The degree program provides students with knowledge and experiences that will help them design environmentally friendly, cost-effective products.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industrial Engineers, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/industrial-engineers.htm (visited March 24, 2022).
While this answer used to be four years to earn a B.S. Degree in Manufacturing Engineering, this was when most students attended their classes on-campus full time. Now, students have some additional choices, including the online option. Depending on how an individual university has this structured, an undergraduate student who takes at least 15 credit hours each semester can earn their degree in close to four years. However, most students decide to take only the minimum 12 credit hours per semester. This makes their program run close to five or even six years. Depending upon how flexible the university is with courses being offered (and how long a term or semester runs), students can anticipate graduating in five years, on average.
Before choosing a major there are some important facts you should know about.
In general, you can begin your career as a Manufacturing Engineering by earning a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Manufacturing Engineering, but in many cases for the position you are seeking you may need to obtain a master's degree in Manufacturing Engineering. Furthermore, there are numerous specializations and subfields associated with a major in Manufacturing Engineering. You will want to research the college or university to determine if they have the major you are considering.
This is a very important question to ask yourself. Your major should play a big part in the schools you are considering. Not every college may offer the major of your choice, so doing your homework is the first step of the selection process.
A Manufacturing Engineering degree will certainly require to consist of some really particular training courses. Generally, a bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering looks like an associate level doubled, but associates courses (the first two years) focus more on general studies. While the 3rd-5th years focus more on specific studies related to Manufacturing Engineering. Below is a sample of online bachelor's degree courses so you can see the kind of curriculum that will be typically found. Universities will differ in their specific studies needs. Compare colleges very carefully on the courses they will require you to take to gain your bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering. Sample courses you may need:
Currently, students enrolled in four-year universities have less than a 50% chance of graduating within four years. Statistics vary from university to university, but many students are graduating closer to the 6-year range.
If you want to be one of the lucky 40% who do graduate in your fourth year, you'll need to make a few sacrifices. First, you'll have to take more than the minimum 12 credit hours per semester. Take 15 credits per semester, because you'll finish earning the required credits in around four years.
Go to school each summer session. Take at least one class per summer semester. Not only will you be sure to graduate on time, but you may also benefit with lower per-credit tuition charges, as well.
Declare a major as soon as you can. You won't be moving from major to major this way. If you have to work for gas or rent, work for the fewest number of hours per week that you can. Your studies are vital.
Accreditation is an important part of selecting a school for Manufacturing Engineering education. Much depends on accreditation and the type of accreditation. There are two main types of accreditation; regional and national. Regional accreditation agencies work with research-based schools, private schools, public schools, and some for-profit schools. National accreditation works primarily with for-profit and career-related education.
Regional Accreditation
There are two types of regional accreditation; they are Manufacturing Engineering program accreditation and institutional accreditation. Institutional accreditation uses a group of states as the base to compare the school with other colleges and universities; the group of states comprises the region assigned by the Department of Education.
Programmatic Accreditation looks at specific programs or parts of a college or university. This type of accreditation has the same type of respect and acceptance as regional accreditation for institutions. Regional employers and other educational institutions regard regional accreditation as proof of high-quality education.
National Accreditation
National accreditation has a Faith-based branch and a career- related education branch. Faith-based institutions have a different set of standards that recognize the role of faith in instruction. The for-profit branch of national accreditation covers the special purpose and non-traditional schools such as vocational schools. The career-related education requires standards that place appropriate weight on general knowledge and education. Some regionally accredited schools do not accept credits from career-related schools.
Did you know that your salary is not always just based on what level of degree you received, but it also could be based on what school you attended? Many employers actually have their own rankings and rating systems of schools. That is to say, if you received your degree from a college that was accredited by a low rated agency, your salary may actually be decreased by a certain percentage where a high-ranked, well-known, accredited school, can raise that mark significantly.
The cost will depend on several factors. Are you pursuing your Manufacturing Engineering degree online or in a traditional setting? If you attend your courses on campus, you will also need to pay for food, room and board, and other fees. This can increase the cost of your Manufacturing Engineering education significantly unless you have a plan in place to keep these costs low. If you attend a public, state school, it will depend on whether or not you are a resident. In-state students usually pay much lower rates than out-of-state students. However, this can be overcome by attending classes online, as most institutions charge in-state rates for all online courses. Either way, you need to research the costs for each Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering program you are considering applying to, as each institution will have their own rates.
We recommend that students make a specific inquiry about job placement assistance programs at any school they consider for a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering degree program. Advanced institutions incorporate career planning into the two or four-year course of study for a bachelor's or master's degree in Manufacturing Engineering. The school may host job fairs, business community awareness communications, and host interviews for employers from across the region.
The school of Manufacturing Engineering, college, or university is a broad community of alumni, business sponsors, and corporate partners. Both new and established schools often have extensive local, regional, and national networks. The overall resources of the Manufacturing Engineering school and the larger schools can potentially assist in producing high levels of job opportunities and hires for recent graduates.
Some schools pair students with advisers, career counselors, and job coaches at various stages of their academic careers. Observers can see the results in annual satisfaction surveys, and the numbers of students that get interviews and offers of employment.
