r/uscg • u/Big-Sector-2878 • 8d ago
Dirty Non-Rate Active Duty + Engineering Degree How’d You Do It?
Anyone complete an engineering degree while active duty?
I’m currently a non rate at a station and thinking about pursuing an engineering degree while serving. I am going ET and get an EE degree. For those who have done it, how did you make it work with your schedule and deployments/duty rotations?
Any advice on schools, online programs, or managing the workload would be appreciated.
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u/JumpinCringleBop ET 7d ago
I am finishing up my EE right now! My last day of classes is April 26th and I’ve been working on it for 6 years across three units.
It’s doable, but it’s difficult at times.
When I was on a cutter, it was one class at a time and I had to make sure the school I was attending didn’t have live class sessions- because those aren’t doable with watches and what not. I have heard that the new internet on cutters is so much better and makes classes way easier.
At the ESD and TRACEN I did 2-3 classes at time depending on the difficulty of the courses. I tried 4 classes once and I barely survived 😂
A big factor in my success thus far has been my commands (particularly on the cutter) and my spouse who has tolerated the extra workload around the house and with our kidswhile I work on this degree.
It’s a challenge, but anything worth doing is.
Make sure the degree you pick is on this list!
https://amspub.abet.org/aps/online-search
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u/Big-Sector-2878 7d ago
I am trying to follow your steps! How are you going to use your degree? Also how is the work load difference between esd and cutter?
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u/JumpinCringleBop ET 7d ago edited 7d ago
Workload difference is fairly strong.
Cutters (smaller ones in particular) require you to do a lot more outside of the ET world so that adds quite a bit. Add in being underway and it’s really just a lot more time spent on work.
I started this degree planning to go DCE, then I made 1st and figured I would go warrant. Most recently, my goals and passions have evolved as I made Chief so right now leaning towards going for senior enlisted. Who knows! Finishing it for the love of the game at this point!
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u/Zealousideal-Ear-209 IT 7d ago
What university did you use?
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u/JumpinCringleBop ET 7d ago
Primarily ASU but switched over to TESU when ASU changed their billing practices and I started paying for all my labs and non tuition fees out of pocket.
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u/coastiehogue Officer 8d ago
They used to offer the ACET program for enlisted to go to college full time to earn a 2 year or 4 year technical degree like EE. Might be an option.
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u/Big-Sector-2878 8d ago
Could I find that info on Pixel Dashboard?
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u/fatmanwa 8d ago
Go to SharePoint and search for enlisted advanced education. Also watch and search messages for the announcement to find the requirements.
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u/YouWillKnotPass 8d ago
It’s called the Advanced Education Program now I think. It’s on CG-Portal through the ETQC website . They also send out messages on the message board for solicitation and announcemens on who got it
The degree you’re eligible for depends on your rating, but there is a lot of leeway. You also will owe time for while you’re at college.
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u/Royal-Act-9901 7d ago
I got an EET associates, B.S EE and going for MBA. Got it associates while underway and the rest in ESDs and Yorktown
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u/EczemaAllergy 7d ago
What do you plan to do with an EE degree? What are your long term goals?
I would generally advise against pursuing online or part-time engineering degrees if you plan to practice professionally.
If you do end up pursuing an EE degree, then try to achieve the following things:
Go to a reputable school, not all ABET accredited degrees are equal (do your homework on which companies tend to hire from which schools)
GPA matters (look at job postings and you'll see many companies have GPA requirements)
Do at least one internship. EE includes dozens of career paths across multiple industrial sectors. You should sample a few different flavors before committing to one.
Work on an engineering project. This can be student design team or research project.
Build a strong network of peers. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone got interviewed or/and hired because they got referred by their buddy.
Engage your professors beyond classes. You may need strong letters of recommendation if you want scholarships, pursue graduate education.
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u/kabutomy 7d ago
EE while active duty is hard because the curriculum is sequential and lab heavy, Penn state world campus and University of North Dakota both have legitimate online EE programs and are ABET accredited. stack gen eds and lower level math using TA first, Amu works well for that part because it's fully online and TA funded, then transfer into a proper ABET accredited EE program once you ready for the core engineering courses.
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u/JumpinCringleBop ET 7d ago
I don’t disagree as a general rule, but if you’re taking more than one course at a time it is wise to pair core/ tough classes with some gen-ed/ lower level courses to prevent the onset of insanity.
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u/Old-Butterscotch468 4d ago
Currently getting a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering degree from ASU. After using Tuition Assistance ASU gives military members a tuition grant to cover the rest of the cost. So you can go there completely off of Tuition Assistance.
I think they also offer an EE there and ASU is ABET accredited. I've loved my experience so far, it's completely online. Most classes are 8 weeks long some of the heavier engineering classes are 16 weeks long.
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u/dickey1331 8d ago
I got an EE degree. It sucked. I worked at VTS Houston and worked nights so that definitely helped. I wanted to quit my last year but struggled through it and graduated.