Associate in Engineering Science Degree

Bachelor’s engineering programs are highly structured to meet the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) standards required for candidates seeking Illinois registration as a professional engineer. The Associate in Engineering Science (AES) degree is designed to parallel the first two years of pre-engineering programs at most Illinois universities and facilitates students transferring into a bachelor’s engineering program with junior standing.

Due to the rigor of the AES curriculum, it is ideal for students to have taken a fourth course of math in high school, or at least have an aptitude in science and math.

Students should select courses in consultation with an academic advisor and should decide on their engineering specialty and their preferred transfer school at the beginning of the sophomore year (at 30 semester hours), since engineering course selections may vary by specialty and school.

Admission into engineering is very competitive. Completion of the pre-engineering courses alone does not guarantee admission to an engineering program.

The college recommends using the Academic Planning, Registration, and Payment Tool on accessECC to track your progress toward completion.

The general education courses required for the AES degree are approved by the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI); however, the structure of the AES does not meet the minimum IAI general education core requirements. Students will need to complete the general education requirements of the school to which they transfer.

Degree Requirements

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No math lower than MTH 190 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I will count towards the degree.

College Requirements

1. A total of 60 hours or more must be completed as specified. This total cannot include any credits earned in courses numbered below 100 nor any courses with ABE, ASE, AMT, ARW, or ESL prefixes.
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for all courses that are applied to the degree.
3. Meet the college’s Academic Residency Requirement for University Transfer degrees: A minimum of 15 semester hours in courses numbered 100 and above and must have been achieved at ECC, excluding AP, CLEP, and proficiency credits.
4. Students may apply up to six hours of Independent Study credit toward any associate degree.
5. Students can earn only one transfer associate degree. Should a student seek to earn more than one transfer degree, a Petition to Earn Multiple Transfer Degrees form must be submitted to the associate dean of advising, transfer, and career development services.