Online Mechanical Engineering Degrees 2021

At the University of Alabama, the bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering is offered to students primarily in an online format. The 4-year, 128-credit hour program includes 3 courses that require in-person attendance for weekend labs in Tuscaloosa or Gadsden, and some lower-level general education courses must be taken on-campus or transferred from another university; all other coursework is completed online. Up to 61 transfer credits are generally accepted from accredited institutions, but students should note that technical and military credits are not eligible. Classes in the program cover topics such as fluid mechanics, electrical engineering, the mechanics of materials, thermodynamics, mechanical engineering design and manufacturing practices. Students should be prepared to design and participate in the manufacture of various machines and systems upon completing the program. After graduation, they join the workforce in a wide range of industries including bioengineering, robotics, textiles, petrochemicals, automotive and aerospace. Some students continue their education doing research at the graduate level.

Known for educating military-affiliated students, Old Dominion University offers a variety of online degrees in the field of mechanical engineering. The school offers 2 Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degrees; both are degree completion programs and are delivered entirely online. The first offers 2 concentration areas -- in manufacturing systems or mechanical systems design. The manufacturing systems concentration emphasizes areas such as robotics and computer-integrated manufacturing, while the mechanical systems design option focuses on the skills needed to design, build and install various systems. The other bachelor's degree is structured around a concentration in nuclear systems, and is open only to students who have specific prior experience in the field. Both degrees require 120 credits total to graduate; students are expected to transfer in some credits, but at least 30 must be taken at Old Dominion; the degree-completion portion takes about 2 years. Old Dominion also offers a 30-credit online Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Design and Manufacturing. Graduates go on to work in both the public and private sector, in industries such as electronics, construction, manufacturing and energy.

Design expertise and management skills are key components of a career in mechanical engineering, and the bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology at Indiana State University aims to teach students both. Structured as a degree completion program, applicants must already hold an associate degree and have completed certain prerequisite courses. Once at ISU, students take a total of 86 credits - all offered fully online - to graduate. Over the course of the program, students learn how to design machines, tools and products, as well as how to effectively manage people and how to best utilize the resources at their disposal. The 71 credits of engineering courses cover topics such as graphics, solid modeling, computer aided design (CAD), robotics, and materials; there are also 12 credits of required science and math, and a 3-credit technical elective. Graduates are prepared for jobs that entail the design, manufacture, installation, maintenance, testing and evaluation of products and systems.

Located in the heart of America's automotive industry, the University of Michigan-Dearborn has a history closely tied to engineering. Students who pursue a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at this school get a broad-based education that prepares them to deal not only with machines, but also with people. Offered in a hybrid format, with both online and on-campus courses, the program requires 128 credit hours to graduate, typically completed over 4 years. More than half of UMD's students transfer from other institutions, and the university does accept eligible credits; there are also scholarships earmarked specifically for transfer students. The curriculum includes both major-specific coursework and classes to satisfy the Dearborn Discovery Core, a set of courses required of all undergraduates and designed to give students a broad educational background. Graduates of the program go on to work for large companies in automotive, manufacturing and healthcare industries, in areas as diverse as biomechanics and biomaterials, water desalinization and prostheses.

The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell is designed to prepare students for support positions in areas such as plant management, manufacturing, engineering, product testing and quality assurance. Graduates receive broad foundational knowledge in how to design, manufacture and test devices and systems. The program is offered in a hybrid format so that students will take some classes online; most courses, however, are delivered on-campus. The bachelor's degree requires 124 credits to graduate; there is also an associate degree option in mechanical engineering which requires 68 credits and can be applied to a future bachelor's. The bachelor's degree can be completed in 4 years, but may take longer for some. In either case, the department recommends that first-year students acclimate themselves to the program and workload by only taking 1 or 2 courses during their first semester. Many courses can also be applied to certificates as students progress through the program.