What is the difference between a AAS degree in Electronics engineering and an AS? I think it just means there are more hands on experiments in the AAS degree, am I on the right track? Do you think employers look more positively on an AAS over just an AS? Thanks for the help anyone.

 

This depends on what country you are in. As far as the US is concerned, there isn't much difference that I've ever seen....

It's like the difference between a BS in EE and a BA in EE, is is the same thing, the school determines whether they want to confer a bachelor's of science or a bachelor's of art...science is just more appealing for geeks

 

Thanks tshuck, the program I am looking at is accredited and its 106 credit hours which is a lot for an AAS, but I think they are super, duper in-depth. Thanks for the help.

 

An AS in what? Let's make sure you're not comparing apples to oranges. Keep in mind that many general studies credits will transfer from an AS to a BS program, but that might not be the case for an AAS to a BS.

 

An AS degree is associates of science degree for students who want to start an engineering degree at a school that doesnt offer engineering degrees. These are typically called 2+3 programs. First two years of calculus, calculus-based physics, chemistry and general Ed courses. Then transfer to a university offering batch lot degrees in engineering. AS degrees are fairly useless without the final three years since only basic science courses are completed.

The AAS course is for students who want to work immediately with an associates degree (associates of applied sciences). These degrees are also known as engineering technology degrees. The math is more like applied algebra and trigonometry and few general Ed courses required. AAS degreed students fill positions as engineering techs. They are usually not trained to design devices from scratch but, instead, they are given responsibilities on the manufacturing floor, rework, quality and modifying existing drawings according to instructions from an experienced BS/MS engineer.

This is a good degree for students who are not comfortable with the math and theory and would rather focus on learning the basics then get into a factory and find their place in the organization. Jobs in technical sales, tech service, installation and customer training are all possible with an AAS degree depending on your interests and ability to learn on the job.

Since an AAS student has no calculus background, this degree cannot be upgraded to a full BSEE degree by simply taking two or three more years of engineering courses.

 

Here is the deal I am stuck between choosing two programs. Please don't yell at me for being indecisive. I am just stuck between two programs. These are the links to both, http://www.tesc.edu/ast/asast/Electronics-Engineering.cfm AND http://www.cie-wc.edu/Electronic-Engineering-Technology.aspx Two very different schools, two very different programs two to be honest. TESC is a real deal state college, and CIE is more specialized in Electronics. Please give me your professional opinion of both. The CIE program is 254 lessons, 106 credit hours, and the TESC is a traditional 60 credits. Is the 254 lessons at the CIE school misleading and just looks like way more learning than the TESC program? Thanks for any help guys, I appreciate it all.

 

I'm generally not a fan of private-for-profit technical colleges so I want to dismiss the CIE option. That is just a generalization. It is best to really ask the college which local companies recruit electronics students (they will give you a long list). Then ask to see the recruiting schedule at the placement office. Hopefully, if they are a good school that can really educate you well enough to encourage local companies to recruit from that school, they will have a schedule of companies waiting to talk to you.

The other school, I am actually disappointed in. They apparently elected to focus on getting a revenue stream from sailors getting ready to leave the navy. The web page showing what graduates are saying only has people discussing how easy it was to get a degree and how that school gave credit for military on the job training. It doesn't have anyone talking about their new career or how much the school helped them find a job.

In short, I don't know what is best but make sure the school you go to has some proof that their product (ability to educate you) is of high enough quality to make you desirable to a hiring company. Ask for proof and try to talk to 2nd year students who will be finishing soon to see how successful they are.

I was just at the University of Akron (Ohio). They have been successful with their 2-year and 4-year engineering technology programs and a good list of intern opportunities at local companies.

A 4-year engineering technology program is also with looking into. Sorry I cannot give you the final answer but you really have to visit and see what is best for you. If you will be in Cleveland, check out Cleveland State too.

 

TESC is not for profit, they cater to adult learners. They do things a bit differently and service members really love them. A service member on a sub somewhere in the world can still work on their degree because they allow you to put your lessons on a thumb drive. Its a completely legit school that gets NJ state funding and is regionally accredited. I think in the end I have to go with them. They allow you to get your "General ED" credits from a variety of legit sources. Its hard to explain but they allow for CLEP, TECEP testing, straighterline and a few other ways. The credits are legit, they just allow you to get certain credits MUCH cheaper and quicker because its for adult students. Its an amazing system actually. They allow you to study outside the school, not pay for the credits, take a very cheap test and get credits, but you can only do so much that way. Kinda hard to explain, but its a very cool system.

 

Assuming you want to continue to get your BS degree pick the one that allows the most credits to be transferred.. Nothing worse then finding out your credits from school X don't transfer to school Y and you end up spending more time/money redoing some credits.
The trick is to get in and out with a BS degree as fast/cheap as you can. Most don't care how/where you got your degree..They just care that you got a degree. A vast majority of people work in a field unrelated to their degree. But they have one so companies know they can actually do stuff in a professional manner.

 

Oh yeah if I was going to go for my BS, I would do it at this school. They call theirs BSAST by the way. Credits would go right from here into this program.

 

Here is the deal I am stuck between choosing two programs. Please don't yell at me for being indecisive. I am just stuck between two programs. These are the links to both, http://www.tesc.edu/ast/asast/Electronics-Engineering.cfm AND http://www.cie-wc.edu/Electronic-Engineering-Technology.aspx Two very different schools, two very different programs two to be honest. TESC is a real deal state college, and CIE is more specialized in Electronics. Please give me your professional opinion of both. The CIE program is 254 lessons, 106 credit hours, and the TESC is a traditional 60 credits. Is the 254 lessons at the CIE school misleading and just looks like way more learning than the TESC program? Thanks for any help guys, I appreciate it all.

I applaud you for being "indecisive" if it's because you're trying to be careful and gathering information. Of the 2 choices, I would definitely go with TESC. First, it offers an AS degree, which follows a traditional path of general education requirements. That's more likely to be transferable or accepted by another school for a BS degree should you choose to do so in the future. Second, TESC is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which is nationally recognized as a legitimate school and offers a better change at transferring credits to other schools.

 

Thanks mlog, I hate being confused like this. I am just dreading the General ED stuff, I know its all part of the degree and everyone has to go through it, but I still am not looking forward to it. I agree it is better because you can then go from the ASAST to the BSAST very easily. Can you get a decent job in this industry with an AS? I know you get a better job with a BS but can you get a half way decent job with an AS? Can you get a job with the AS, as you work toward the BSAST? Thanks again, mlog. I apologize for my annoying-nous of being confused and so many questions.