UAH Engineering Technology degree will supply North Alabama with high-skill workers

The campus of The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Michael Mercier / UAH

A new bachelor’s program will launch in fall 2022 at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, to bridge the gap between engineering theory and technical application for full-time and non-traditional students.

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (BSET) is designed to meet the needs of students seeking to pursue a career in applied engineering and to prepare them to take advantage of the many opportunities currently available for highly-skilled technical workers.

“One of the exciting things about this program is that we have a strong group of students who are currently working in industry on fascinating topics such as the Space Launch System and other cutting-edge research technologies,” says Dr. Alisa Henrie, clinical assistant professor of engineering technology. “These students partner with traditional students who do not yet have industry work experience, providing unique peer mentoring opportunities.”

The flexible BSET program allows students to have both a career and an education. Required courses are offered at least once a year and can be taken either in a remote format or in a hybrid format

The hybrid format provides students with the opportunity to meet in the classroom each week but access at least half of the lectures and supplemental material online. Nearly every course is accelerated, so courses are completed in seven weeks instead of 14. The goal is for students to have the most valuable learning experience possible in the shortest amount of time.

According to Dr. Henrie, the BSET program is designed to help meet the growing demand for qualified workers in North Alabama and surrounding regions as industries such as aerospace and aviation, automotive, and metal and advanced materials manufacturing expand.

“Our program is focused on supporting the advancement of manufacturing and technology-driven industries in North Alabama,” she says. “To assure that we are helping meet their workforce needs, we will rely on the advice of our advisory board of local industry and professional partners.”

Graduates will gain the skills and knowledge to establish themselves as technical leaders who are qualified to enter a variety of fields including test and evaluation, design, manufacturing, operations, service, maintenance and sales. A senior Capstone experience will provide students with experience working in teams and allow them to learn vital business skills such as project management, budgeting, resource allocation, time management, schematics, rapid prototyping, design and communication.

An experienced faculty combined with experiential learning in a new Engineering Technology lab means that when students graduate from the BSET program, they will have a foundation in engineering and technical theories as well as strong hands-on experience with the application of modern technologies. The lab is designed with resources that all students, both on-campus and remote, can utilize. It includes a 3D printer, electrical circuit analysis equipment, a laser cutter and soldering stations.

To learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology, contact Kellee Crawford, the CPS academic support specialist. Crawford can be reached at CPSAdvising@uah.edu, (256) 824-6673, or visit uah.edu/cps.