Choosing the Right Engineering Degree for Your Career Goals
With all of the different engineering fields available, finding a path that’s right for you can be difficult. Luckily, this guide will break down the five most common types of engineering degrees, highlighting their salary ranges and projected growth rates.
While all engineering fields focus on developing and creating structures, the specifics vary. So which one is best for you?
Mechanical Engineering
In the most common engineering field, mechanical engineers create machines that power the world. From the refrigerator in your kitchen to the car on your driveway, almost every machine you encounter is the work of a mechanical engineer.
The oldest of the engineering disciplines, this field is expanding with new sub-concentrations such as robotics and mechatronics. A bachelor’s degree in this field can prepare students to design, develop and create the tools, engines, and machines that help us lead more comfortable lives.
In this discipline, students learn how to conceive and build new ideas through research, design, and construction. Students also gain an understanding of the fundamental principles of fluids, thermal and structural systems. The field of mechanical engineering is incredibly broad, making it a popular option for students interested in future-proof careers.
Many undergraduate degrees in this discipline require students to have high GPAs, and some programs may have minimum ACT or SAT scores. Additionally, most universities will require a certain level of hands-on experience to provide students with the skills necessary to succeed in their field. Regardless of the specific requirements, an engineering degree offers an unparalleled level of career freedom and opportunity. With so many options to choose from, finding the right fit for you starts with determining which areas of engineering interest you most. From there, find a program that aligns with your goals and suits your personality. And don’t hesitate to reach out to academic advisers for more guidance and support along the way. They’ll help you turn your engineering dreams into reality. Interested in learning more? Explore our collection of articles. Or, sign up for a free site membership to get regular updates and your content feed.
Aerospace Engineering
The world of flight and space exploration is a fascinating place where engineers are in high demand. Companies creating communication devices, satellite systems, aircraft, and national defense systems are all looking for new talent in this global career field. Aerospace engineering is a multi-billion dollar industry that helps connect the world with new technology and inventions.
An aerospace engineering degree will focus on the design, prototyping, and manufacture of various types of air and spacecraft. These machines will range from commercial airplanes and drones to military airships and helicopters. Aeronautical engineering (also known as aerodynamics) focuses on the theory, technology, and practice of flight within Earth’s atmosphere while astronautical engineering (or rocket science) is concerned with spacecraft that travel beyond the Earth’s atmosphere into outer space. Depending on the specific program you choose, your education will be geared towards one or both of these sub-fields.
You’ll need to develop an interest in math, science, and physics to get into this degree, but you must have great attention to detail and be creative when solving problems. These types of engineers often work under tight deadlines and have to think on their feet. They must be able to work quickly without sacrificing quality.
Lectures are typically classroom-based, but you’ll also take part in practical workshops and laboratory experiments. Your assessments will be split between examinations and coursework projects. Some universities offer the option to complete a year in industry between your junior and senior years. If you’re considering an engineering degree, it’s important to visit schools and ask lots of questions about the programs, scholarships and financial aid opportunities, and application requirements. You’ll want to make sure you apply for the right school that meets your goals and is ABET accredited.
Biomedical Engineering
The field of biomedical engineering (BME) straddles both the chemical and mechanical engineering disciplines. It applies engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for medical purposes, such as diagnosing or treating disease. For example, this branch of engineering is responsible for advanced prosthetics; life-saving machines like heart pacemakers and artificial hips; and medical equipment, such as MRIs and CT scanners. It also develops pharmaceuticals and biological products for healthcare purposes.
These engineers work in a variety of lab settings, including hospitals and other medical facilities. They may also work in a research and development lab or directly for medical equipment and supplies manufacturers. Additionally, some biomedical engineers pursue a doctorate to conduct original scientific research and add to the body of knowledge in their specific area of the discipline.
Biomedical engineering graduates are highly sought after by employers because they bring a unique combination of modern life sciences and engineering design skills to the workforce. As such, this is a great option for students interested in medicine and science who want to apply their talents toward improving the lives of others.
Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in BME can choose to focus on a specific subfield, such as clinical engineering, medical device engineering, or medical imaging engineering. Clinical engineering deals with equipment used in hospital settings, including inventing and perfecting devices that improve a patient’s quality of life such as dialysis pumps or cardiac pacemakers. Medical device engineering, on the other hand, focuses on developing and manufacturing devices that help diagnose or treat a health condition such as medical implants or diagnostic tools. Medical imaging engineering, meanwhile, specializes in creating medical imaging technologies such as X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For those interested in a graduate degree, the timeline for earning a doctorate in BME varies from program to program.
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering occupies a special place in the world of molecular science and engineering. It is intimately linked to chemistry, biology, and physics, but it also works closely with other disciplines like materials science and computer sciences. And it is a powerful tool for solving complex problems that require the creative combination of a wide variety of skills.
Chemical engineers help improve the quality of people’s lives by allowing companies to mass-produce products such as food, drugs, and microprocessors. Most of the items people use every day require chemical engineering to produce them. It is a field that is constantly expanding, fueled by breakthroughs in fields like bioengineering, nanotechnology, and polymer science.
Many undergraduate and graduate degrees feature a sandwich year in industry, where students experience a paid entry-level position for the duration of their degree. This is a great way to gain valuable work experience and a foot in the door for future employment, while also establishing a professional network.
Typical courses in a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering will involve lectures, class discussions, and laboratory work, alongside technical analysis and problem-solving. Students can expect to study topics such as unit operations, thermodynamics, and reactor design. Degree programs will typically offer the option of taking part in the site or visiting field trips to further enhance your learning which can lead to a range of career sectors such as water treatment plants, pharmaceutical production facilities, food processing companies, and research laboratories.
With a graduate degree, you can also explore career opportunities in management, finance, and consultancy. And as many organizations and businesses that hire chemical engineers operate globally, you may have the opportunity to travel the world throughout your career.
Electrical Engineering
This branch of engineering deals with electronic circuits and devices that are a huge part of our lives all over the world. It is so broad that it is broken down into several specialized sub-disciplines. The courses offered by universities for electrical engineering are generally incredibly broad and cover a wide range of areas, such as computer science, physics, and maths alongside electrical engineering principles. Some may also include more hands-on sessions, like physically dismantling electronic devices and putting them back together again to see how they work.
Signal processing is a subfield of electrical engineering that focuses on the extraction, synthesis, and manipulation of analog or digital signals. These could be used for telecommunication purposes, such as amplification or modulation, or they may be used for information processing, such as compression and error detection. These engineers also play an important role in control systems, which are the brains behind everything from cruise controls on cars to the electronic stabilization system on spacecraft.
As with all of the engineering degrees, there are many different fields that you can choose to study. The best thing to do before applying to a university is to get in touch with individuals who already work in the field of your choice and ask them for advice about what you should expect from a degree program, and how you can improve your chances of employment after graduation.
Another great thing to do is to research which university offers the best electrical engineering programs around the globe. This will help you to find the perfect fit for your interests and aspirations. Choosing the right type of engineering degree can be crucial to your future career success, and there is certainly no shortage of exciting opportunities in this exciting and rewarding field.