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Engineering
What Will I Learn?
Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between scientific discoveries and the commercial applications that meet societal and consumer needs.1
By successfully completing an associate in engineering science (A.E.S.) you will have the ability to:
- Transfer your skills to a four-year bachelor's degree-granting engineering program.
- Interpret and apply basic principles and laws governing the natural world.
- Creatively apply mathematics to solve problems.
- Critically evaluate and analyze information.
- Communicate ideas and solutions effectively both in writing and verbally.
What Is The Occupational Outlook?
Overall job opportunities in engineering are expected to be good because the number of engineering graduates should be in rough balance with the number of job openings between 2006 and 2016. In addition to openings from job growth, many openings will be created by the need to replace current engineers who retire; transfer to management, sales, or other occupations; or leave engineering for other reasons. The starting salaries for engineers are among the highest of all college graduates. For more detailed information, including salary ranges, go to the U.S. Department of Labor Web site. 1
What Are My Options?
Most entry-level engineering positions require a bachelor's degree in one of the engineering fields. The associate in engineering science (A.E.S.) is a two-year program designed to prepare students to transfer as a junior in a baccalaureate engineering program. The A.E.S. represents the first two years of a typical four-year program. During the two years of the A.E.S. program students will complete the core courses for most engineering programs, including math, physics, chemistry and engineering mechanics.
Courses completed in the A.E.S at Heartland may be transferred to a four-year bachelor's degree granting-institution to pursue an engineering degree. Starting your course work at Heartland Community College has several advantages that include:
- Small class sizes: Small classes allow for more interaction between students and the instructor. At a large university, lecture sections can be as large as 500 students.
- More access to a dedicated, highly qualified instructor: Most large universities employ graduate students as teaching assistants who have little or no experience teaching.
- Lower costs: Tuition and fees are considerably less at Heartland Community College.
- Being prepared for junior and senior level work: The course content in Heartland's physics courses is identical to that at any four-year institution. After transferring, community college students perform slightly better than native students at their respective institutions, based on GPA data.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Engineers on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm