What Schools Have Engineering Degrees in Kansas?

Career and Salary Info for Engineers in Kansas

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), engineers need to earn a license before they can advertise services directly to the public (www.bls.gov). Some engineers who work for governmental bodies also need to be licensed. Kansas follows national standards and uses the tests administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). After taking the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, generally at the end of earning your undergraduate degree, you would need to file an application with the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions. You will be registered as an Intern Engineer and will need to gain supervised work experience and to pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination (PE) before becoming licensed.

Engineering job opportunities and salaries will vary by discipline. Nationally, the demand for engineers was projected to be highest for biomedical engineers, with a 62% job growth projection between 2010 and 2020, but job growth for all other fields of engineering was projected to be average to below average for the same period of time. The BLS reported no biomedical engineers working in Kansas, as of May 2011, but reported annual mean salaries for engineers in Kansas working in the fields of petroleum engineering at $129,000, electrical engineering at $81,000, and mechanical engineering at $73,000.

Schools Offering Associate's Degrees in Engineering

Allen Community College

• Program Name: Associate of Science
• Specialization Area: Physics/Pre-Engineering
• Program Length: 2 years
• Tuition: $50 per credit hour (U.S. residents), $137 per credit hour (International students) (Costs for 2012-2013)
• School Type: 2-year, public; about 2,800 undergraduate students
• Address: 1801 N. Cottonwood, Iola, KS 66749
• Phone: 620-365-5116

The associate's degree program at Allen Community College (ACC) is designed to prepare you to either work directly after graduating from the program or to continue on to receive a bachelor's degree from a 4-year institution. You would take general education coursework in English, humanities, and social sciences classes, alongside core engineering classes in calculus, chemistry, analytic geometry, and engineering physics. ACC requires a total of 64 credit hours to earn an associate's degree, and as a public community college, they have transfer agreements with a variety of public universities in Kansas, including Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, and Wichita State University.

Dodge City Community College

• Program Name: Associate of Science
• Specialization Area: Engineering
• Program Length: 2 years
• Tuition: $35 per credit hour (residents of KS, CO, NM, TX, OK, MO, NE, AZ, and UT), $45 per credit hour (all other U.S. residents), $116 per credit hour (International students); All costs are for 2012-2013
• School Type: 2-year, public; around 1,900 undergraduate students
• Address: 2501 N. 14th Avenue, Dodge City, KS 67801-2399
• Phone: 620-225-1321

Dodge City Community College (DCCC) is located in the southwestern section of Kansas. Similar to most public community colleges in Kansas, it ascribes to the public university transfer agreement, which means that if you meet their requirements, you would be accepted as a junior at any Kansas public university once you've graduated with an A.S. degree. In this program, you would take lab science courses in chemistry and physics, math courses in calculus, analytic geometry, and differential equations, and general education courses in psychology, English composition, and humanities. If you do well in Chemistry I, they offer an honors version of Chemistry II. Generally, to graduate from DCCC, you will need to complete 62 hours of coursework with a GPA of at least 2.0.

Schools Offering Bachelor's Degrees in Engineering

University of Kansas

• Program Name: Bachelor of Science
• Specialization Areas: Aerospace Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering
• Program Length: 4-5 years
• Tuition: $8,790 per year (resident), $22,860 per year (non-resident); Costs are for 2012 first-time freshmen, frozen for 4 years
• School Type: University, public; about 19,700 undergraduates and 8,000 graduate students
• Address: School of Engineering, 1520 West 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66045-7576
• Phone: 785-864-3881

The engineering school at the University of Kansas (KU) offers nine undergraduate engineering degree programs, some of which have sub-specializations available. You can either enter any of their programs directly, or you can take the Introduction to Engineering class and declare a major afterwards. As an engineering student at KU you would take required general education courses in the areas of English, communication, economics, and humanities or social sciences. Your math and science coursework would include chemistry, physics, and calculus, and your engineering coursework will vary by discipline. A combined program is available with mechanical engineering and business, and would take five years to complete.

Wichita State University

• Program Name: Bachelor of Science
• Specialization Areas: Aerospace Engineering, Bioengineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Engineering for Manufacture, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology
• Program Length: 4 years
• Tuition: $167 per credit hour (resident), $435 per credit hour (non-resident); Costs are for 2011-2012
• School Type: University, public; around 12,100 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students
• Address: 1845 Fairmount Street, Wichita, KS 67260
• Phone: 316-978-3456

During the course of your degree program at Wichita State University (WSU), you would begin with general education coursework such as English, social science, and fine arts, as well as an ethics course. You would also take required engineering physics courses with lab components and calculus and other math classes that cover differential equations or linear algebra. From there, your coursework would depend upon your major, with the exception of the Engineer of 2020 program which requires all engineering students to participate in three of six available research, internship, study abroad, community service and/or leadership projects.

Schools Offering Master's Degrees in Engineering

University of Kansas

• Program Name: Master of Science (MS), Master of Engineering (ME)
• Specialization Areas: Aerospace Engineering (ME and MS), Architectural Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering
• Program Length: 1-3 years
• Tuition: $5,936 per year (resident), $13,888 per year (non-resident); Costs for 2012-2013
• Academic Prerequisites: Some programs require specific undergraduate courses.
• Admissions Requirements: Non-native English speakers must pass an English proficiency exam within three semesters of initial enrollment.
• School Type: University, public; about 19,700 undergraduates and 8,000 graduate students
• Address: School of Engineering, Eaton Hall,1520 West 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66045-7576
• Phone: 785-864-3881

Early on in your master's degree program, you'll meet with an advisor to set your plan of study, which needs to be approved by a committee. Depending upon your major, you may have options regarding whether you will complete a thesis or a research project to graduate, and if applicable, what type of final examination you'll take. A joint degree is available for the mechanical engineering master's degree with Korea University of Technology and Education. KU requires students to maintain a 3.0 GPA in all your graduate courses. Exceptionally qualified students may be admitted to the Fast-Track PD program, which doesn't require a master's degree. KU offers 14 doctoral programs in engineering as well.

Wichita State University

• Program Name: Master of Science, Master of Engineering Management
• Specialization Areas: Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
• Program Length: 2-4 years
• Tuition: $225 per credit hour (resident), $610 per credit hour (non-resident); Costs for 2011-2012
• Admissions Requirements: GRE may be required in some programs
• School Type: University, public; around 12,100 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students
• Address: 1845 Fairmount Street, Wichita, KS 67260
• Phone: 316-978-3456

WSU generally requires an engineering degree prior to admission to their graduate school, but may allow students with exceptional GRE scores and related coursework in on a provisional basis. A GPA of 3.0 is required for full admission. You would meet with an advisor to determine your course of study during the first semester of your degree program. Most programs allow you to chose to complete either a thesis, directed project or additional coursework with an exam to meet graduation requirements. Coursework in these degrees might cover topics such as fluid dynamics, digital signal processing, engineering research writing and/or nanotechnology.