Becoming a mechanical engineer in Tennessee involves going to one of the 12 schools in the state that offer this program. Five of these schools offer Associate’s degree programs and nine schools have Bachelor’s-level programs. For higher-level degrees, there are nine schools with Master’s-level programs and eight schools with PhD programs.
Earning an Associate’s degree takes about two years, and you have to complete 60 credits. Many schools in Tennessee allow you to transfer your Associate’s degree credits to a four-year institution. A Bachelor’s degree takes about four years, and you have to complete between 120 and 130 credits.
Some of the courses you may have to take at this level include Magnetism and Fluids, Mechanics of Materials, and Fluid Mechanics.
If you have a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, you may be interested in earning a master’s degree or PhD. You can typically earn a Master’s degree in two to three years. Earning a PhD generally takes five to seven years of full-time work.
The average cost of tuition in Tennessee is approximately $9700. However, tuition does vary significantly from school to school. You may be able to lower your overall cost of tuition by applying for grants and scholarships.
The Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers awards scholarships of $3500 to $4000 to engineering students every year. In addition, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee awards a variety of scholarships to selected Tennessee students.
If you want to work as an engineer in Tennessee, you have to get your license from the Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners. This process includes passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, filling out a complete application and sending it to the board, and getting your license. During your first renewal cycle of two years, you have to complete 12 hours of continuing education hours. In every renewal cycle after that, you must complete 24 hours.