Engineers in the Distance
This article presents views of Todd Torrence on introduction of online learning programs that can open paths from technical to technological. The University of North Dakota, which offers the only accredited online BSME program in the United States, is in a state where hydraulic fracturing has sharply increased oil production. The university has applied for accreditation of an online program offering a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering. The UND online BSME program covers the same material as its on-campus counterpart. North Carolina State has a 2+2 program where a student can go to a partnering university at the east and west ends of the state for the first two years of their undergraduate work. The University of North Dakota online BSME program covers the same material as its on-campus counterpart. Part of the accreditation process is assuring that the online degree is equivalent to the face-to-face degree. The challenge with undergrad online engineering programs is their sheer size and the time it takes to complete them, as compared with graduate programs.