Hi, S_M!

I got my MLS in a distance learning program, but it wasn't a correspondence school. It was a program run through the state university system in Pennsylvania that included weekend class meetings, both at the campus and at various remote locations to which the professors commuted, web classes with live chat and bulletins boards taking the place of class discussion, and ITV classes, with the professor at the campus and the students in classrooms around the state. The professors would post syllabi and assignments to their web pages, and frequently the class had its own temporary list-serv. We did receive and submit many of our assignments by email, fax and regular mail, so in that sense I guess it was a correspondence school.

My husband, who is an engineer, has been involved as an on-site tutor for people in a distance-learning engineering course offered by the University of Maryland, in which at least 3 dozen people have received Bachelor of Science degrees in engineering and other technical subjects. The company co-sponsored the program as part of employee training.

2. Did it improve your life?

Yes. And the guys in the engineering program. For me, I got the paper to back up a job I'd been doing for years, learned some fine points of things I was only vaguely aware of, and I have enhanced professional contacts. For the guys in the engineering program, they got academic knowledge that helped them in their current jobs, and many received promotions and raises on completion of the program.

3. What sorts of things should I be aware (or wary) of?

Look for accreditation in the university. Do they offer on-site support? Who are the instructors and what are their qualifications? What kind of reputation does the institution enjoy in the engineering community? Do you know any graduates? How are they doing? Would you want to work with them? What is the ratio of enrollments to completions in the program? Can you tour the campus and see the facilities? Are any of these facilities (e.g., online databases, interlibrary loan of materials) available for your use in support of the curriculum? Are such services included in the tuition? What's their policy on transferring credits from other schools with equal or better accreditations? What extra costs will you have to absorb yourself?

4. Does anyone know of an accredited university that offers a complete engineering degree program by correspondance?

No. But distance learning is available. Start with any government-sponsored university system you have in Canada. They will have leads for you. I wouldn't enroll in one that doesn't have an actual campus. Also, as you'll be in a technical field, I would look very seriously into a school that offered weekend classes. Some things can't be taught without a lab or practicum component (as I discovered with bookbinding), and you will do much better to commute to the campus and use their facilities.

Good luck!

Regards--
Mary Anne