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What are some lower-cost alternatives to a bachelor's degree in engineering?
This is part of our professionals series where we ask professionals what they think students should know
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7 answers
David Sulli
Manufacturing Engineer and business owner
23
Answers
San Diego, California
Updated
David’s Answer
I've been a manufacturing engineer for over 25 years with an Associate's Degree in mechanical engineering and two certificates from SME.org
1. Certified Mfg. Engineer
2, Certified Mfg. Technologist
I've also worked with many companies that employed manufacturing engineers with no degrees, so yes for this type of engineering, it is possible to work as an engineer. Most of those engineers started out as technicians and were promoted to being an engineer. But really, future engineers should have engineering-related courses in college. Of course, the fasted path is to get a bachelor' degree.
And as Richard mentioned, above, you can start out at a Community or Technical College to save money. The benefit to achieving an Engineering Associate's degree is that if you decide not to go further, you at least have an educational background that included engineering-related courses of study.
Side note: Many companies that hire manufacturing engineers, include "or combination of education and experience" after listing a bachelor's degree after education requirements in the job posting.
1. Certified Mfg. Engineer
2, Certified Mfg. Technologist
I've also worked with many companies that employed manufacturing engineers with no degrees, so yes for this type of engineering, it is possible to work as an engineer. Most of those engineers started out as technicians and were promoted to being an engineer. But really, future engineers should have engineering-related courses in college. Of course, the fasted path is to get a bachelor' degree.
And as Richard mentioned, above, you can start out at a Community or Technical College to save money. The benefit to achieving an Engineering Associate's degree is that if you decide not to go further, you at least have an educational background that included engineering-related courses of study.
Side note: Many companies that hire manufacturing engineers, include "or combination of education and experience" after listing a bachelor's degree after education requirements in the job posting.
Rich Burr
Director of Engineering Organization
21
Answers
Ventura, California
Updated
Rich’s Answer
To be considered an engineer, nearly all companies require an ABET-accredited bachelors degree in an engineering discipline. However there are some affordable options to get there.
1) start at your local 2-yr Junior/Community College. Cost is generally a fraction of 4-yr costs and you can get most of your general education requirements done. Many also have pre-engineering tracks so you get start on classes towards your major all while living at home.
2) get a scholarship. There are 1000’s of scholarship opportunities out there. Check out the Federal SMART scholarship which pays all class costs and some housing. There are also ROTC scholarships that pay all costs if you are willing to join the military as an officer when you graduate.
3) look for internships. Companies are looking for engineers and many have internship programs that pay school costs and provide a job during breaks.
4) become and engineering technician. This is a 2-yr option offered by many JC’s that will get you into a engineering related job, such as setting up and conducting tests or assembling equipment, if you like the work you can always go back for the engineering bachelors degree when you are ready.
Good luck!
1) start at your local 2-yr Junior/Community College. Cost is generally a fraction of 4-yr costs and you can get most of your general education requirements done. Many also have pre-engineering tracks so you get start on classes towards your major all while living at home.
2) get a scholarship. There are 1000’s of scholarship opportunities out there. Check out the Federal SMART scholarship which pays all class costs and some housing. There are also ROTC scholarships that pay all costs if you are willing to join the military as an officer when you graduate.
3) look for internships. Companies are looking for engineers and many have internship programs that pay school costs and provide a job during breaks.
4) become and engineering technician. This is a 2-yr option offered by many JC’s that will get you into a engineering related job, such as setting up and conducting tests or assembling equipment, if you like the work you can always go back for the engineering bachelors degree when you are ready.
Good luck!
Tony Pearson
Master Inventor
50
Answers
Tucson, Arizona
Updated
Tony’s Answer
I have two thoughts for you.
1) IBM is focused on "new collar" jobs. This is based on four years high school plus a 2-year associates degree for Computer Science/Software Engineer jobs. See https://www.ibm.com/blogs/ibm-training/new-collar-coursera/ for details. For many jobs, a full four-year engineering degree is overkill, the company will train you for specifics anyways, and you will be spending another decade paying off student debt.
2) Another option is University of the People (https://www.uopeople.edu/) this is "tuition-free" university with professors from top universities in USA and United Kingdom. Tuition free means no tuition to learn, but if you want to earn a ABET-acredited degree, you will have to pay about $100 to take the final exam to prove you learned it for each class. They have associate's degree in Computer Science, bachelor's degree in Computer Science, and master's degree in Information Technology. At the end, you might spend $2000 to $3000, but have an acredited degree to go with it. The drawback is that you will not be socializing with college students, going to fraternity parties, and all the other things wild and crazy students do on campus.
Bottom line, there is a shortage of engineers, so you stand a good chance to get a job without the formality of a 4-year bachelor's degree.
Explore New Collar opportunities
Explore University of the People
1) IBM is focused on "new collar" jobs. This is based on four years high school plus a 2-year associates degree for Computer Science/Software Engineer jobs. See https://www.ibm.com/blogs/ibm-training/new-collar-coursera/ for details. For many jobs, a full four-year engineering degree is overkill, the company will train you for specifics anyways, and you will be spending another decade paying off student debt.
2) Another option is University of the People (https://www.uopeople.edu/) this is "tuition-free" university with professors from top universities in USA and United Kingdom. Tuition free means no tuition to learn, but if you want to earn a ABET-acredited degree, you will have to pay about $100 to take the final exam to prove you learned it for each class. They have associate's degree in Computer Science, bachelor's degree in Computer Science, and master's degree in Information Technology. At the end, you might spend $2000 to $3000, but have an acredited degree to go with it. The drawback is that you will not be socializing with college students, going to fraternity parties, and all the other things wild and crazy students do on campus.
Bottom line, there is a shortage of engineers, so you stand a good chance to get a job without the formality of a 4-year bachelor's degree.
Tony recommends the following next steps:
David C Byram
Mechanical Design Engineering / Educator
39
Answers
Palm Coast, Florida
Updated
David C’s Answer
Hello Student,
In the United States, at present, there are a number of companies that are looking for talent even without a degree in order to replace the degreed engineers that can not be found. Obviously, you should have some engineering schooling, however, not to the level you might think. I personally had to teach myself as much as possible, and then find opportunities to grow through various fields of employment. This article provided some good advice as to perhaps what you may be looking for. I hope it answers your question.
https://www.zippia.com/answers/how-to-become-an-engineer-without-a-degree/
Designer Dave
In the United States, at present, there are a number of companies that are looking for talent even without a degree in order to replace the degreed engineers that can not be found. Obviously, you should have some engineering schooling, however, not to the level you might think. I personally had to teach myself as much as possible, and then find opportunities to grow through various fields of employment. This article provided some good advice as to perhaps what you may be looking for. I hope it answers your question.
https://www.zippia.com/answers/how-to-become-an-engineer-without-a-degree/
Designer Dave
Peter Huang
Security consultant
81
Answers
Cupertino, California
Updated
Peter’s Answer
If you're referring to a vocational school like they have in Germany, I'm not sure there is equivalent in US that will give you the certification. US almost treats BS/BA as baseline for engineering work and many want advance degree, it is not impossible but not likely. It the cost is the issue, there are cheaper way to get a BS/BA, like going to community for 2 years, then spend the last two in college. A lot of companies will offer education assistant if you pursue them (I spent many years going night school). If the skill is the issue, the things you learn in the last two years, won't be available in an non-academic world. an engineer is trained to think about potential set that he/she has not done it but workable (think of apollo 13 where they put together an air filtering system using available materials on the vessel, not sure one can do that without engineering school training.
Eric Packer
Structural engineer
91
Answers
Boise, Idaho
Updated
Eric’s Answer
Where a professional engineering license is required to stamp and seal the design drawings, there is not a practical path to becoming an engineer or anything like it without an engineering degree. This is because most professional engineering licensing boards require a degree from an ABET accredited engineering college. Many states give an exception to this and that exception is to have about 20 years of engineering work experience. This is not practical for most people and it would be difficult to gain that experience without an engineering degree in most cases. You would still need to pass the engineering exams in either case. Unlicensed engineers can work under licensed engineers, however. Most firms that require licensure, however, recruit candidates that can develop into a licensed engineer since the viability of the firms longevity depends on its ability to maintain a legacy of licensed and competent engineers.
The engineering fields that require licensure are those that deal with public safety which usually relate to public works and the building industry. So, civil and structural engineers fall into this category and for most commercial and institutional type projects, mechanical and electrical engineers in the building industry fall into this category. Also, electrical engineers that work in the power industry (design of substations and the power distribution systems) need to be licensed. Most other engineering fields do not require licensure even if there is a licensing board. For example, I understand that the aerospace industry is heavily regulated by the FAA and there are ways to produce designs without a license provided that a delegated engineer reviews the design. Software design and manufacturing fields and electrical engineering (outside of those subfields mentioned above) do not require licensure.
There are many ways to work alongside degreed engineers in the fields that do not require licensure and this can often be accomplished with engineering technician training which is usually a two year program at a junior college. Both paths yield opportunities to participate in the design process of rewarding projects. There are even some ways for those without engineering degrees to do some design work in areas that require licensure. For example, drafters in the building industry that do electrical and mechanical engineering design can often be tasked with laying out the lighting plans, electrical outlets or designing the plumbing lines and ensuring that the plumbing lines meet code requirements for slope. These are quite often titled electrical designers or mechanical designers and can work alongside engineers after only a couple of years of drafting training. In my field of structural engineering, such delegated design tasks are very limited among our drafters. But, there are many ways that we rely on the drafters to contribute to the design process by developing complex details based on information provided in architectural models. By learning to communicate effectively and working together seamlessly, both participants contribute equally to the success of a given project.
The engineering fields that require licensure are those that deal with public safety which usually relate to public works and the building industry. So, civil and structural engineers fall into this category and for most commercial and institutional type projects, mechanical and electrical engineers in the building industry fall into this category. Also, electrical engineers that work in the power industry (design of substations and the power distribution systems) need to be licensed. Most other engineering fields do not require licensure even if there is a licensing board. For example, I understand that the aerospace industry is heavily regulated by the FAA and there are ways to produce designs without a license provided that a delegated engineer reviews the design. Software design and manufacturing fields and electrical engineering (outside of those subfields mentioned above) do not require licensure.
There are many ways to work alongside degreed engineers in the fields that do not require licensure and this can often be accomplished with engineering technician training which is usually a two year program at a junior college. Both paths yield opportunities to participate in the design process of rewarding projects. There are even some ways for those without engineering degrees to do some design work in areas that require licensure. For example, drafters in the building industry that do electrical and mechanical engineering design can often be tasked with laying out the lighting plans, electrical outlets or designing the plumbing lines and ensuring that the plumbing lines meet code requirements for slope. These are quite often titled electrical designers or mechanical designers and can work alongside engineers after only a couple of years of drafting training. In my field of structural engineering, such delegated design tasks are very limited among our drafters. But, there are many ways that we rely on the drafters to contribute to the design process by developing complex details based on information provided in architectural models. By learning to communicate effectively and working together seamlessly, both participants contribute equally to the success of a given project.
Trent Buck
Manager
13
Answers
Boca Raton
Updated
Trent’s Answer
A low cost replacement of a degree would be experience. This is a field where what you can do will out-weigh that piece of paper. I assume you are asking, how can I get hired with no experience and no schooling to get the experience to replace the degree? The answer is you need to code on your own for yourself. You should create a free GitHub account to upload all of your work/experience. Start working on projects of different kinds in different languages. If you can work on a project which you want to use in your daily life this is best. I say that because if you are using it, then you will want it to work perfectly. Many people can start projects, but finishing them requires the details and often some of your trickier code. Your experience on your projects will be able to demonstrate your ability to name variables with names that matter. You can demonstrate the ability to write code which is easy to read with appropriate indents, broken apart into functions etc. When having an interview for a job, being able to speak with confidence is a need. You will get that confidence after you write enough code for different purposes. You will find, after you have written code for a dozen projects, you will be able to re-write that first project with more more read-ability. I hope this helps.
Create a github account
Find an idea for a project
Write the code to complete this project
Enhance that project
Find a professional to review your code for you to give you feedback and upload your code to github
Trent recommends the following next steps: