Keep your paycheck while you retrain, but do not mistake an online electrical engineering bachelor’s career change for a light course load. You will face a demanding reset in math, science, and lab work. With enough transfer credit, an ABET-accredited program if licensure may matter, and a hands-on plan, the degree can lead to entry-level engineering work.
Key Takeaways
- Start with a transcript review so you know which general education, math, and science courses remain.
- Check the ABET status of the specific program if professional engineering licensure may enter your plans.
- Compare electrical engineering with engineering technology and computer engineering before committing.
A transcript review is more than an administrative first step. It shows whether your previous coursework shortens the degree or leaves a long sequence of prerequisites before advanced engineering classes. That difference affects both the price and the time you will spend earning the credential, so compare the remaining requirements before treating a low advertised tuition rate as your likely total.
The switch is most practical for people willing to build technical skill in stages. Prior engineering work may help, but it is not the only useful background. Work in maintenance, information technology, manufacturing, construction, quality control, or project support can supply examples of problem-solving and teamwork. The degree must then provide the engineering foundation your old job did not. Online delivery may make lectures easier to fit around work, but it does not eliminate the need to plan for labs and other hands-on requirements. Electrical engineering, engineering technology, and computer engineering can lead to different coursework and career paths, so the cheapest option is not automatically the closest match for the job you want.
A Career Change With an Online Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Starts With a Transcript Audit
Do not assume that holding an earlier degree will remove the technical prerequisites. Arizona State University says first-year applicants to its Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering - General need four years of math, three years of lab science, and at least a 2.00 GPA in each competency area. Applicants must also meet an academic benchmark, such as a 3.00 GPA in competency courses or the listed class-rank or test-score standard. An earlier degree may show that you can complete college-level work, but it does not, by itself, show that your transcript covers the specific preparation this program requires. Review the actual course titles, grades, and subject areas rather than relying on the degree name.
Transfer rules create a different starting point. Arizona State University reports that applicants with 24 or more transferable credits earned after high school need at least a 2.50 cumulative transfer GPA for its Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering - Electric Power & Energy Systems. Its published transfer requirements do not list prior work experience. That distinction matters: employment can strengthen your story, but it does not replace an academic requirement. A transcript audit should therefore answer two separate questions: which credits the university will accept, and which of those credits will apply to the engineering curriculum. A large transfer-credit total can still leave you needing foundational math or science courses before the technical sequence begins.
- Request an official transfer evaluation before enrolling, and ask the registrar to identify how each prior course will be used.
- Separate accepted elective credit from credit that fills a degree requirement. Elective credit can reduce the number of credits you need overall without shortening the courses required for the major.
- Identify missing math and lab science courses, then determine whether they must be completed before engineering courses can begin.
- Ask whether older technical courses still satisfy current requirements. If they do not, the issue is not simply how many credits transfer, but whether replacing them changes your schedule and the length of the degree.
Use the evaluation to estimate your true starting point, not merely the number of credits a school accepts. Compare the remaining prerequisites and major requirements, not just the transfer-credit total, because two programs can treat the same prior coursework very differently. The online engineering bachelor's directory can help you compare the electrical engineering route with other engineering degrees before you apply.
Build the Technical Bridge Before Leaving Your Current Field
An online format removes a daily trip to campus, not the technical workload. Arizona State University states that its Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering - General requires 120 credit hours, follows a four-year structure, and ends with a two-semester team capstone. That sequence matters for a career changer because the published timeline assumes the prerequisite chain stays intact. If you enter without the needed math or science background, preparatory courses can push later engineering courses—and the capstone—further out than the advertised structure suggests.
Build a term plan that shows prerequisite order before you commit to a start date. Ask the school for a formal prerequisite evaluation, then confirm which courses contain labs, whether equipment is mailed or purchased, and whether any activity requires live attendance. Those details change the practical cost and schedule even when the credit count stays the same. A math course paired with a circuit course and a lab may be harder to manage than the same credit load built around general education classes, particularly if a lab requires a fixed session rather than work you can complete on your own schedule.
- Before admission: Gather transcripts, refresh the math named in the program prerequisites, and identify any preparatory courses that could alter your expected sequence.
- Early terms: Protect enough study time for linked math, science, and circuit courses instead of treating the total credit load as the only measure of difficulty.
- Later terms: Save work samples from design projects and the capstone, including the documentation that shows how you reached and explained a technical solution.
Your goal is not simply to finish courses. You need evidence that you can analyze a technical problem, document a design, and work with other people, because those are different abilities from passing an online class. Review electrical engineering skills and specialization options while mapping the gaps between your current experience and the work you want. If the plan requires a long prerequisite detour, a lab schedule you cannot meet, or a capstone sequence that conflicts with your obligations, those are program-fit problems to resolve before you leave your current field, not after tuition is committed.
Compare Engineering Degrees, Not Just Similar Names
A degree title is not enough to tell you what you will study. Two programs can use similar wording while requiring different labs, technical electives, capstone work, and levels of mathematics or engineering coursework. That difference matters for a career changer because the degree plan determines whether your prior credits apply, which requirements remain, and whether the program fits the kind of engineering work you intend to pursue. Read the course sequence, not just the name shown in a search result.
| School And Program | What The Title Tells You To Examine |
|---|---|
| American Public University System — Bachelor of Engineering / Electrical Engineering | Core electrical engineering requirements and available technical electives |
| ECPI University — Bachelor of Science in Electronic Systems Engineering Technology | How engineering technology courses differ from an engineering curriculum |
| Lamar University — Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering | Required circuits, electronics, design, and laboratory work |
| Arizona State University — Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering - Electric Power & Energy Systems | How the named power and energy focus shapes upper-level study |
| National University — Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering | How the curriculum divides electrical and computer engineering topics |
GetEducated's Picks
- American Public University System Bachelor of Engineering / Electrical Engineering
- Arizona State University Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering - Electric Power & Energy Systems
- National University Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering
ABET accredits individual engineering programs, not entire schools. Eligible programs in the United States must be offered by accredited, degree-granting schools, so a school’s overall accreditation does not answer the program-level question. ABET also warns that graduates of non-ABET engineering programs may need an additional 4–8 years of work experience for licensure, depending on the jurisdiction. That can change the time and experience required before a career change reaches its intended endpoint. Check the exact program and your state’s rules before enrolling.
- Confirm the full degree title and program-level accreditation status.
- Compare required labs, capstone work, and technical electives. A program with fewer hands-on requirements may fit your schedule differently from one that expects substantial equipment-based work, but the difference should be understood before you compare prices.
- Ask how online students complete equipment-based assignments, including whether any campus attendance or other fixed arrangements are required.
- Review residency rules, mandatory fees, transfer limits, and the full degree map. Transfer credit can reduce the remaining coursework, but a limit on accepted credits or a required sequence of technical courses may leave more of the program intact than the admissions estimate suggests.
Use the affordable online electrical engineering bachelor's ranking to build a short list, then verify each school’s current charges and transfer-credit decision. Have the registrar evaluate your prior coursework against the actual degree plan, rather than relying on a general admissions estimate, and confirm any prerequisite gaps before you commit.
Turn the Degree Into an Entry-Level Hiring Case
A bachelor’s degree is the standard academic entry point for electrical engineering work, but the credential alone will not show an employer how you operate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that electrical engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, electrical engineering technology, or a related engineering field. For a career changer, the degree establishes the new field of study; your application still needs evidence that you can apply technical concepts carefully and communicate the results.
Keep selected lab reports, design files, presentations, and capstone material when school policy permits. Choose work that shows a process, not just a finished grade: a design decision, a troubleshooting step, a safety consideration, or a documented test result. Then connect that material to earlier experience through skills an engineering employer can recognize, such as process checks, technical writing, project records, or work with production teams. Do not claim engineering experience you did not have. The stronger case is that your previous work gives context for the technical training you are completing.
The field offers a real transition target, although the published wage figure should not be mistaken for an entry-level offer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a May 2024 median annual wage of $111,910 for electrical engineers and projects 7% employment growth from 2024 to 2034, with about 17,500 openings each year. The median is not an entry-level pay promise; location, industry, experience, and job duties affect offers. Use the projection to judge whether the field is worth pursuing, then compare actual postings for the duties and qualifications attached to the jobs you want.
Find Your Online Engineering Degree
Narrow 19 accredited online Engineering degree programs to find the perfect fit.
Arizona State University
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering - Electric Power & Energy Systems
Daytona State College
Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology / Electrical Engineering Technology
Licensure is a separate decision because it can change which programs and early jobs remain useful to you. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying says the usual process combines education, experience, and exams, typically including the FE and PE exams. If your target work may require a professional engineer license, check state requirements before selecting a program, and request a formal review of how the degree fits those requirements rather than assuming that any online engineering degree will serve the same purpose. For broader job research, use GetEducated’s science, engineering, and math career resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I become an electrical engineer with an online bachelor’s degree?
An online degree can support that move when the curriculum fits the occupation and employers you are targeting. Delivery format alone tells you very little about preparation. Check program accreditation, labs, technical courses, and capstone work, then consider whether those pieces resemble the work you intend to pursue.
Do I need engineering experience before applying?
Not always. Published transfer rules may focus on prior college credit and GPA instead of work history. Relevant work can still help you explain your interest and provide examples of teamwork or technical problem-solving, but it should not be treated as a substitute for the academic records the school actually evaluates.
Can an earlier degree shorten the program?
It may cover general education or elective requirements, which can reduce the nontechnical portion of the degree. Math, science, engineering, and residency rules often determine how much time you actually save, so request a formal transfer evaluation before relying on an estimate. A course that transfers as an elective may not replace the prerequisite you need next.
Is electrical engineering technology the same as electrical engineering?
No. The titles point to different curricular approaches, even where subjects overlap. Compare course requirements and accreditation, then match the degree to the job descriptions you plan to pursue. Similar-sounding programs can therefore lead to different preparation, particularly if one gives less space to the technical subjects those jobs require.
How do online electrical engineering labs work?
Methods vary by program. Ask whether you will use mailed equipment, simulation software, local facilities, scheduled sessions, or another approved setup. Get the answer for required courses, not just introductory classes, and confirm whether any in-person or scheduled component affects your ability to complete the sequence as planned.
Does ABET accreditation matter for a career change?
It can matter for employer preferences, graduate study, and future licensure. Verify the specific program in ABET’s records, rather than assuming that a school-wide statement applies to every degree, and review the rules where you expect to work. Those requirements can affect the value of the degree after graduation, not just its description in a catalog.
Can I keep working while earning the degree?
Many students do, but prerequisite chains can limit scheduling. Review the course sequence and lab expectations before deciding how many demanding technical courses to take together. A heavier load may appear efficient on paper but can create a bottleneck if one required course must be completed before the next course or lab.
Will the degree alone help me get my first engineering job?
The credential can meet an education requirement, but employers may also assess projects, software use, lab work, communication, and prior experience. Build a portfolio from approved class and capstone work, and connect each example to the type of work you plan to seek. That gives employers something more specific to evaluate than the degree title alone.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- First-Year Admission Requirements
- Transfer Admission Requirements
- Online Electrical Engineering Degree Requirements
- ABET Accreditation Eligibility Requirements
- ABET Licensure, Registration, and Certification Guidance
- NCEES Engineering Exams