Introduction
Not everyone is willing to commit four full years to earn a bachelor’s degree. The reasons are many, but chief amongst them are usually time and budgetary constraints. In these cases, earning a two year degree – otherwise known as an associate degree – is often a viable choice. In fact, there are many big buck job opportunities one can try via one such degree.
One great career choice for the financial success oriented individual is an associate’s, two year degree in engineering. In fact, assuming an individual successfully earns a two year engineering degree, they are highly likely to earn a bigger paycheque than a great number of other, four year education required careers. Prerequisites for pursuing such a career are a solid math background and developed science skills.
Associate’s Engineering Degree
In general, an Associate’s Degree of Engineering can best be described as a broad entry point into the engineering industry. As engineering is a highly complex field with many diverse sub branches, it is difficult to define what exactly an engineering technician will end up doing during his everyday work life without first knowing in which particular branch and industry he will work in. An engineering technician can safely expect to make between $41.000 and $52.000 on an annual basis, depending on the area he will work on. According to Forbes, environmental engineering technicians make the least, on average, whereas aerospace engineering technicians average the highest salaries.
Not all 2 year engineering degree’s are made the same, but they tend to have enough similarities to construct a broad overview of what one can expect to learn. During your associate’s engineering degree you can expect to:
- Acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding of the principles and practice of engineering.
- Develop your research skills and acquire intellectual as well as professional independence.
- Learn how to apply and integrate the multi-disciplinary engineering skills to solve complicated real life engineering problems.
- Learn how to communicate effectively both as an individual and as part of a group, through presentations and case studies.
While the majority of entry level engineering jobs will require a four year bachelor’s degree, you will be eligible to apply for job positions and work as technician, assist licensed mechanical engineers on field. Moreover, you will always be able to complete a 4 year bachelor program, should you wish to further your engineering education.
Sample Engineering Degrees
There are numerous institutions, like technical schools, community colleges and 4-year universities, that offer a 2 year engineering degree. Before committing to a single one, we encourage you to directly contact the engineering school in order to get specific information on their program. Important things to ask for include verification of the programs length, confirmation of eligibility to advance into a bachelor program, as well as tuition costs.
Most importantly, however, you should ask about internship opportunities. Internships are an excellent way to ease yourself into your new job, get a chance to distinguish yourself from your peers, make a decent profit and earn invaluable work experience.
Below, we will provide you some excellent 2 year engineering degrees you might want to check out.
Aerospace Engineering, South Seattle College
Essentially, an aerospace engineering is involved in the design, testing, development and manufacture of aircraft or, if they latter specialize in astronautical engineering, of spacecraft – creations that are capable of working outside the Earth’s atmosphere. They can be employed by commercial industries as well as the military.
Students that decide to take South Seattle’s aerospace engineering associate’s degree can expect rigorous study and intensive training during its period. The program’s curriculum includes a valuable design component that is consistent with ABET accreditation standards.
Most importantly, credits earned through this program can be directly applied towards the first two years of a four year bachelor’s in engineering, should the student wish to continue their studies further.
Mechanical Engineering, LaGuardia Community College
A mechanical engineer conceives, construsts, tests and operates all kinds of mechanical, thermal or even biological devices. It is a rather broad branch of engineering, that can be divided into many different sub categories like mechanics, structural analysis, robotics and thermodynamics. All are equally central to the profession, and a mechanical engineer is expected to have a solid understanding of all these subdisciplines.
The LaGuardia Community College’s, Department of Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science allows students of diverse backgrounds to introduce themselves to the aforementioned sciences through quality two year degree programs. To facilitate the learning process, and enhance the classrom experience, students undergo a placement examination test and are then distributed according to their respective level.
Students completing the college’s associate’s engineering degree can expect to earn a a solid background in engineering allowing them to seamlessly transfer to a bachelor’s degree. During their courses they will develop their critical thinking, technical and analytical skills as well as develop a strong grasp of mathematics and sciences. By the end of the program, they will be capable of distinguishing themselves in the workplace and secure a high paying job as professional engineering technicians.
Conclusion
The common perception dictates that high paying careers can only be obtained by people who have successfully earned a university, four year education degree. While it is true that education has its place, and no time spent studying goes to waste, there exist a great number of alternative options for people who lack the time or monetary budget to invest in such lengthy training.
Commonly refered to as associate’s degrees, these two year degrees are offered by various types of colleges, including community coleges, junior and technical colleges, as well as colleges affiliated with universities.
An associate’s engineering degree enables the student to enter the diverse engineering industry and secure a high paying job as an engineering technician. Most importantly, they do not block them from pursuing further study in the future, and at most times allow for a seamless transition to a full four year bachelor’s degree.
