Ever found yourself wondering, “What is engineering? What are the different types of engineering out there? And what exactly do engineers do?”
Well, this article is my attempt to tackle this question head on and leave you with a clearer understanding of the dynamic and diverse world of engineering.
What is Engineering?
Engineering is the profession in which knowledge of scientific and mathematical principles are applied to design and build systems, structures and devices to efficiently solve practical problems to benefit mankind.
Remember, science is the study of the natural phenomenons around us. Engineering simply applies the knowledge of those phenomenons to create tools or systems to benefit humans!
Whether its physics or biology, engineers use those principles to make our lives better. Make sense?
This is the reason engineering is often put at the upper echelon of profesions with the likes of medicine and Agriculture.
Think about it, the cars and roads you use to travel between places, the roofs that shelter us and even the chairs we sit on to work relax, these are all designed and engineeered to make life easier.
Now a single engineer can’t be a jack of all trades… that’s why engineering is split into a variety of fields, each specialising in different areas of the the world.
We will learn the main fields of engineering in the next section.
Engineering Disciplines
There are 5 main branches of engineering:
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on the design, analysis, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems.
A mechanical system is simply a set of things working together involving input and forces. A great example of such systems around you would be the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) system around you. These systems are designed with your comfortability in the building in mind.
There is obviously more to it but we already have a full article for you to go through here if you are interested.
Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure and large-scale public works projects.
It involves the application of scientific and mathematical principles to solve various problems related to the built environment like constructing buildings, roads and bridges ad even water sources.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is a branch of engineering that deals with the study, design, and application of electrical systems, electronics, and electromagnetism.
Electrical engineers work with electrical power generation and distribution to ensure we have elcetricity in our homes, offices and streets.
They apply principles of mathematics and physics to solve problems related to electrical systems, with a focus on designing and maintaining systems that are safe, reliable, and efficient.
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering is a branch of engineering that combines principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and economics to efficiently use, produce, design, transport, and transform energy and materials.
Chemical engineers work in various industries, including manufacturing, energy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, environmental protection, and more.
The primary focus of chemical engineers is to optimize the processes involved in the production of chemicals, materials, fuels, and other products on an industrial scale.
This involves designing and operating chemical plants, developing new technologies, and finding ways to improve existing processes. Chemical engineers also play a crucial role in ensuring that processes are safe, environmentally friendly, and economically viable.
Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on optimizing complex systems and processes within various industries to improve efficiency, productivity, quality, and safety.
Industrial engineers are professionals who apply scientific principles, mathematical techniques, and engineering methods to design, analyze, and manage systems and operations.
Now these were them main branches and there are a lot more sub branches within this branches like aerospace being a sub branch of mechanical engineering or electronics engineering being a sub branch of electrical engineering.
There are also hybrid fields like mechatronics engineering that combine mechanical engineering and electronics to design innovative tech like robots.
The list goes on and on so if you are looking for a comprehensive list of all engineering fields known to man click here.
How to become an engineer?
Step 1: Get our undergraduate degree in engineering
Your first step to becoming an engineer involves earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering. I emphasize the word earning because it will not be given to you easily.
Engineering bachelors degrees generally takes around four to five years of full-time study.
Some countries, like the United States, have a shorter programs taking four years to complete a bachelor’s degree. So keep that in mind when hunting for your University.
Step 2: Acquire your practicing license
Your next step will be to acquire a practicing license from the relevant body in your country. You cannot practice engineering without a license in most countries so do your research on your countries laws around engineering.
Once done, you are now a practicing engineer. This is not the end though as some countries acquire certain 4 years of exerience before offering services directly to the public so doing research on the laws in your country is important.
[Optional]Step 3: Further study (master’s, PhD)
If you want certain higher positions. you may want to consider getting a Masters in your field but it is that is not always the case for every industry.
Only pursue a PhD if you are interested in research as most jobs do not require a PhD.
Being a certified engineer is does not guarantee success in the field. Competance does. In order to be a competent engineer you need to possess certain qualities and the next section highlights them for you!
Qualities of a Successful Engineer
We actually have a brilliant article just on that topic here, but i will give you the a quick summary of the main points:
- Hardwork and Discipline
- Effective time management and planning
- Curiosity
- Creativity
- A strong math and problem solving ability
- Excellent communication skills
- Adaptability
- Integrity
This was just a short quick summary the really good stuff is in the full article:
Traits That Make a Successful Engineer
Summary
We have come to the end of our introduction to the field of engineering. I hope now you can confidently walk away knowing more on engineering than you did starting the article.
If you found this article useful, kindly share it with your friends, colleagues and even family!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Here we will be answering the hottest questions on the topic of engineering:
Is engineering hard?
Yes. Engineering is challenging.
Now this isnt to scare you, its just to let you know to bring your “A” game to the table when you choose to pursue it.
with hard work and dedication, any challenge can be overcome. I would advise developing your math and science strength before stepping up to the challenge
Do i need to be good at math to be an engineer
Yes, a strong foundation in mathematics is essential for becoming an engineer. Mathematics serves as the language of engineering and is used extensively in the analysis, design, and problem-solving processes within the field
Being good at math simpl makes things easier for you…
If you think you are bad at math dont worry, its a skill and can be developed so give practice a lot and you will find it getting easier.
here is an article on getting better at math that you might find useful:
Will AI replace engineering
While AI has the potential to automate certain tasks within engineering, it is unlikely to completely replace the role of engineers.
AI stil has a long way to go before it can perform complex tasks that engineers perform.
Do engineers make a lot of money?
In many countries, engineers tend to earn salaries that are above the national average. For example, in the United States, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for engineers as of May 2020 ranged from around $69,040 for agricultural engineers to $108,540 for petroleum engineers.
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