Online Engineering Schools in Mississippi

Mississippi (MS) provides a welcoming environment to aspiring engineers. These professionals enjoy a wealth of professional organizations, relatively high wages, and a bright career outlook.

First, there are many associations which provide networking opportunities, continuing education, legal advocacy for issues affecting the industry, and other resources. These groups include the Mississippi Hospital Association’s Society for Healthcare Engineers & Facility Managers; the Mississippi Engineering Society; the Mississippi State Society of Women Engineers; the Society of American Military Engineers – Mississippi Gulf Coast Post; and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers – Mississippi, among many others.

Second, these professionals are very well-paid. By illustration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2016) reported that the 14,970 MS-based engineering and architectural professionals earned an average annual salary of $71,960, nearly double the mean wages of all workers in the state ($38,300). Furthermore, some subfields of the discipline made even more money. As proof of point, aerospace engineers in Mississippi earned an average annual salary of $102,590; chemical engineers, $100,470; and electrical engineers, $95,690.

Third, there’s expected to be substantial growth across many subfields of engineering in coming years, a trend which lends itself to job security. Nationwide, the BLS (October 2016) anticipated that the following fields would be among the fastest growing between 2014 and 2024:

Biomedical engineering – 23.1 percent growth in positions nationally, 2014-24
Environmental engineering – 12.4 percent
Marine engineering – 8.9 percent
Civil engineering – 8.4 percent
Mining engineering – 6.4 percent

Projections Central (2017) offered expected growth figures within Mississippi and found that the brightest subfields of engineering for job opportunities would include:

Marine engineering – 19.7 percent growth in positions in Mississippi, 2014-24
Materials engineering – 19 percent
Mechanical engineering – 15 percent
Industrial engineering – 13.9 percent
Computer hardware engineering – 13 percent
Aerospace engineering – 11.6 percent

Notably, all of these figures are higher than the average growth anticipated across all occupations during that time (6.5 percent).

So how does a person in Mississippi join this lucrative and high-growth career? A majority of engineers have at least a bachelor’s degree before seeking work. In addition to the array of on-campus programs available, there’s an increasing number of distance-based programs, as well. They can be ideal for students who have family commitments; full-time jobs; or live in rural locations which prevent them from attending a traditional, in-person program. While online programs may be relatively new, they offer a high-quality education while providing flexibility for the students.

This guide explores the wealth of online engineering schools in Mississippi, including the expected coursework, tuition costs, and a few of the exceptional professors in the field.

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Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Engineering in Mississippi

For many aspiring engineers, a bachelor’s degree is the first stepping stone into a career. In addition to the abundance of on-campus programs, here are two standout online degrees from engineering from Mississippi-based institutions.

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering Technology – University of Southern Mississippi

At the University of Southern Mississippi of Hattiesburg, MS, students can pursue an online B.S. in industrial engineering technology. Students must complete 124 credit-hours to graduate in subjects such as management for organizations; operations management; human resource management; plane trigonometry; architectural graphics; engineering economics; and industrial automation, among a number of other core and elective classes. Tuition is set at $446.12 per credit-hour, bringing the total cost of the program to approximately $55,318.88. Additional fees may apply.

Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology – University of Southern Mississippi

The University of Southern Mississippi also provides an online B.S. in construction engineering technology. This 100 percent distance-based program requires students to complete 120 credit-hours across topics such as architectural graphics; statics and strengths of materials; construction planning and scheduling; construction organization; building information modeling; specifications and contract documents; and materials and methods of construction, among others. Tuition is $446.12 per credit-hour, and the entire program costs $53,534.40, excluding additional fees.

Online Master’s Degrees in Engineering in Mississippi

While a master’s degree in engineering is not necessary to work in the field, many choose to pursue this in order to develop a greater mastery and higher earning prospects than the undergraduate level. The bulk of online engineering programs are at the master’s degree level.

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering – Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University in Starkville offers an online M.S. in aerospace engineering. This program requires 30 credit-hours, including a six-credit hour graduate thesis. The major areas of study within this program include fluid dynamics, structural mechanics, flight mechanics and controls, flight test engineering, and design optimization. Notably, the master’s degree prepares students for a doctoral degree program, should they so desire. Tution for the fall of 2017 was $342 per credit-hour.

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering – Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University also boasts an online M.S. in mechanical engineering, as well. This program includes both a thesis and a non-thesis option, and requires students to complete either 30 or 33 credit-hours. Coursework is focused in different areas, including solid mechanics, thermal sciences, system dynamics, and mechanical design, among others. Similar to the program above, tuition is set at $342 per credit-hour.

Other MS Online Engineering Programs

Bachelor’s and master’s degrees are not the only options for aspiring engineers. There are other online program pathways, including the following certificate and associate degree program which can be earned at a distance.

Certificate in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance – Mississippi College

At Mississippi College of Clinton, students can pursue an online graduate certificate in cybersecurity and information assurance. This program requires six courses, each of which lasts 16 weeks, and the graduate certificate can be completed in as few as 12 months. Courses include computer security; cryptography and network security; computer and network forensics; ethics and law in information security; wireless, mobile, and cloud computing; and the development, assessment, and implementation of information security. Tuition for graduate students is set at $588 per credit-hour, although applicants should contact the program administrators directly for a customized fee assessment.

Associate of Science in Engineering – Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Starkville provides an online A.S. degree in engineering through synchronous, online class delivery. This two-year program can be parlayed into a bachelor’s of science in electrical or mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University. Classes include engineering statistics, solid-state electronics, electromagnetics, thermodynamics, and signals and systems, among a wide array of other electives and cores classes. Tuition for one semester of full-time study was set at $1,550, not including any additional costs or fees.

Online Engineering Programs – What to Consider

Before applying to an online engineering degree program in MS, there are a number of factors that all prospective students should take into consideration. For example, to remain fully prepared for the application process, as well as for the program itself, all aspiring engineering students should find the answers to the following questions:

How long does this program take to complete?
Can the program be completed on a part-time or full-time basis?
Are any campus visits required throughout the duration of the program?
Can the student complete practical experience credits in their home community?
What is the full cost of the program?
Does the school assist with job placement after graduation?
What are the student outcomes of past graduates?

Additionally, all applicants are advised to research whether or not their programs of choice are accredited and have appropriate state authorization status, as well.

Accreditation

Accreditation—a recognition of programmatic or institutional quality bestowed by an outside authority— is one of the most important factors to research for any students eager to pursue an online degree in engineering. Not all accreditation agencies are created equal, so students are advised to seek out online programs accredited by one or more of the following entities, which have been approved by Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA):

National accreditation

Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET)
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)

Regional accreditation

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Programmatic accreditation

State Authorization

Beyond accreditation, prospective students are also advised to only apply to programs that retain proper state authorization status. In other words, students in Mississippi are only allowed to study at programs that are authorized to operate in the state. Most universities offer this information on their websites (e.g., University of Southern Mississippi), and for those which don’t, please contact program coordinators to ensure eligibility.

Admissions Requirements

Many of the course prerequisites and application materials are similar across different degree levels, mirroring those of their on-campus program counterparts. For example, aspiring students in the online M.S.program in aerospace engineering from the Mississippi State University must submit:

Completed application and fee
An official transcript from an ABET-accredited undergraduate engineering degree program (if the applicant does not meet this first requirement, they must submit GRE scores instead)
GPA of at least 3.0
Three letters of recommendation
A statement of purpose

Of course, the application procedures differ by institution and degree level, as some schools retain additional requirements including candidate interviews; test scores; or the submission of a resume.

Online Engineering Professors in Mississippi

There are many well-respected educators and researchers who teach at universities with online engineering programs in Mississippi. Here are three acclaimed professors in the state:

Dr. Alta Knizley, Mississippi State University

Dr. Alta Knizley is an assistant clinical professor of mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University. She specializes in engineering education, energy sustainability, combined heat and power systems, and thermodynamics. She’s a promising, young academic and educator who already has several awards and honors to her name, including the 2016 Outstanding New Teacher Award from the ASEE-SE and the 2015 Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Faculty Award. Notably, she organized MSU’s Mechanical Engineering Ladies Organization in 2014.

Dr. Pedro Mago – Mississippi State University

Dr. Pedro Mago is a professor of mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University, where he also serves as the department head and the PACCAR chair. His authorship and co-authorship credits are vast, and his areas of specialty include energy systems; thermodynamics; heat and mass transfer; refrigeration and HVAC systems; and thermal system design and optimization. He has received a myriad awards throughout his career, including the 2013 Bagley College of Engineering Academy Distinguished Teaching Award; the 2011 State Pride Faculty Award; and the 2009 Best Review Award offered by Elsevier’s journal, Applied Energy.

Jocelyn Blore

After graduating from UC Berkeley, Jocelyn traveled the world for five years as an English teacher and freelance writer. After stints in England, Japan, and Brazil, she settled in San Francisco and worked as a managing editor for a tech company. She’s recently become interested in the underrepr...