May 19, 2009

U.S. News survey lists NC State Engineering Online as largest public online engineering graduate program

The Engineering Online program at North Carolina State University is the largest public distance-education engineering graduate program in the nation, according to a new survey published by U.S. News & World Report.

The program, which allows students to earn master’s degrees in engineering without coming to campus, enrolled 660 students in fall 2008, more than any other public engineering school.

NC State was tied for third with Columbia University on the overall program list behind the University of Southern California and the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, all private schools. The public schools behind NC State on the top 10 list were Georgia Tech, Arizona State University, Virginia Tech, the University of Michigan and Purdue University.

The survey results were published in the May issue of the magazine.

“As this survey shows, hundreds of professionals enroll in our programs each semester to improve their engineering skills while keeping their existing jobs,” said Dr. Linda Krute, director of Engineering Online. “The breadth and depth of our programs, coupled with their exceptional value, make Engineering Online an ideal choice for working engineers and computer scientists.”

Engineering Online has fared well in national surveys before. Last year, GetEducated.com compared 216 online engineering programs and determined that NC State offered the best education for the money. The program’s online master’s degrees were named the No. 1 “Best Buy” by the national distance-education clearinghouse.

Courses offered by Engineering Online at NC State are identical to on-campus courses in terms of content, requirements and academic rigor. Lectures presented to an on-campus class are captured, digitized and placed on the Internet for distance students to view from any location that has a high-speed connection. Course assignments, lecture notes and handouts are also made available to students on the course website.

Engineering Online offers master’s-degree programs in aerospace engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering and nuclear engineering. The program also offers a master of engineering degree.

Three more degrees are expected to be added soon, bringing the total number of master’s-degree programs offered by Engineering Online to 13.

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