What Are The Different Types Of Engineering Degrees? And Which One Should You Study?

But it is the engineers who form the basis for it. In his book “Disturbing the Universe” (Sloan Foundation, 1981), the physicist Freeman Dyson wrote: “A good scientist is a person with as many original ideas and ideas as possible. There are no prima donnas in engineering. The history of engineering is an integral part of the history of human civilization. The pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge, the Parthenon, and the Eiffel Tower are now monuments of our engineering heritage.

Today’s engineers not only build giant structures like the International Space Station, but they also build maps of the human genome and, even better, smaller computer chips. Engineering is one of the cornerstones of STEM education, an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to motivate students to learn science, technology, engineering, and math.

What does an engineer do?

Engineers are involved in the design, evaluation, development, testing, modification, inspection, and maintenance of a wide range of products, structures, and systems, from recommending materials and processes to overseeing manufacture and construction. and conducting failure analysis and investigation to provide engineering consulting and teaching services to students and trainees.

Why Engineering Is Important 

Engineering, in one form or another, has been part of human history for thousands of years. With increasing knowledge and understanding of science and mathematics, of course, our technical knowledge and skills have also improved.

The most advanced technologies, along with established scientific principles, apply cutting-edge solutions and innovations to real challenges. It’s hard to emphasize the importance of engineering in human history, from developing transportation systems to powering our homes. Engineering is all around us, right down to the device you are reading this on. As our scientific knowledge evolves, engineers will find ways to use this new information and apply it to the world around us.

Functions of Engineering 

1. Troubleshooting is common in all engineering tasks. The problem can be quantitative or qualitative factors; it can be physical or economic; it may require abstract math or common sense. Of great importance is the process of creative synthesis or design, in which ideas are brought together to create a new and optimal solution. Although technical problems vary in scope and complexity, the same general approach applies. Under this plan, the problem boils down to a more categorical question that can be asked clearly. The question asked is then answered by deductive thinking from known principles or by creative synthesis, as in a new design. The answer or the design is always checked for correctness and appropriateness. Finally, the results of the simplified problem are interpreted in relation to the original problem and appropriately reported. The main tasks of all engineering sciences are as follows: Research: The research engineer searches for new principles and procedures using mathematical and scientific concepts, experimental techniques, and inductive thinking. The creative application of new knowledge can result in a working model of a new electrical circuit, chemical process, or industrial machine.
2. Design: When designing a structure or product, the engineer selects methods, specifies materials, and determines shapes that meet engineering requirements and performance specifications to meet.
3. Construction: The civil engineer is responsible for preparing the construction site, establishing the procedures that will economically and safely produce the desired quality, arranging the materials, and organizing the personnel and equipment.
4. Production: Plant planning and equipment selection are the responsibility of the production engineer, who selects processes and tools, integrates the flow of materials and components and performs tests and inspections.
5. Operation: The operations engineer controls the machines, systems, and organizations that provide energy.
6. Transportation and communication: sets the procedures and supervises the personnel for the reliable and economical operation of complex systems.
7. Management and other functions: In some countries and industries, engineers analyze customer requirements, recommend equipment to meet the demand economically, and solve related problems.

The Main Types of Engineering

Historically, conventional engineering has been divided into four broad disciplines of chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering, with different fields within each discipline covering a variety of areas, vehicles, and propulsion.

1. Aerospace Engineering: These include airplanes, jets, helicopters, gliders, missiles, and spaceships. You will be involved in the research, development, and testing of new materials, engines, shapes, and body structures that can increase the speed and strength of aircraft. Aerospace engineers are also responsible for planning thorough aircraft maintenance programs and performing rigorous environmental and safety controls. Aerospace engineers also use their knowledge of electrical, electronic, and computer systems for automatic control and communication systems for the operation of aircraft.
2. Petroleum Engineering: Petroleum engineers survey the earth to find reservoirs for oil and gas; Design of oil wells, storage tanks, and transportation systems; oversee the construction and operation of the oil and gas fields; Petroleum engineers are researching new technologies to enable the production of more oil and gas extracted from every well and contribute to meeting the global demand for energy and chemical raw materials.
3. Nuclear engineering: Nuclear engineers harness the power of the atom for the benefit of humanity. They are looking for efficient ways to capture and meaningfully use these tiny natural bursts of energy that are created by the breaking up of subatomic particles of molecules. in industrial and consumer energy, space exploration, water supply, food supply, environment and pollution, health, and transport. Participating in these broad areas can lead to many exciting and challenging careers. These can include the interaction of radiation with matter, radiation measurements, production and use of radioisotopes, reactor and reactor technology, and fusion materials.
4. Mining Engineering: Mining engineers study all phases of the extraction of mineral deposits from the earth. They design the mines and associated equipment and oversee their construction and operation. They are also working to minimize the environmental impact of mining. These engineers provide rare materials and energy to meet global needs.
5. Mechanical Engineering: As a mechanical engineer, you can develop a lock for a bicycle or an aircraft carrier, a children’s toy or a hybrid car engine, a wheelchair or a sailboat; In other words, almost anything you can imagine is a mechanical process, be it a modern product or a life-saving medical device. Mechanical engineers are often referred to as general practitioners of the engineering profession because they work in almost every area of ​​technology, from the aerospace and automotive industries to computers and biotechnology.
6. Shipping and Ocean Engineering: These technical fields are closely related and deal with the construction of marine vehicles, marine propulsion systems, and ship structures such as ports, docks, and offshore drilling platforms. For example, 200 miles off the coast of Washington state, a research vessel hovers above the surface of the sea, manipulated by navigation satellites hundreds of kilometers away. A thin cable made of fiberglass strands and electrical conductors connects the ship to a remote-controlled robotic vehicle. on the ocean floor at 7,000 feet as you capture live high definition video of volcanic smoke chimneys and strange life forms.
7. Industry / Manufacturing Industrial engineering: They determine the most effective ways to use people, machines, materials, information, and energy to manufacture a product or provide a service. They are sometimes referred to as “efficiency experts”. Manufacturing means doing things. Manufacturing engineers lead and coordinate the processes to get things done from start to finish. When companies try to make better, cheaper products, they turn to manufacture engineers to find out how. Manufacturing engineers work with every aspect of manufacturing, from production control to material handling and automation. The assembly line is the domain of the manufacturing engineer. Image processing and robotics are some of the most advanced technologies in the toolbox of manufacturing engineers.
8. Geological and geophysical engineering; They draw on the science of geology to study the earth using engineering principles to search for and develop natural resource reservoirs and design foundations for large buildings, bridges, and other structures and oil.
9. Electrical engineering: As an electrical engineer, you could develop components for some of the fun things in our lives (MP3 players, digital cameras, or roller coasters) as well as the most important ones (medical tests or communication systems). includes the macro (huge power grids that light up cities, for example) as well as the micro (including a device smaller than a millimeter that tells a car’s airbags when to inflate). As an electrical engineer, you could work in robotics, computer networks, wireless communications, or medical imaging: areas that are at the forefront of technological innovation.
10. Civil Engineering: What is it like to have the experience of building a school that can withstand an earthquake, a motorway system that puts an end to chronic traffic jams, or a sports stadium that offers excellent views for everyone? As a civil engineer, you’ll oversee the construction of the buildings and infrastructure that make up our world: roads, skyscrapers, railways, bridges, and water reservoirs, as well as some of the most spectacular and high-profile feats of mechanical engineering; Think of the tallest building in the world, the imposing Burj Khalifa in Dubai or the Chunnel, the 32-kilometer long tunnel under the English Channel. Civil engineers like to say that the architects are the ones who put the designs on paper, but the engineers are the ones who build things.
11. Chemical Engineering: Everything around us, including us, is made up of chemicals. Chemical changes can be used to make all kinds of useful products. Chemical engineers discover and produce better plastics, paints, fuels, fibers, drugs, fertilizers, semiconductors, paper, and everything else. Chemical engineers also play an important role in protecting the environment, inventing cleaner technologies, calculating environmental impacts, and studying the fate of chemicals in the environment.

Which engineering degree is right for you?

If you enjoy researching new technologies, understanding systems, and are interested in technical or scientific questions, an engineering degree opens up many possibilities for you. Everyday life was invented, designed, or produced by an engineer. From roads and trains to computers and cell phones, the energy that powers homes, and medical devices that save lives. If you are interested in studying engineering, there are many different options that you should consider before making a decision.

Common types of engineering degrees include: Mechanical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering Other types include but are not limited to Aerospace engineering (Aerospace Vehicles), Automotive (Ground Vehicles Trading), Bioengineering (engineering in the medical context to develop better medical technologies), Communications / Telecommunications / Network Engineering (includes communication networks for voice and data), Manufacturing Engineering (development and improvement of manufacturing processes), Marine Technology / Marine Architecture / Navy Science (engineering for watercraft and Offshore structures), Computer system technology (includes hardware and software for computers and communication networks, related to computers and electronics) e.t.c.

Here are the best engineering sectors and courses for the future: aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, petroleum engineering, telecommunications technology, machine learning and artificial intelligence, robotics technology, biochemical engineering.

Where is your engineering degree taking you? 

An engineering degree gives you many transferable skills such as analytical thinking, project management, hands-on experience, and problem-solving. These skills can be applied in a wide variety of industries.

What is an Engineering degree worth?

Engineering professions receive the highest average starting salary year after year. Engineers have an average annual salary of $ 91,010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the engineering sector sees employment growth of nearly 140,000 new jobs over the next decade. Becoming an engineer is worthwhile.

Conclusion

Every engineering degree or profession includes problem-solving. Your main job is to find workable solutions to problems so that you can ultimately make the world a better, safer, and more efficient place. If you consider yourself a strong critical thinker, a career in engineering can be a great option for you.