Monday, 7 May 2012

The Basics of a Material Engineering Degree

Material engineers, also known as materials engineers in some circles, improve the quality of the raw materials used to produce sophisticated goods. Some graduates of material engineering degree programs use their skills to develop hybrid materials for new generations of computers, aircraft, and automobiles. Other professionals in this specialty focus on maintaining quality control for established product lines.

Material Engineering Online Education Options

Innovative online degree programs offer exciting new opportunities for prospective material engineers, regardless of location. Although career training for this field usually requires significant lab work, partnerships between colleges, universities, and employers can make it easier for working professionals to complete required courses.
Common courses may include physics, chemistry, biology, design, statistics, and more. Classes become more specialized and more intense as professionals progress through material engineering degree programs. Through an online degree program, you can earn a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree.

Career & Salary Options for Material Engineers

Material engineers often find themselves attracted to careers in product development, high technology, and civil engineering. According to industry data, employers typically recruit graduates of material engineering degree programs who have a concentration of work in biomaterial or nanomaterial. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), materials engineers earned a median annual salary of $77,170 in 2007. Some of the top employers in 2007 included semiconductor and electronic component manufacturers, aerospace manufacturing, as well as scientific research services.
Students studying for an online degree as part of workplace professional development programs can often dovetail their academic research with projects completed for their employers. Likewise, trade organizations frequently conduct live field training events that can enhance the learning from an online degree program. Because specialists in this field emphasize continual training and development, newcomers to material engineering should find it easier to find spaces in comprehensive online degree programs.
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Engineers
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Materials Engineers
Engineer Girl
Materials Research Society
Joe Taylor Jr. is an internal business consultant for a Fortune 500 company, who writes about finance, culture, and design. He holds a bachelor's of science in communications from Ithaca College.

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