OT:Schooling

[davidg68124]

I live in Nebraska, so that would not be the problem for me. Right now, we are currently trying to sort out ALL my credits and see if I have less than a year left to finish. Basically fullfilling their at least 30 Credits from them requirement.

David

 

[jthomes]

KW is accredited, but only through the state. The problem with that is, most companies will not do a reembirsment for it. It has to follow a national accreditation program. I have heard wonderful things on KW, but also the opposite. I was told by a HR director in my area that they laugh when they see a KW degree. Most larger companies, it seems, don't want to accknowledge it. So be careful.I, too, have been playing around with the idea of going back to get my engineering degree, but all the online schools I have found are way up there in price. I've been running into this problem for years now.

 

[ArikBY]

It seems the knowledge is not intresting you only the title.
I would suggest you to get dgree from close area like computer science with business or something like that.
It is easyer and faster.PLC programmer is not must to be EE engineer.
You will get academic title which will raise your salary and your position in the company.

You can also buy a title on the web.just a joke.

Good Luck

 

[kamenges]

Arik makes an interesting point. If you really aren't interested in learning anything and just want the degree, get a degree in 'Industrial Underwater Basketweaving' or some such from the cheapest online accredited college you can find. It will be easier than getting an engineering degree and will satisfy many company's requirement degree.


I don't know that I agree with this idea. The way I see it if you are going to put in the time you might as well get something out of it. But it is a fundamentally valid idea if all you need is the degree.

Keith

 

[ArikBY]

I just play around with my idea and checked computer science syllabuses.

It is not so easy.It look like,If you are more close to the part of software in the automation field ,You can get good knowledge base with computer science.
There is much more on line option for that .

 

[jprindle]

I had thought about getting a business degree, since I am a supervisor, but was hoping I could transfer a lot of my 2 year degree credits towards a 4 year EE degree. It does not look like that is the case, since most classes won't transfer. Anybody get a business degree online? In my current situation, 4 year degree=more money. I would probably learn more taking the business class. From what I have seen from the EE programs, they don't get into controls systems as deep as I already have at work. I am not saying I would not learn, but I am not sure how relevent it would be to my job.

 

[lswood]

Kennedy Western is not an accredited University. They take your years of experience and accepts them as credited hours and have you believe the classes you take online are accredited. I would check it out for myself If I were you.

 

[Sheldn]

I have yet to see any program even at the technical college (in Wisconsin - MATC, WCTC by County etc...) get very deep into PLCs. Colleges may talk about them and even have a few weeks discussing them. You probably could teach more in depth "blood and guts", "horror stories", and "do's and don'ts) from your experience. You will get more in depth on this web site. What the degree will do for you is open doors to jobs, employers, advancement, and careers that use specific criteria such as a BSEE from an ABET college.

College programs will typically broaden your horizons and give you some depth. In acedemia, depth of knowledge only comes with the Masters programs and then really the PhD. And then when you develop your Masters Thesis or PhD Dissertation, it is all "self study" in depth on a specific topic of interest to you and your advisor such as "Comparison of Transport Layer Protocols in Industrial Automation I/O Sub Systems that Exhibit Deterministic Behavior". (It may not be technically correct, but it sounds good and you can tell me that after you write your paper)


BTW - not only does this web site provide great technical information and conversation, it appears that it is a great careeer counciling place... Please pay the receptionist on the way out....

 

[sportster]

The Electromechanical Tech Major at CVTC in Eau Claire spends the majority of the second year on PLC's, motion, networking, HMI, troubleshooting, and project work. I graduated from there in 2003. Very good program with very good lab equipment (not outdated). My previous employer paid the whole tab (minus travel expenses-two hour round trip everyday) as long as I put in my 40. But the local Tech school where I live now (not the same school I went to) has nothing for PLC/Automation related field. Basically a one semester class in the IT program-no hands on, just theory. So it looks like the college I went to is the exception, not the rule.

Sheldn, I would think down by you, the MATC would have an EM program. Or is it just not very good?

 

[lswood]

Where Is That School Located?

 

[Sheldn]

The technical colleges near me MATC has an ET program. They have one PLC course that gets into some details but not very deep like you get on the job. The MATC program suffers from lack of students with the departure of much of manufacturing from Milwaukee. If there was more demand, then there would be more classes. Other areas where there is growth such as the Fox Valley, Waukesha, and near you (Eau Claire) probably have more healthy programs (based on the number of graduating students).