Purdue offers affordable online master’s degree in mechanical engineering on edX

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is offering its top-ranked online master’s degree in mechanical engineering through edX with support from Kaplan Higher Education, allowing working professionals to earn the 30-hour master’s entirely online for less than $25,000.

Purdue is ranked among the top 10 engineering programs and top three online engineering graduate programs in the U.S. Purdue’s online master’s program in mechanical engineering is ranked No. 1 in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

“We know there are many people out there in the working world who want to advance their careers, but need a graduate degree to do it. This program gives them the tools to accomplish that,” said Eckhard Groll, Purdue’s William E. and Florence E. Perry Head of Mechanical Engineering and Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Students in the program take the same classes, taught by the same faculty, as on-campus students in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering. Video lectures and online discussion forums allow online master’s students flexibility in their schedules, enabling them to balance advanced education with work and family life. Students will typically finish their degree in less than four years, but can finish in as little as one year.

In 2019, Purdue’s College of Engineering and Purdue Online, the central organization guiding Purdue online offerings, worked with online education provider edX and Kaplan Higher Education to offer an affordable master’s in electrical and computer engineering. The partners have developed unique online tools such as virtual labs and assessment strategies. Another program for civil engineering is in the planning stages.

“Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering joins Electrical and Computer Engineering to offer an online master’s degree that is truly excellent and exceptionally affordable,” said Mark Lundstrom, Purdue acting dean of engineering.

Andrew Penning, who works at 3M in Minnesota, is working on his online master’s in mechanical engineering from Purdue now.

“The education I’m getting is identical to the Purdue campus,” Penning said. “It’s the same testing, it’s the same grading, it’s the same lectures. I’m just watching it online, when it’s convenient for me.”

Although Penning is still in the middle of the online master’s program, it’s already paid off for him.

“It’s opened doors into a new position for me on the research side here at 3M,” he said. “Corporate R&D is something I had always wanted to get into from the beginning, and this Purdue program has really enabled that to happen.”

Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering is now accepting applicants for the fall 2020 semester. The application deadline is July 1 and classes start Aug. 24. To learn more, or apply to the program, visit purdue.edu/ME/online.

“Purdue has a strategic goal of educating all types of students online, while quickly recognizing and responding to new types of learners with educational opportunities that meet Purdue’s high standards and can be delivered at scale,” said Gerry McCartney, executive vice president for Purdue Online. “These new College of Engineering online degrees on edX are in line with that goal, and in line with increasingly loud demands for lifelong learning opportunities that allow professionals to update and enhance their career skills.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Writer: Greg Kline, 765-494-8167, gkline@purdue.edu 

Sources: Mark Lundstrom, lundstro@purdue.edu 

Eckhard Groll, 765-496-2201, groll@purdue.edu 

Gerry McCartney, mccart@purdue.edu