Network Engineering Degree Programs

[Drakan290]

Just a question.. But anyone on the east coast have a degree in network engineering?
I want to go into cabling, routers, switches, that sort of stuff. The kind of in the crawlspace laying cable type of work... I thought it was called network engineering.
I can't seem to find any information on network engineering however, so I'm thinking it might be computer engineering with a specilization in network engineering? Excuse my ignorance, I'm going to community college towards a degree in electrical engineering, which is what I originally wanted, but my interests have changed slightly.
I've got experience in helpdesk and the like, but that's network administration, not engineering..
Can someone help me out? What path should I be going on?

 

[Ur_Mom]

cabling is usually electrician (low voltage electrician)

The switching, routing stuff is a Network Engineer, look into Cisco and Juniper stuff. If that's what you want, the net engineer is it.

 

[brokenarrow03]

some Microsoft, Linux experience wouldn't hurt either. A lot of network engineers also get lumped into the network admin category. Plus the more you can put on a resume is always a good thing...

 

[Zlash]

The cabling guys usually don't know anything about switches, routers, etc in my experience. They just get the cable from point A to point B and terminate it. They don't pay network engineers to crawl around in the ceiling.

 

[Drakan290]

Well, I'm MCP and MCDST certified and I have a bit of knowledge from listening in on a few CCNA classes, but i'm not CCNA certified. I just don't want to be a software jockey like I currently am (Network admin at a small tech company), I want to be laying cable and configuring switches and such, drawing up plans for building.. Maybe some sort of architecture/comp engineer double major or something?
But what I'm really asking is, where in the east coast would I find a network engineering program? Google has given me Westwood College, Westwood Online College and DeVry, all of which are crappy schools, IMO. (Fake even..)

 

[mwarps]

RIT has the program NSSA seen here. I know a few network engineers (in title) who graduated from that program.

http://nssa.rit.edu/

 

[QHalo]

But what I'm really asking is, where in the east coast would I find a network engineering program? Google has given me Westwood College, Westwood Online College and DeVry, all of which are crappy schools, IMO. (Fake even..)

DeVry is highly technical. You're looking at a technical degree or technical program. So I take offense to that statement. Westwood and DeVry are all Cisco Network Academies as well which would put you in a very good position after taking the classes to pass your CCNA and get a degree. So if you just want your degree to say you went to a $40k year tuition school when you're done, then go for it. But saying that degrees from Westwood and DeVry are fake is just plain silly. Most employers could give a rats ass anyway where you got your BS anyway. It's just a checkbox for your career. So why not make the most of your education and go somewhere that offers a technical degree for a technical job?

I've looked at DePaul University, which is a very good school and has an excellent program. But even as a transfer student they want to nickel and dime you for general education rather than get you into the meat of your degree. The name of the game in my opinion is getting your degree with as much hands on as you can and then spending your hard earned money on certifications to get that bump.

It's your money and if you think the techincal schools are fake then more power to you. But those are the schools that offer those degrees unless you're going to do an ' X Institute of Technology'. That of which most of those schools specialize in CompSci degrees anyway and cost a ton of cash. Either way, I'd rather just finish and spend half the amount of cash doing it and get an education that's geared towards my career and possibly getting a major certification goal out of the way.

/soapbox

 

[QHalo]

The cabling guys usually don't know anything about switches, routers, etc in my experience. They just get the cable from point A to point B and terminate it. They don't pay network engineers to crawl around in the ceiling.

Those are some lazy engineers. Whatever it takes to get the job done. Even as a server admin I crawled around doing that shit. More with less is the new employer standard.

 

[cyr0n_k0r]

More with less is the new employer standard.

Where I work "more with less" has even replaced "synergy" and "moving forward"

The bosses still love "big picture" though. I don't think they will ever give that one up.

 

[Drakan290]

DeVry is highly technical. You're looking at a technical degree or technical program. So I take offense to that statement. Westwood and DeVry are all Cisco Network Academies as well which would put you in a very good position after taking the classes to pass your CCNA and get a degree. So if you just want your degree to say you went to a $40k year tuition school when you're done, then go for it. But saying that degrees from Westwood and DeVry are fake is just plain silly. Most employers could give a rats ass anyway where you got your BS anyway. It's just a checkbox for your career. So why not make the most of your education and go somewhere that offers a technical degree for a technical job?

I've looked at DePaul University, which is a very good school and has an excellent program. But even as a transfer student they want to nickel and dime you for general education rather than get you into the meat of your degree. The name of the game in my opinion is getting your degree with as much hands on as you can and then spending your hard earned money on certifications to get that bump.

It's your money and if you think the techincal schools are fake then more power to you. But those are the schools that offer those degrees unless you're going to do an ' X Institute of Technology'. That of which most of those schools specialize in CompSci degrees anyway and cost a ton of cash. Either way, I'd rather just finish and spend half the amount of cash doing it and get an education that's geared towards my career and possibly getting a major certification goal out of the way.

/soapbox

That puts it in a much better light than what i've heard.
Around here (Northern VA) all of those schools are considered lowly schools, places that you took classes at because you where too stupid to get into a 4 year school. I don't know if that's the case though, since you put it that way.
I may have to take a look at DeVry and such, because they do offer the degree programs I want versus getting a degree in say, network administration, which I DONT want, and being a network engineer.

 

[QHalo]

Where I work "more with less" has even replaced "synergy" and "moving forward"

The bosses still love "big picture" though. I don't think they will ever give that one up.

I believe the term that was coming about when I finally left the System Administrator job I was just at was 'Agility'.

 

[QHalo]

That puts it in a much better light than what i've heard.
Around here (Northern VA) all of those schools are considered lowly schools, places that you took classes at because you where too stupid to get into a 4 year school. I don't know if that's the case though, since you put it that way.
I may have to take a look at DeVry and such, because they do offer the degree programs I want versus getting a degree in say, network administration, which I DONT want, and being a network engineer.

Sorry if I sounded like a douchebag, but over the past several months I've been in the same situation you're in. And I'm just a bit fed up with the cost of education and the quality that's given. I will agree though, that RIT school sounds fucking awesome and that program is pretty damn nice. What you'll notice though is that most schools will hit you for that 184 hours for the degree. DeVry is 124 to finish the same one. Compare costs, as nowadays with the economy as fragile as it is, making sound decisions with your money is even more important. GL HF.

 

[Drakan290]

Sorry if I sounded like a douchebag, but over the past several months I've been in the same situation you're in. And I'm just a bit fed up with the cost of education and the quality that's given. I will agree though, that RIT school sounds fucking awesome and that program is pretty damn nice. What you'll notice though is that most schools will hit you for that 184 hours for the degree. DeVry is 124 to finish the same one. Compare costs, as nowadays with the economy as fragile as it is, making sound decisions with your money is even more important. GL HF.

Heh, I agree completely.
My parent's do pay my tuition, since I am only 18, but everything else (books, living, etc) comes out of my pocket, which is one of the reasons I decided to get microsoft certified in high school. Now, my job that i'm at right now isn't the best, I only make $10/hr, whereas I could be making around $15 at anywhere else, but I have incredible flexibility of my hours, and i'm very secure in my job.
Which my college schedule changing every 6 months, both of those top my list of what I want in a job.

 

[valkon]

I went to DeVry in Seattle and the hands on experience with, at the time, state of the art Cisco equipment was invaluable. From a technical perspective I thought it was worth it.

 

[WesM63]

Those are some lazy engineers. Whatever it takes to get the job done. Even as a server admin I crawled around doing that shit. More with less is the new employer standard.

I don't get paid to crawl around and run cable either. We have a cabling department for that.

For smaller companies and IT Departments/Network Admin's, I could see doing it. However, working for a company like I do, time is better spent elsewhere, and the labor rate between an Engineer and Cabling Tech is huge. (i.e Costing the Company more for an Engineer to do it, than a Cabling Tech)

OP,
Ur mom is right. Cabling would be more of an Electrician. That's the background that all the cabling tech's I work with came from. Some are even fresh out of high school with on the job training.

The CCNA would be a great place to start. If your college does the CCNA Academy, that would be even better. They go over most of the basics in the CCNA Academy. (Plus hands on experience with Cisco equipment.)

 

[TheCAD]

might be computer engineering with a specilization in network engineering?

Some schools have programs like this. I know my ECE program has a masters in networking.
I very seriously doubt you would ever see a crawlspace with a masters in computer engineering though.

Just a hunch, but Im thinking they do hardware design?

 

[Verge]

Just a hunch, but Im thinking they do hardware design?

Yes. If you have to ask what computer engineering is about, it's not the right major for you. It's a rather difficult major... CCNA is a cakewalk compared to the math and logic skills required for comp. engineering.

 

[Drakan290]

Yes. If you have to ask what computer engineering is about, it's not the right major for you. It's a rather difficult major... CCNA is a cakewalk compared to the math and logic skills required for comp. engineering.

I know what computer engineering is, it was my 2nd choice for major, my first being EE...
But I don't see how it relates to network engineering...

 

[Cheetoz]

I know what computer engineering is, it was my 2nd choice for major, my first being EE...
But I don't see how it relates to network engineering...

Because it has courses that deal with "network engineering," using RHIT as an example:

*Signals & Systems

*Communication Systems (Transmission of information over bandlimited, noisy communication channels. Line codes, probability of error, intersymbol interference. Modulation techniques, synchronization and frequency conversion)

*Communication Networks ( Layered architectures. Circuit and packet switching. ISO Reference Model. Point-to-point protocols, error control, framing. Accessing shared media, local area networks. Virtual circuits, datagrams, routing, congestion control. Reliable message transport, internetworking. )

* Wireless Systems (Introduction to mobile radio communications with application to cellular telephone systems, wireless networks, and personal communication systems. System design, propagation, modulation, spread spectrum, coding, and multiple-access techniques.)

* Wireless Electronics ( Design, fabrication, and testing of a high frequency transmitter-receiver system including but not limited to oscillators, mixers, filters, amplifiers, and matching networks. Integral laboratory.)

* Fiber Optic Systems (Analysis and design of common photonic systems such as fiber optic communication links, optical sensing systems, and optical signal processors.)

* Data Communications (Design of digital communication systems. Topics to be chosen from: Channel characterization, data compression and source coding, baseband data transmission, noise modeling, probability of error, optimal receiver structures, modulation methods, synchronization.)

"Network Engineering" and "Telecommunications engineering" does not mean just cabling buildings and setting up routers.

 

[Mcot]

"Network Engineering" and "Telecommunications engineering" does not mean just cabling buildings and setting up routers.

That isn't Network Engineering, that is IT.

A Network Engineer is going to be more focused on the design of networking technologies rather then their implementation.

Of course companies can call it what they want, but someone who is configuring routers and doing cabling for clients is NOT an Engineer.

 

[_tar]

Sorry if I sounded like a douchebag, but over the past several months I've been in the same situation you're in. And I'm just a bit fed up with the cost of education and the quality that's given. I will agree though, that RIT school sounds fucking awesome and that program is pretty damn nice. What you'll notice though is that most schools will hit you for that 184 hours for the degree. DeVry is 124 to finish the same one. Compare costs, as nowadays with the economy as fragile as it is, making sound decisions with your money is even more important. GL HF.

RIT runs on tri-mesters meaning 3 quarters, 10 weeks each not including summer. That's why it is 184 hours to complete.

I go to RIT for NSSA and my first year was not worth it in my opinion. It is not till the second year where you start taking courses where you're actually learning something new and useful even though RIT advertises that students will take core courses immediately.

Anyway, if you want to do routing, switching and whatever, NSSA is for you (but keep in mind sysadmin is part of it). If you're looking for the crawlspace wiring job, NSSA is not for you. The most cabling we have done so far (and probably ever) was making our very own less-than-a-foot-long-crossover-cable and hooking up to the netsys lab.