Online Engineering Master’s Program at UF Top 10 Again Among Publics

USNWR Ranks Online Engineering Master’s Program at UF Top 10 Again Among Publics

Published initially on the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering website.

The University of Florida’s online engineering master’s program solidified its position among the 10 best public institutions offering a virtual engineering graduate curriculum, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report in their most recent choice for “Best Online Programs.” The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering tied for the No. 9 spot and rated No. 12 nationally.

The online degree offerings also ranked in the Top 10 for military veterans making the transition back into the workforce, coming in at No. 8 in the publication’s annual list of “Best Online Program for Veterans.”

Since last year, these programs saw a huge increase in enrollment from 374 to 767, and UF continued its upward trend in ranking scoring, rising from 82 to 85. Interest in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering programs were primarily responsible for the more than two-fold jump in enrollment.

The courses are offered through UF EDGE (Electronic Delivery of Gator Engineering) for working engineers looking to augment their undergraduate engineering education and professional development. Besides master’s degrees, EDGE offers engineering professional certificates and/or short courses that can be completed in as few as 15 hours, including Machine Learning and Advanced Manufacturing.

Working in concert with the College’s Department of Engineering Education, EDGE offers both in-person and online-only courses during the fall, spring, and summer sessions, with programs in Civil Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.

Online students receive the same instruction as their campus-based counterparts, they are taught by the same research-immersed faculty who instruct graduate courses in the classroom, and the online courses are available on the same day as the live instruction on campus.

“UF’s consistently strong showing in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of online engineering master’s programs is a testament to the high quality of the distance delivery technology that makes them a top-tier institution in rankings of student outcomes,” said Dr. Forrest Masters, interim dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. “It is also a result of the College’s commitment to meet employer and employee demands in advancing technical expertise and career advancement, as well as preparing these sectors as they strive to deliver the nation’s manufacturing renaissance by expanding the automation and digitization pipeline.”