What is Engineering? - Careertoolkit

Engineering is the field of applying science and mathematics to develop solutions that have a practical end. Engineers design and manufacture machines, processes, systems and even economical structures.

In a sense, engineers are inventors. They dream up ideas and make them a reality for the rest of us. By utilizing science and math, they improve the quality of life for society.

Engineering is a highly rewarding career for creative and innovative individuals around the world. And as you can imagine, there is a great deal of prestige involved with being an engineer.

Since engineers are often responsible for directly creating a new product or service, they are in high demand in the corporate world and command fairly high salaries.

This site is dedicated to providing you with current information related to a career in engineering. Please review our many resources and get on the path to a rewarding career as an engineer today!

Education Requirements for Engineers

The minimum requirements for becoming an engineer consist of a bachelor’s degree from a university accredited engineering program. A degree in engineering might go a long way, but it is also possible to become an engineer with a degree in math, physics, or even computer science.

Keep in mind that there is quite a bit of math involved with most engineering programs or similar degrees. You can expect to take the following courses; algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. You will also be expected to take a large variety of science coursework. Typical science courses for engineering majors include; biology, chemistry and physics. Depending on your area of emphasis, you may also need to take some computer programming or computer applications coursework.

With the heavy coursload involved in an engineering program, you should come prepared. Most university engineering programs require students to complete two years of high school algebra and one year of trigonometry for admissions. Engineering programs commonly require one year of both chemistry and physics for admissions as well.

After college, many engineering graduates choose to pursue a job. It is possible to graduate and start earning $40,000 a year right out of college. A smaller subset of engineering graduates pursue in advanced degree in engineering (i.e. a Master’s or Ph.D) in Engineering. If you are considering a graduate degree in engineering, you will need a high score on the GRE Test. The GRE test is the graduate level admissions exam required by most all graduate schools.

Who Makes a Good Engineer?

So what type of person really does make the best engineer? Well, the best engineers really like to solve complex problems (you’ll be doing that a lot at your engineering job). They are also typically true inventors.

Math and science is an engineer’s playground. So if you struggled through your algebra 101 course, this career may not be the right fit for you.

Most engineers work as a team, therefore you should be a team player and possess great skills communicating with others. This will be highly important when planning and creating new projects (which engineers often do).

Engineers are also often practical, innovative, creative and curious about how things work. So many innovative technologies created by engineers help make the world safer and healthier, therefore, the desire to help people and improve the environment is a plus.

If you can tackle math and science quite easily (or at least stick with it) and you graduate with a degree in engineering, you can expect to earn a fairly high salary. You will also enter into a very prestigious career and can expect to be right on the cutting edge of technology. You will turn ideas into reality and solve problems that better society.

Where Do Engineers Work?

Engineers work at any organization where innovation occurs. This means they commonly wind up working in the government, research, industry, military, teaching, management or consulting sectors (which is practically everywhere).

Since engineering is a highly diverse field, engineers are found in many different industries. These include the petroleum industry, electronics, construction, environmental, hospitals, research facilities, nuclear plants, transportation and public utility companies. Engineers may also be found working on energy and automotive solutions, aerospace and pharmaceutical technologies, piping, and architectural designs.

Education Requirements for Engineers

The minimum requirements for becoming an engineer consist of a bachelor’s degree from a university accredited engineering program.

A degree in engineering might go a long way, but it is also possible to become an engineer with a degree in math, physics, or even computer science.

With the heavy course load involved in an engineering program, you should come prepared. Most university engineering programs require students to complete two years of high school algebra and one year of trigonometry for admissions. Engineering programs commonly require one year of both chemistry and physics for admissions as well.

Featured Engineering Careers: The field of engineering has a wide range of career specialties, many of which require their own degree. Here are a few engineering careers:

Aerospace Engineering Career
Architectural Engineering Career
Biomedical Engineering Career
Chemical Engineering Careers
Civil Engineering Career
Computer Engineering Career
Electrical Engineering Careers
Environmental Engineering Career
Forensic Engineering Career
Materials Science Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Career
Structural Engineering Career

Education Requirements for Engineers

Who Makes a Good Engineer?

Where Do Engineers Work?

Education Requirements for Engineers

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