Engineering vs. Engineering Technology

"Mechanical engineering" and "mechanical engineering technology" sound like the same degree with a longer name. They are not. Engineering and engineering technology are separate fields of study with different math requirements, different accreditation commissions and, in many states, different treatment when you apply for a professional engineer (PE) license. If you are comparing online bachelor's programs, this is one of the first distinctions to get right, because it can affect your options years after you graduate.

How the two fields differ

ABET, which accredits programs in both fields, describes them as "separate but closely related professional areas." According to ABET:

• Curricular focus. Engineering programs often focus on theory and conceptual design; engineering technology programs usually focus on application and implementation.
• Mathematics. Engineering programs typically require more advanced mathematics, including multiple semesters of calculus and calculus-based theoretical science. Engineering technology programs typically focus on algebra, trigonometry, applied calculus and other practical courses.
• Career paths. ABET says engineering graduates often start in conceptual design or research and development, and many go on to graduate study in engineering. Graduates of four-year engineering technology programs are most likely to enter areas such as construction, manufacturing, product design, testing, or technical services and sales.

In ABET's words, engineering programs offer "more foundational analysis of problems," while engineering technology programs "stress current industrial design practices."

EAC vs. ETAC: two commissions, two sets of criteria

ABET reviews the two fields through different commissions using different criteria:

The figures above come from ABET's 2026–2027 criteria for each commission. Both commissions require a culminating experience: a major engineering design experience for engineering programs, and a capstone or integrating experience for engineering technology bachelor's programs.

A practical consequence: when a school says a program is "ABET-accredited," check which commission. An ETAC-accredited engineering technology degree is properly accredited, but it is not an EAC-accredited engineering degree, and the two are not interchangeable in licensure rules that name EAC.

What this means for licensure

Licensure is decided by each state's licensing board, not by ABET, NCEES or the school. NCEES describes the most commonly accepted path: engineering boards "generally" require PE candidates to hold a bachelor's degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program, most states require four years of qualifying experience, and candidates typically pass the FE and PE exams. NCEES adds that many states provide additional paths and that you should verify the requirements of the state or territory where you plan to practice.

ABET's own summary is that graduates of ABET-accredited bachelor's engineering technology programs are eligible to pursue PE registration "in many (but not all) states." The difference usually shows up in the details:

One state's rule: Texas

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors lists a bachelor's degree in engineering from an EAC/ABET-accredited program as an "accredited degree." A bachelor's degree in engineering technology from an ABET-accredited technology program (the board's page uses the older name, TAC/ABET) appears under "non-accredited degree." The experience requirement differs accordingly: at least 4 years with an accredited engineering degree and at least 8 years with a non-accredited degree. Every degree path in Texas must also include at least 8 hours of math beyond trigonometry and 20 hours of engineering sciences.

Other states set their own rules; as ABET's "not all" signals, not every state accepts an engineering technology degree on the path to a PE license. Check the board in the state where you plan to be licensed; the school's location does not decide it.

What schools say, and how to read it

Some engineering technology programs describe a licensure path on their own pages. Old Dominion University says of its online mechanical engineering technology degree that graduates are "eligible to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, the first step to licensure as a professional engineer in several states." Note the wording: the FE exam is a first step, and "several states" is not all states. Read such statements as a starting point and confirm with your board.

A master's degree in engineering does not automatically convert an engineering technology bachelor's into an accredited engineering education for licensure purposes. Some boards recognize specific degree combinations, but the conditions are set by each board.

Online engineering technology examples

Engineering technology degrees are offered online, often as degree-completion programs. Examples from schools' own pages:

• Old Dominion University offers online bachelor's degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering technology. Both are accredited by ETAC, and ODU states that it offers "the upper division (300 and 400 level) courses" for these degrees, so the lower-division work comes from elsewhere.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University describes its BS in Engineering Technology as "offered entirely online" and accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET.

These can be a good fit for students who want an applied bachelor's degree. They are a different product from an online engineering degree, not a cheaper version of the same thing.

Why our directory separates them

Our directory lists engineering technology programs in their own engineering technology section and never counts them as engineering programs. In our directory (October 2026), 7 programs are classified as engineering technology, kept apart from the 320 online engineering programs we track (methodology).

We do this for three reasons:

1. The degree name is different. A "BS in Engineering Technology" is not a "BS in Engineering," and we record the award exactly as the school prints it.
2. The accreditation is different. Engineering technology programs are reviewed by ETAC, engineering programs by EAC. Our ABET accreditation pages show the commission for each matched program.
3. The licensure consequences can differ. Putting both in one list would hide a difference that matters to anyone planning to seek a PE license.

How to decide

Engineering technology may suit you if you prefer applied, hands-on work, plan a career in manufacturing, construction, testing or technical operations, and do not depend on a PE license, or you have confirmed that your state board accepts your planned path. Engineering may suit you if you want design or research roles, plan graduate study in engineering, or want the most widely accepted education path toward licensure.

Before you enroll in either, check three things: the exact degree title, the ABET commission listed for that specific program, and your own state board's education rules. For the wider licensure picture, see Engineering Licensure and Online Degrees.