with more than 3 decades of business world experience and writing for businesses, Elizabeth is able to write on just about anything.
