Online Design Engineering Degrees and Courses
A design engineer takes an initial concept, develops the systems and technical components that make the product come alive and creates the prototype or model. You can gain the skills necessary for a career in design engineering by earning an online undergraduate degree in civil, electrical or mechanical engineering. Find out how online engineering programs work, and explore the curriculum. Check the certification requirements for design engineers.
What You Need to Know
<p>There are many online engineering programs available for you to choose from. Depending on your area of interest, you can obtain an associate's or bachelor's degree in civil engineering, or work towards a bachelor's degree in mechanical or electrical engineering. Some potential careers require certification, depending upon whether you will be working with public safety issues.
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<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degrees</b></td><td>Associate's degree in civil engineering technology or bachelor's degree in civil engineering technology, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Online</b></td><td>Online classes are available</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Courses</b></td><td>Electromechanical systems design, designing electrical packaging systems, microwave design, circuit analysis, mechanical endurance testing, mechatronics design, thermodynamics and kinetics, masonry design, highway curves and construction design, budget planning for engineering projects, topographic mapping, theory of column design, structural mechanics of steel and concrete, fluid mechanics, soil mechanics and environmental engineering</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---WhatDesignEngineeringDegreesCanIPursueOnline">What Design Engineering Degrees Can I Pursue Online?</h3>
<p>You may pursue an associate's or bachelor's degree in civil engineering technology if your goal is to work on infrastructure projects. As a civil design engineer, you might use survey data of traffic patterns and landforms to design models for highway and bridge construction. A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering will prepare you for an entry-level position designing automotive or aerospace systems, in addition to industrial machinery. You may choose to earn a B.S. in Electrical Engineering if you wish to help develop and test electrical equipment, such as digital devices, robotic assembly systems and power sources.
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<p>Some schools that offer online programs to prepare for a design engineering career include:
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<ul><li>University of North Dakota
</li><li>Oakton College
</li><li>NC State University
</li><li>Arizona State University
</li><li>Old Dominion University
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatCoursesAreAvailableOnline">What Courses Are Available Online?</h3>
<p>Many courses introducing the methods and theories of design engineering are available online. You'll learn about the physical properties of different materials and how to solve design problems. Bachelor's degree programs may require you to participate in short summer lab sessions on campus, lasting from a few days to a couple of weeks, in order to provide some hands-on technical training. Other hybrid distance learning classes in industrial design engineering may include some evening sessions in pencil sketching and creating physical models, while allowing you to learn about computer-aided drafting (CAD) and 3-D modeling online.
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<p>Online courses in electrical engineering design cover:
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<ul><li>Electromechanical systems design
</li><li>Designing electrical packaging systems
</li><li>Microwave design
</li><li>Circuit analysis
</li></ul><p>Some common mechanical design engineering classes are offered online, such as:
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<ul><li>Mechanical endurance testing
</li><li>Mechatronics design
</li><li>Thermodynamics and kinetics
</li></ul><p>Web classes in civil engineering design include:
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<ul><li>Masonry design
</li><li>Highway curves and construction design
</li><li>Budget planning for engineering projects
</li><li>Topographic mapping
</li><li>Theory of column design
</li><li>Structural mechanics of steel and concrete
</li><li>Fluid mechanics
</li><li>Soil mechanics
</li><li>Environmental engineering
</li></ul><h3 id="section---AmIRequiredToObtainCertificationForEmployment">Am I Required to Obtain Certification for Employment?</h3>
<p>If you are involved in designing anything that affects public safety, you must become certified. For example, if you're designing highways or video security systems, you'll need to apply to take the certification exam administered by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (<i>www.nicet.org</i>). Certification demonstrates to employers that you have achieved a standard level of education and training to ensure public welfare.</p>