Introduction
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to
design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges,
tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses
a broad range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more
specific emphasis on particular areas of applied mathematics, applied science,
and types of application. See glossary of engineering.
The term engineering is derived from the Latin ingenium,
meaning "cleverness" and ingeniare, meaning "to contrive,
devise".
Engineering is a broad discipline that is often broken down
into several sub-disciplines. Although an engineer will usually be trained in a
specific discipline, he or she may become multi-disciplined through experience.
Engineering is often characterized as having four main branches: chemical
engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical
engineering.
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the application of physics,
chemistry, biology, and engineering principles in order to carry out chemical
processes on a commercial scale, such as the manufacture of commodity
chemicals, speciality chemicals, petroleum refining, microfabrication,
fermentation, and biomolecule production.
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is the design and construction of public
and private works, such as infrastructure (airports, roads, railways, water
supply, treatment etc.), bridges, tunnels, dams, and buildings. Civil engineering
is traditionally broken into a number of sub-disciplines, including structural
engineering, environmental engineering, and surveying. It is traditionally
considered to be separate from military engineering.
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is the design, study, and manufacture
of various electrical and electronic systems, such as broadcast engineering,
electrical circuits, generators, motors, electromagnetic/electromechanical
devices, electronic devices, electronic circuits, fibres, optoelectronic
devices, computer systems, telecommunications, instrumentation, control
systems, and electronics.
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the design and manufacture of
physical or mechanical systems, such as power and energy systems,
aerospace/aircraft products, weapon systems, transportation products, engines,
compressors, powertrains, kinematic chains, vacuum technology, vibration
isolation equipment, manufacturing, robotics, turbines, audio equipment, and
mechatronics.
Bioengineering
Bioengineering is the engineering of biological systems for
a useful purpose. Examples of bioengineering research include bacteria
engineered to produce chemicals, new medical imaging technology, portable and
rapid disease diagnostic devices, prosthetics, biopharmaceuticals, and
tissue-engineered organs.
Interdisciplinary engineering
Interdisciplinary engineering draws from more than one of
the principal branches of the practice. Historically, naval engineering and mining
engineering were major branches. Other engineering fields are manufacturing
engineering, acoustical engineering, corrosion engineering, instrumentation and
control, aerospace, automotive, computer, electronic, information engineering,
petroleum, environmental, systems, audio, software, architectural,
agricultural, biosystems, biomedical, geological, textile, industrial,
materials, and nuclear engineering. These and other branches of engineering are
represented in the 36 licensed member institutions of the UK Engineering
Council.
New specialities sometimes combine with the traditional
fields and form new branches – for example, Earth systems engineering and
management involves a wide range of subject areas including engineering
studies, environmental science, engineering ethics and philosophy of
engineering.
Other branches of engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering studies design, manufacture aircraft,
satellites, rockets, helicopters, and so on. It closely studies the pressure
difference and aerodynamics of a vehicle to ensure safety and efficiency. Since
most of the studies are related to fluids, it is applied to any moving vehicle,
such as cars.
Marine engineering
Marine engineering is associated with anything on or near
the ocean. Examples are, but not limited to, ships, submarines, oil rigs,
structure, watercraft propulsion, on-board design and development, plants,
harbours, and so on. It requires a combined knowledge in mechanical engineering,
electrical engineering, civil engineering, and some programming abilities.
Computer engineering
Computer engineering (CE) is a branch of engineering that
integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering
required to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineers usually
have training in electronic engineering (or electrical engineering), software
design, and hardware-software integration instead of only software engineering
or electronic engineering.
Interdisciplinary engineering
Interdisciplinary engineering draws from more than one of
the principal branches of the practice. Historically, naval engineering and
mining engineering were major branches. Other engineering fields are
manufacturing engineering, acoustical engineering, corrosion engineering,
instrumentation and control, aerospace, automotive, computer, electronic,
information engineering, petroleum, environmental, systems, audio, software,
architectural, agricultural, biosystems, biomedical, geological, textile,
industrial, materials, and nuclear engineering. These and other branches of
engineering are represented in the 36 licensed member institutions of the UK
Engineering Council.
New specialities sometimes combine with the traditional
fields and form new branches – for example, Earth systems engineering and
management involves a wide range of subject areas including engineering
studies, environmental science, engineering ethics and philosophy of
engineering.
Brief History
The first engineer known by name and achievement is Imhotep,
builder of the Step Pyramid at Ṣaqqārah, Egypt, probably about 2550 BCE.
Imhotep’s successors—Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Roman—carried civil engineering
to remarkable heights on the basis of empirical methods aided by arithmetic,
geometry, and a smattering of physical science. The Pharos (lighthouse) of
Alexandria, Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, the Colosseum in Rome, the Persian
and Roman road systems, the Pont du Gard aqueduct in France, and many other
large structures, some of which endure to this day, testify to their skill,
imagination, and daring. Of many treatises written by them, one, in particular, survives to provide a picture of engineering education and practice in
classical times: Vitruvius’s De architectura, published in Rome in the 1st
century CE, a 10-volume work covering building materials, construction methods,
hydraulics, measurement, and town planning.
In construction, medieval European engineers carried
technique, in the form of the Gothic arch and flying buttress, to a height
unknown to the Romans. The sketchbook of the 13th-century French engineer
Villard de Honnecourt reveals a wide knowledge of mathematics, geometry,
natural and physical science, and draftsmanship.
In Asia, engineering had a separate but very similar
development, with more and more sophisticated techniques of construction,
hydraulics, and metallurgy helping to create advanced civilizations such as the
Mongol empire, whose large, beautiful cities impressed Marco Polo in the 13th
century.
Civil engineering emerged as a separate discipline in the
18th century, when the first professional societies and schools of engineering
were founded. Civil engineers of the 19th century built structures of all
kinds, designed water supply and sanitation systems, laid out railroad and
highway networks, and planned cities. England and Scotland were the birthplace
of mechanical engineering, as a derivation of the inventions of the Scottish
engineer James Watt and the textile machinists of the Industrial Revolution.
The development of the British machine-tool industry gave tremendous impetus to
the study of mechanical engineering both in Britain and abroad.
The growth of knowledge of electricity—from Alessandro
Volta’s original electric cell of 1800 through the experiments of Michael
Faraday and others, culminating in 1872 in the Gramme dynamo and electric motor
(named after the Belgian Zénobe-Théophile Gramme)—led to the development of
electrical and electronics engineering. The electronics aspect became prominent
through the work of such scientists as James Clerk Maxwell of Britain and
Heinrich Hertz of Germany in the late 19th century. Major advances came with
the development of the vacuum tube by Lee de Forest of the United States in the
early 20th century and the invention of the transistor in the mid-20th century.
In the late 20th century electrical and electronics engineers outnumbered all
others in the world.
Chemical engineering grew out of the 19th-century
proliferation of industrial processes involving chemical reactions in
metallurgy, food, textiles, and many other areas. By 1880 the use of chemicals
in manufacturing had created an industry whose function was the mass production
of chemicals. The design and operation of the plants of this industry became a
function of the chemical engineer.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the field of
environmental engineering expanded to address global warming and
sustainability. The development and deployment of renewable energy, such as
solar and wind power, the creation of new technologies for carbon sequestration
and pollution control, and the design of green architecture and environmentally
friendly urban planning are all recent developments.
Degrees in Engineering and Technology
Undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering vary in
length, skill level, content, and graduation requirements. Picking the right
program can be tricky. Bachelor's degrees in engineering are ideal for those
pursuing entry-level careers. Master's degrees in engineering can help
engineering professionals advance their careers or pursue new roles in the
field.
Engineering includes hundreds of specialized areas of study,
but there are five classic engineering categories:
Associate Degrees in Engineering
An associate degree in engineering includes two years of
coursework and prepares students to continue into bachelor's programs. Most
engineering positions require a bachelor's degree, but an associate can be a
great way to finish prerequisites and familiarize yourself with the field.
Associate enrollees commonly engage with courses in computer
science, biology, and chemistry. Associate degrees can be a stepping stone
toward pursuing some of the best engineering degrees in the world.
Bachelor's Degrees in Engineering
A bachelor's degree in engineering can lead to employment or
continued study. Engineering bachelor's degrees can offer a broad education or
focus on specific branches of the discipline. Finding the right engineering
program for your career goals requires careful exploration of each
institution's curriculum and student outcomes.
Civil engineering bachelor's degrees prepare graduates to
design, build, and maintain infrastructure projects and systems, while
electronics and electrical engineering programs focus on the production,
distribution, and optimization of electricity. Electronic and electrical
engineering have some significant differences, however, much like between
computer and software engineering.
Master's Degrees in Engineering
Earning a master's degree in engineering can advance your
engineering career and boost your earning potential. Master's degrees include
coursework that builds on the training, research skills, and overall expertise
gained through a bachelor's in engineering.
Many schools offer engineering master's degrees entirely
online. This allows for accelerated and part-time options, which working
professionals often prefer. Whether you're a civil engineer looking to enter a
managerial role, an electrical engineer looking to hone your craft, or a
degree-holder interested in biomedical engineering, we can help you decide
which master's degree aligns best with your professional goals.
Doctoral Degrees in Engineering
A doctorate in engineering can lead to teaching and
administrative positions in higher education or pave the way to leadership
roles in the public and private sectors.
There are two types of engineering doctoral degrees. A PhD
explores engineering theory and practise with an emphasis on research and
scholarship. An Eng.Sc.D. focuses on engineering practice and application.
Students should research the engineering programs that best
meet their needs. Coursework, graduation requirements, cost, and program length
are all important factors to research. A PhD typically includes five years of
coursework, but you can earn an Eng.Sc.D. in as little as three years.
Career Outlook
Engineering graduates are often logical thinkers with
excellent numerical and problem-solving skills.
The careers open to engineering graduates are wide and varied, although
you may wish to choose the career most relevant to your engineering
specialization and related skills. This may require extra studying and work
experience; if you’d like to become a chartered engineer, for example, you will
need to take a postgraduate course (MEng) and gain professional experience.
Civil engineering careers
Degrees in civil engineering prepare you for a career in the
construction industry as well as in the wider business, management and financial
sectors. Civil engineering careers are both rewarding and challenging and can
involve construction, design and management, depending on your interests and
specialist knowledge.
This career option often involves many aspects of design and
architecture, allowing you to express your creative side and explore innovative
new ideas, whilst also analyzing data and technology. Civil engineers need a
good knowledge of design and construction methods as well as health and safety
matters.
Civil engineering careers generally split into the roles of
a consulting civil engineer and a contracting civil engineer. Civil engineering
careers in consultancy are likely to be involved in the design stage of a
project, collaborating with architects and other professionals. Alternatively,
contracting civil engineers turn the plans of consulting civil engineers into
reality, dealing with practical issues such as obtaining materials and meeting
deadlines, and helping to resolve any problems that arise. There are also roles
that combine both the consulting and contracting stages.
The role of a building control surveyor is generally suited
to civil engineering students but is open to engineering students of all
disciplines. Building control surveyors consider areas of health and safety to
ensure building regulations and other regulations are monitored when buildings
are designed and constructed. They also offer advice when buildings do not meet
these regulations and will make visits to the construction site at different
stages to make sure that the work is being correctly carried out.
Chemical engineering careers
If you’re a chemical engineering graduate, there are a wide
range of engineering careers available to you. The technical and transferable
skills developed in your degree can also lead to professions in business,
finance and law.
Chemical or process engineers examine and design the
machinery and processes used to turn raw materials into everyday products such
as fuel, plastics and food, whilst sticking to health and safety guidelines.
Modern chemical engineering is also concerned with trailblazing useful new
resources and techniques, such as nanotechnology. This career would suit
graduates with a strong interest in chemistry and a knack for problem-solving.
You’ll be using your knowledge of mathematics and science to
help you analyze problems and come up with solutions. Good management skills
are required to help effectively manage projects, budgets and people.
Another career that you might wish to consider as a
chemical engineering graduate is a product/process development scientist. Your
knowledge of processing gained in your degree will be very useful for this
career, as product or process development scientists are responsible for
exploring and developing new production processes and adjusting current
manufacturing systems to increase their efficiency and profitability.
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineers develop solutions to help improve
mechanical processes and products and can work in a variety of sectors,
including manufacturing and power. They are involved in the management of
people and resources, as well as the development and use of new materials and
technologies. This career path will suit you if you’re technically minded,
skilled at science and mathematics, and good at problem-solving.
Aeronautical engineering
The obvious route for careers in aeronautical engineering is
to study a specialized degree in this field, but it is also an option for
graduates of mechanical engineering, as well as graduates of computer science
engineering, electrical engineering and manufacturing engineering.
As an aeronautical engineer, you’ll apply scientific,
technological and mathematical principles to research, design, develop,
maintain and test the performance of civil and military aircraft, including
weapons, satellites and even space vehicles. You’ll need to be able to resolve
any issues that arise during the design, development and testing process,
including investigating any aircraft accidents and project management.
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering often overlaps with other areas of
engineering, as the sectors you could work in span from construction to
communications and media, to healthcare and more. This is another area that
isn’t necessarily restricted to graduates of this subject, as entry may be
possible with a different type of engineering degree, particularly mechanical
engineering.
Electrical engineers design, develop and maintain electrical
control systems and/or components through a mixture of technical knowledge and
commercial awareness.
As well as having technical knowledge, electrical engineers
need to have commercial awareness and be able to project manage and multitask.
Engineering careers in management and consultancy
Engineering graduates are well suited to roles in
management, as they often have strong problem-solving skills and the ability to
‘think outside the box. Some graduates of engineering might decide to study a
postgraduate degree specializing in engineering management in order to boost
their career prospects, while many graduates will be able to gradually progress
into a more senior position which involves having responsibility for other
staff or larger projects and budgets.
Experienced engineers may choose to pursue a career in
engineering management consultancy, working either as part of a consultancy or
as an independent contractor. This means the opportunity to work on a variety
of different projects at different types of organizations, providing expert
advice, and perhaps also taking on project management duties.
Similarly, engineering managers conduct a variety of tasks
to apply engineering principles to business practice, for example by overseeing
projects and operations, managing personnel and handling budgets. Engineering
management combines the technological problem-solving know-how of engineering
and the logistic, administrative and formation skills of management in order to
supervise complex initiatives from conception to completion. As this is a
senior role, you will usually need a qualification as a chartered engineer, as
well as significant experience.
Other careers for engineering graduates
IT consultant
This career may suit graduates who have studied electrical
or computer/software engineering. Your expertise in IT would be welcomed in a
wide range of organizations. IT consultants work in partnership with clients,
guiding them on how to use information technology in order to meet their
business objectives or overcome problems. Having a good degree, prior work
experience and a sincere interest in IT and consulting will increase your
chances of finding work in this role.
Quality manager
As a quality manager, you’re responsible for ensuring that
your company's products and services are fit for purpose and meet set
standards, with quality assessment procedures in place to uphold those
standards. If you understand the importance of quality to customers and
businesses, have an eye for detail and are a good communicator, this could be
an ideal career for you. A postgraduate degree and/or relevant experience would
be useful for entry into this role.
Technical writer
Technical writers are needed in many industries to write
descriptions or instructions to help people understand how to use a product or
service. The strong practical knowledge that you’ve gained during your
engineering degree will be very useful in this role, particularly if you have
knowledge of software packages, as you could be writing manuals for high-tech
products. Technical writers work for an extensive assortment of industries,
from finance to nuclear energy. Again, relevant experience is useful, as are
strong writing skills and the ability to convey instructions clearly in the
relevant language/s.