Best Online Master’s Degrees in: Engineering Technology

Explore a Master's Degree in Engineering Technology

A master's degree in engineering technology may require an employment background and undergraduate degree in mechanical, electronics, manufacturing, or telecommunications engineering. Engineering technology focuses on the design and production methods of electronic, mechanical and communications equipment, and prepares students for managerial positions in an engineering related field. Students may be required to specialize in electronics, engineering technology, information technology, or a related discipline, and will focus on the technical application of computer-aided manufacturing and design, and management, computer science, mathematics, and environmental science methods in engineering. An engineering master's program may require approximately 60 semester hours over the course of two years.

Class Curriculum

Engineering technology graduate course work will depend on the graduate student's discipline, but course work may cover network management, networking routing algorithms and protocols, optical networks, and power systems control technology. The following are some courses an engineering technology master's student may expect to take:

• Computer Aided Design. Students get further training in Computer Aided Design software, including interface, prototyping through objects and patterns, and sketches and assemblies. Students learn a specific CAD-software program like AutoCAD or SolidWorks.
• Digital Signal Processing. Students learn sampling through a modulation process, aliasing, sampling theorem, discrete-time system analysis, and the effects of quantization. Course work in digital signal processing covers how analog signals are represented in discrete-time samples and the ways digital filtering is equivalent to analog filtering.
• Network Routing and Algorithm Protocols. Network routing and algorithm protocols covers various network environments. Students also learn interior gateway protocols and exterior gateway protocols through analysis, design, and implementation.

An engineering technology master's degree will require assignments related to lecture and laboratory course work through problem sets, projects, and reading assignments within engineering technology research. Engineering technology master's students may also be required to collaborate with their classmates through projects and department-led research.

Building a Career

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage of mechanical engineering technicians was $52,810. The mean annual wage for electronics engineering technicians, as reported by the BLS, was $57,240. The BLS expects employment for engineering technicians to increase by 5% between 2010 and 2020. Keep in mind that wage and employment vary due to factors like area, employer, experience, and position.

While few engineering disciplines require a license to practice, licensure is required for government contracts, to offer consulting services, and to be the principal of a firm in most engineering disciplines. Licensure requires an engineering degree accredited by ABET, a passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, and a passing score on the Professional Engineering (PE) exam. An ABET-accredited engineering degree qualifies you for the FE exam. Passing the FE exam qualifies you to take the PE exam.