Wind Power Engineering: Distance Learning Opportunities

Wind Power Engineering: Distance Learning Opportunities
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Outlook for Engineering Professionals

Wind Power by Siegmund Kempmann/Wikimedia Commons (GNU)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics(1) reveals that engineering students may expect the highest starting salaries when compared to their fellow graduates. While not specifically addressing wind power, engineers in general must – at the very least – hold a bachelor’s degree in their fields, although a graduate degree is highly desired. Moreover, due to the changing nature of the engineering fields, continuing education is a must. Not surprisingly, wind power engineering distance learning fulfills this latter requirement without forcing the professional to put an education before a job or vice versa.

Touch on Wind Power Projects at the Illinois Institute of Technology

The Illinois Institute of Technology(2) offers a wide array of engineering-related online degree programs. For the student interested in wind power generation, the Master of Power Engineering is a good option. It touches on electric power as well as electric machinery and encompasses 30 credit hours. Applicants with a BS in electrical engineering are preferred, but professional experience can make up for a degree earned in a different discipline. Wind power students custom-tailor their electives to include CHE 541 (renewable energy technologies).

Wind Power Project Management from Aalborg University (Denmark)

Aalborg University(3) offers wind power classes as part of its Master in Wind Energy. The courses provide insight in wind power turbine engineering and offer specialization in either electronics or mechanics. The duration of the program is two years for the part time student or just one year for full time learners.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in fields related to engineering or mechanics and also showcase a minimum of two years professional industry experience. This program presents a mix of seminars, group projects, self-study and distance learning; some travel is required. All classes are held in English.

Learn about the Incorporation of Wind Power Generators at Michigan Tech

Michigan Technological University(4) offers a stand-alone course – EE 5260: Integrating Wind into Power Systems – for the student interested in the workings of a wind power turbine, the management of the technology and also its incorporation into already existing power systems. Michigan Tech also features online programs that may not specifically cater to wind power engineering but touch on some of the fundamentals. These programs include a Certificate in Electric Power Engineering, a Certificate in Advanced Electric Power and a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering.

The Future of Power Engineering

Signing up for wind power engineering distance learning classes gives the American student an edge in the global marketplace; the latter encompasses not only commerce but also the race to find environmentally sustainable forms of energy generation. Since much of the industry is still in its infancy, graduates in the field will have an active role in shaping the form of wind power engineering locally as well as globally.

Sources

  1. https://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm
  2. https://iit-online.iit.edu/online_degree_programs.php
  3. https://studyindenmark.dk/study-programmes/programmes-in-english/master-in-wind-energy
  4. https://www.ece.mtu.edu/RemoteMSEE/