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Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - Printable Version

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Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - sanantone - 04-18-2019

On the page for Texas A&M - Corpus Christi's online programs, they list a competency-based degree in mechanical engineering technology. When I click on the link, I don't see any mention of the program being competency-based, but it does say that the program is ABET-accredited. After doing some digging, I only found some articles from a couple of years ago that announced the funding of the program and an archived catalog page. 

Maybe one of you will be interested enough to do some more research. 

https://iol.tamucc.edu/online_degrees.html

http://catalog.tamucc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=17&poid=1795


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - MNomadic - 04-18-2019

Very interesting
Thanks for sharing


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - terryd5150 - 06-17-2019

Interesting.

Thanks for posting.


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - Zed - 06-25-2019

Their current catalog page also describes the competency-based program, so this appears to be a current and valid program.

http://catalog.tamucc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=20&poid=2542

Here's the interesting bit:
"Some courses will have an online pre-test that students can take to earn college credit for that course.  The test will be the equivalent of a comprehensive final exam that will test students on all competencies related to the course.  The pre-test will be proctored according to the same standard as all other tests taken in the course.  If students pass the pre-test, they will receive credit and not be required to take the course.  The fee for taking the pre-test in each course must be paid by the student and may range up to $300 per exam."


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - Stoic - 06-25-2019

This type of degree would probably look more 'legit' than most. Even if you're not planning to be an engineer the quantitative skills learned here will really build your background. If I wasn't so far ahead in my journey I would do this.


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - sanantone - 06-25-2019

The program requires some on-campus classes unless you can transfer them in.


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - terryd5150 - 08-04-2019

It appears this program, while innovative, still requires the equivalent of an applicable two-year degree that would include the required LL technical courses to be transferred into the program.

While I applaud the novel, competency-based approach to the UL courses, this program still represents a challenge to the pure distance learner - in that the only applicable AS in Mechanical Engineering Technology program available to distance learners is ECPI ($$$'s).

UMass Lowell offers an AS MET with an online component, but if you read the fine print closely you'll see: "Note: Although some of the courses in this program are available online, the majority of the courses are only available on campus."

With that considered, it seems this program can be labeled as another variant of the 2+2/BS completion for MET that currently exists.

These programs are aimed at the student that attended a B&M community college for an AS, not the "start-from-scratch" distance learner.

If anyone sees an alternative that I've missed, please speak up as I really like the MET curriculum. If a reasonable path to an entirely distance BS MET existed, I'd be all over it.


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - Zed - 08-04-2019

(08-04-2019, 02:34 PM)terryd5150 Wrote: It appears this program, while innovative, still requires the equivalent of an applicable two-year degree that would include the required LL technical courses to be transferred into the program.

While I applaud the novel, competency-based approach to the UL courses, this program still represents a challenge to the pure distance learner - in that the only applicable AS in Mechanical Engineering Technology program available to distance learners is ECPI ($$$'s).

UMass Lowell offers an AS MET with an online component, but if you read the fine print closely you'll see: "Note: Although some of the courses in this program are available online, the majority of the courses are only available on campus."

With that considered, it seems this program can be labeled as another variant of the 2+2/BS completion for MET that currently exists.

These programs are aimed at the student that attended a B&M community college for an AS, not the "start-from-scratch" distance learner.

If anyone sees an alternative that I've missed, please speak up as I really like the MET curriculum. If a reasonable path to an entirely distance BS MET existed, I'd be all over it.

What other 2+2 MET programs are you referring to?

I have an AS, as well as some further coursework towards Mechanical Engineering, so such a program might actually be a good fit for me.

Also, you don't necessarily need your AS to be specifically in Mechanical Engineering Technology in order to transfer into that program. I'm sure something like an AS in Technical Studies from TESU would suffice as long as you choose your electives in a way that fulfills the program prerequisites. A lot of associates degrees are very broad, allowing you to to tailor them towards your future goals. For example, one person might take an AS in Mathematics to transfer into a BS in Mechanical Engineering while someone else might take the same program to go into pre-med.

Of course it's best to check with the school(s) you are considering for your eventual Bachelors to see if they care about the name of your Associate's program. They likely don't care as long as the course requirements are met.


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - terryd5150 - 08-04-2019

(08-04-2019, 03:09 PM)Zed Wrote:
(08-04-2019, 02:34 PM)terryd5150 Wrote: It appears this program, while innovative, still requires the equivalent of an applicable two-year degree that would include the required LL technical courses to be transferred into the program.

While I applaud the novel, competency-based approach to the UL courses, this program still represents a challenge to the pure distance learner - in that the only applicable AS in Mechanical Engineering Technology program available to distance learners is ECPI ($$$'s).

UMass Lowell offers an AS MET with an online component, but if you read the fine print closely you'll see: "Note: Although some of the courses in this program are available online, the majority of the courses are only available on campus."

With that considered, it seems this program can be labeled as another variant of the 2+2/BS completion for MET that currently exists.

These programs are aimed at the student that attended a B&M community college for an AS, not the "start-from-scratch" distance learner.

If anyone sees an alternative that I've missed, please speak up as I really like the MET curriculum. If a reasonable path to an entirely distance BS MET existed, I'd be all over it.

What other 2+2 MET programs are you referring to?

I have an AS, as well as some further coursework towards Mechanical Engineering, so such a program might actually be a good fit for me.

Also, you don't necessarily need your AS to be specifically in Mechanical Engineering Technology in order to transfer into that program. I'm sure something like an AS in Technical Studies from TESU would suffice as long as you choose your electives in a way that fulfills the program prerequisites. A lot of associates degrees are very broad, allowing you to to tailor them towards your future goals. For example, one person might take an AS in Mathematics to transfer into a BS in Mechanical Engineering while someone else might take the same program to go into pre-med.

Of course it's best to check with the school(s) you are considering for your eventual Bachelors to see if they care about the name of your Associate's program. They likely don't care as long as the course requirements are met.

Hi, Zed:

Here's some of the 2+2 BSMET programs I mentioned:

1. Indiana State
https://www.indstate.edu/academics/online/undergraduate/met

2. Old Dominion
https://online.odu.edu/programs/met-manufacturing-systems-mechanical-system-design

RELATED:

3. Murray State | Manufacturing Engineering Technology
https://www.murraystate.edu/academics/care/distance-learning/manufacturing-engineering-technology/index.aspx

To your point regarding TESU, or the general "Big 3" approach that's prevalent on this board:

The Big 3 do provide a valid pathway to Electronics Engineering Technology (EET), but they're of limited utility for Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET).

You could potentially transfer in an AS in Technical Studies, but all you'll be transferring are Gen Eds., Math, & Sciences. You'll still have gaps in the lower-level courses required for the MET major, as none of the Big 3 offer these.

In fact, I'd argue that you're better off building up credits from online community college programs for the Gen Eds., Math, and Science - all of which are available online in ACE form and regionally-accredited community colleges - and transferring them directly to an MET program rather than wasting money for the Big 3 to "convert" them to an Technical Studies-type AS that still leaves all of the lower-level courses for the major unfulfilled.

It's those very lower-level courses that tend to be the "unicorn" in the equation as they almost never appear in an online form for college credit.

Specific to the program in this thread, those courses are:

ENGR 1211 - Introduction to Engineering 2 sem. hrs.
ENGR 1312 - Engineering Graphics I 3 sem. hrs.
COSC 1330 - Programming for Scientists, Engineers, and Mathematicians 3 sem. hrs.
ENTC 2414 - Circuit Analysis I 4 sem. hrs.
ENTC 2325 - Statics 3 sem. hrs.
ENTC 2326 - Dynamics 3 sem. hrs.

Other MET programs will have similar course requirements, but they'll very closely mirror these.

I can find one, two, maybe three at best of those, but that still leaves a rather large gap in the major.

Again, if anyone has a solution - please feel free to share.


RE: Competency-based BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology? - NolaRice - 08-04-2019

I would be all over this if there wasn't an on-campus requirement. I went back to school wanting to be a mech/aerospace engineer, and having to drop out (because the program wasn't flexible enough for my full-time job) is one of my life's biggest regrets.