The Online Student Experience at Case Western Reserve
Every working engineer asks the same question before enrolling: “Can I do this without putting my life on hold?” At Case Western Reserve University, the answer is built into the program’s structure.
You take the same courses our Cleveland students take, taught by the same faculty, measured against the same standard. Only the delivery changes. Coursework is largely asynchronous, so you study when your week allows. Live sessions, discussion boards and direct contact with faculty keep you connected to people, not just to material. And technical support runs around the clock, because your work doesn't keep business hours.
Here's how that works, day to day.
Built to Fit a Full Work Week
The program is designed for people with jobs, and the structure reflects it.
You can take up to two courses at once. Two make up a full-time schedule, one is part-time, and part-time students remain eligible for financial aid. Most students spend roughly 15 to 20 hours per week per course, on their own clock. The academic year runs in three 14-week semesters, with start dates in fall, spring and summer, so you can begin when it makes sense for you and shift your pace as life requires. At full pace, the degree takes about 18 months. You have up to five years to finish.
Because the coursework is asynchronous, there's no standing weekly class time you're required to attend. You log in when the day allows and complete the work on a schedule you control.
“The Case Western Reserve program is perfect for working, full-time professionals. It gives you the flexibility to go to school and work at the same time. The program is also empowering because it gives you so many tools and the knowledge and confidence to say, 'There's no limit. I can do whatever I want and advance in my career.'”
— Rahel D., ME '21
How Applied Learning Happens Online
Engineering is applied work, and the online format is built to keep it that way.
Your courses combine recorded multimedia lectures with live sessions, held one-on-one and in groups. Instructors build graphics, animations and worked examples into each module, then post slides and full transcripts so you can work through difficult material at your own pace. The curriculum centers on realistic problem-solving: case studies, simulations and team projects modeled on the engineering work you'll do in the field. You'll work in the same professional software tools, MATLAB and Mathematica among them, that practicing engineers rely on.
The platform runs on desktop, tablet and phone, so your coursework travels with you, along with full online access to the CWRU library and the research databases on-campus students use. A built-in tracking system shows you where you stand at any moment, with an online gradebook that updates in real time across assignments, exams and overall progress. When something breaks, technical support is available 24/7.
The Experts Teaching You Are the Ones Doing the Work
The faculty leading your courses are working researchers, practicing engineers and industry veterans. They run labs, hold patents, edit journals and advise companies, and that work is the raw material of what they teach.
You'll reach them the way you'd reach any colleague at a distance: by email, by phone and through scheduled online office hours. Those conversations carry weight because the people answering your questions are actively building the field they teach.
You’ve Got People
You'll work alongside a cohort of practicing engineers through discussion boards, live study sessions and team projects, trading approaches with people who face the same problems you do in different industries. Plenty of students say their classmates' perspective is among the most useful things they carry out of the program.
"I really liked interacting with the other students through the discussion boards. Even though we're spread throughout the country, I still feel like I got to know my classmates. … It feels like a close-knit community even though you've never met face to face."
—Kaitlyn L., CWR '16
A Coordinator in Your Corner
From the day you're admitted through the day you graduate, you're paired with a student success coordinator: a single, consistent point of contact whose job is to keep your program running smoothly.
Your coordinator helps you get oriented, navigate the platform, plan your course sequence and manage the realities of graduate school on top of a career. When you have a question and aren't sure who to ask, this is the person who answers, or points you to whoever can.
A Significant Tuition Reduction for Every Qualified Applicant
Every qualified new applicant to the online Master of Engineering program receives a tuition reduction of more than $28,000, bringing total program tuition to $39,000. CWRU alumni receive an additional scholarship. Employer reimbursement, federal aid and veterans' benefits can work to your advantage, as well.
Need more info? We’ve got you covered.
There’s a lot to know about the online programs in Case School of Engineering, and you’re bound to have questions. We’re here to help. For information and support, schedule a call with Brad: He’s a knowledgeable, friendly admissions outreach advisor who’ll make sure you get all the answers.