How Long Does It Take To Get An Engineering Degree?

Engineering degree programs are challenging to obtain, as many students in STEM take longer to graduate than their peers in less demanding degree programs. You can get an engineering degree in as short as two years or take as long as ten years working towards an advanced degree. It is essential that students consider not only how long it takes to complete a degree program but also how much work their degree requires them to do in order to join the school of engineers.

Engineering Associate’s Degrees

Associate’s degrees allow you to earn an engineering degree in just two years, and they are of two different forms. Some associate’s degrees teach students the fundamentals of engineering to prepare them for continued studies at a regular four-year college. Earning your degree this way allows you to cut down on expenses as you pay a lower community college tuition fee rather than a higher four-year college tuition fee for the first half of your undergraduate programme. That being said, you won’t be able to work as an engineer until you complete your bachelor’s degree.

You can also enrol in a two-year degree program called engineering technology. With such a degree, you can easily get a job. However, you will be an engineering technician or technologist instead of an engineer. Engineering technicians work with engineering equipment or assist engineers in implementing their designs rather than developing your ideas.

Bachelor’s Degrees in Engineering

Any bachelor’s degree program in engineering generally requires four years of full-time study regardless of the discipline. It is important to note that an engineering curriculum is rigorous. To complete the challenging coursework successfully, you will need to arrange a lot of time for projects, homework, and studies.

Although a bachelor’s degree in engineering is usually completed in four years, current day research shows that fewer STEM students graduate on time.

Master’s Degrees in Engineering

Many engineering degree programs are tailored to be completed in two years of full-time study. Yet not many students are finishing their degrees that fast. Many graduate students, especially those who have full-time jobs, have to take part-time degrees to provide adequate time for their studies. Averagely, it would take a student three years to complete an online engineering master’s degree program, even for those programs that are designed to be completed in two years, according to U.S. News & World Report.

That being said, there are exceptions. Some students earn their graduate degrees in less than two years by choosing an accelerated program with a rigorous workload.

Doctoral Degrees in Engineering

There are different options for a graduate engineering degree.CBS News reported that the traditional PhD in engineering is a research-based degree, which requires a doctoral dissertation and takes more than eight years to complete on average.

For engineers who aren’t interested in a research degree, the professional Doctor of Engineering degree is an excellent choice. This advanced degree is designed to prepare students for technical leadership positions rather than for academia or research. Such degrees can be completed in three years. However, students should be aware that some Doctor of Engineering programs are only open to candidates who already have a master’s degree.