Ready to start a new career as a mechanical engineer? It all starts with attending a mechanical engineering program at Kansas. There are six schools with this type of program. There are five schools with Associate’s degree programs and four schools with Bachelor’s degree programs. If you want to earn a post-graduate degree, there are four schools with Master’s degree options and three schools with doctorate degree options.
Before you can earn a higher0level degree, you must first earn an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. In fact, any Master’s or doctoral program will require a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a similar field. Some of the classes you may be expected to take include Mechanics of Materials, Fluid Mechanics, and Thermodynamics. You can expect to spend two years earning an Associate’s degree or four years earning a Bachelor’s degree. In addition to classroom time, you have to spend a good deal of time in the lab learning about different materials and how they interact with each other.
Earning a Master’s degree or doctoral degree may allow you to take on a research role in mechanical engineering. A Master’s degree takes two to four years to complete, while a PhD takes five to seven years. Classes involved at this level include Mechanics and Vibration, Statistical Thermodynamics, and Mechanics of Machinery.
The average tuition cost in Kansas is about $9700 per semester. This varies, depending on whether you attend a private or public school, and whether you are a Kansas resident or non-resident. Regardless of which school you attend, you may be able to minimize your educational costs by applying for scholarships.
You can look into the Kansas Water Environment Association, which awards a variety of scholarships Kansas students. In addition, the William R. Kimel Engineering Scholarship is awarded to engineering students in Kansas and Missouri.
In order to begin working as a professional engineer in Kansas, you must get your license from the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions. This includes taking the NCEES exam, filling out an application, and sending in a $100 check. Exams are offered twice per year, so it is good to register as soon as you are eligible to take the exam.