Since the 1980s there has been a marked decrease in the number of students enrolling in engineering degrees in the United States and other parts of the world. Given the increasing need of engineers in this era of technology, choosing a career in the industry is definitely a smart choice.

 

Obviously, you should have an interest in science and math, but the diversity of the discipline allows people with numerous interests areas of study they can enjoy and pursue. There are 6 major areas of engineering: mechanical, chemical, civil, electrical, geotechnical and management. All of them have a variety of sub-categories offering a large range of choices.

While our technological world has helped create many new areas of engineering, which should attract more students, the major hurdle many see for the engineering professions has not changed. The study is hard. The difficulty of the curriculum has created a barrier to entry, especially when there are more attractive alternatives.

 

But if you are willing to put in the work, the job has many rewards. Our current world would not exist without the creative talents of engineers. No man on the moon, no satellites which means no cell phones, and our lives would be “nasty, brutish and short” as Thomas Hobbes described life before the industrial age.

 

Working on projects that involve space exploration or engineering an alternative power source or bringing water to deserts and their occupants sounds like a rewarding way to make a living. And remember, supply and demand - the fact that there is a growing need for more engineers means the pay needs to be attractive and job security is of a premium. A recent report at Glassdoor found there were over 200,000 open jobs in the engineering space.

 

A mechanical engineering designs mechanical systems that assist industries such as: manufacturing, aeronautics, nanotechnology, nuclear power production, heating and cooling.  This area of engineering, possibly the broadest of the degrees, focuses on thermodynamics, structural analysis, materials science, and kinematics. Mechanical engineers work with the other disciplines in the space especially electronics and electrical engineering.

 

Now if you are a Star Trek or Star Wars fan, then aerospace engineering which involves the study of air and space travel could be where you want to go. Aerospace engineers  work on military aircraft design and development, along with commercial airline design and satellite technology. The terms “Aerospace and Aeronautical” are often used interchangeably, but they have key differences. Aeronautical engineering works on craft that remain in our atmosphere, while aerospace engineering works on aircraft that venture outside our atmosphere. Either way, this area of engineering sound like fun.

 

Biomedical engineering involves the study of medicine and biology, and the engineers who study in this niche apply their skills to biological and medical sciences. They are responsible  for advancements in healthcare treatment technology. They develop and maintain diagnostic devices. Biomedical engineers have created devices that include EEGs, MRIs, and other imaging machines used to diagnose patients’ medical problems. A rewarding career path where you help save lives.

 

Civil engineers are responsible for the development of infrastructure such as buildings, railways, roads construction, bridges and general construction project management. Civil engineers also play an important role in rebuilding projects, such as in the event of a natural disaster. With the ability to work in the private or public sector at any level, civil engineering  is a very broad engineering degree. Specialities include environmental engineering, structural engineering and marine engineering.

 

Geotechnical engineering covers areas such as petroleum engineering, nuclear and geological engineering. Engineers in the petroleum space handle the extraction of oil and gas from the earth, as well as, developing new extraction methods and technologies that are more efficient and less damaging to the environment. It is also one of the highest paid engineering positions. Nuclear engineers develop the access and use of nuclear power. What many do not know is that the medical field has become the largest beneficiary of new developments. Nuclear engineers work for consulting firms, power plants, and government agencies. As more nuclear power plants come online more specialized engineers will be needed. 

 

Geological engineers are another area of geotechnical engineering that combines engineering and research skills for mining and construction projects. They assess ground conditions and other natural hazards (earthquakes, etc.) before starting construction. 

 

Chemical engineers work in the practical application of chemistry and involves technology that utilizes chemical reactions to solve problems. Cosmetics, foods, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and cleaners from raw chemicals all fall under the chemical engineers purview. It can be a demanding area of study.

 

Electrical engineering involves the study of energy. These engineers develop technologies that help with the practical applications of energy such as electrical, hydro and natural sources such as wind and solar energy. Electrical Engineers design components for electronic equipment, communications systems, power grids, automobiles, and more. 

 

An Engineering Management degree combines engineering with business management training to arm the successful graduate with the ability to manage engineering projects or manage a team of engineers. 

Obviously, there is a large variety of other subcategories of engineering degrees and employment. As Glassdoor notes: “whether your area of expertise is software, materials, electrical systems or industrial operations, there’s no shortage of exciting opportunities for engineers out there.”

 

Some of the highest paying careers in the world are found in engineering. Engineering is widely considered as one of the most lucrative and in demand career choices, with multiple engineering disciplines and job types, as well as salaries that exceed $100k per year once the engineer has some experience behind them.

 

Many universities throughout the United States offer engineering degrees. For advanced degrees and an engineering education from one of the renowned schools in the country, Stanford, MIT, University of California at Berkeley and CIT are well respected. Internationally, only two of those schools make the top ten. Those universities are:

 

1. Tsinghau University   Beijing, China

2. National University of Singapore   Singapore

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology   Cambridge, MA USA

4. Aalborg University   Aalborg, Denmark

5. Nanyang Technological University   Singapore

6. Harbin Institute of Technology   Heilongjiang, China

7. University of California - Berkeley   Berkeley, CA USA

8. King Abdulaziz University   Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

9. Imperial College London   London, UK

10. Shanghai Jiao Tong University   Shanghai, China

If you need any more incentive, Google has over 40,000 engineers on their payroll. Every online business relies on engineering. Automation and robotics is part of engineering, as is software development. There is a lot of opportunity and creative jobs in the space to consider.

 

The problem has been attracting high school students to engineering degrees. As Jacquelyn F. Sullivan, then co-director of the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program at the University of Colorado, asked: 

 

How do we attract native talent to engineering? How do we overcome the conspicuous absence of women and minority students in engineering colleges and professional practice? How do we turn around the disinterest in engineering among high school students? And, on a broader scale, how do we ensure that youngsters learn the skills they will need to thrive in a global, change-driven society?

 

We understand that innovative, technological breakthroughs are made at the convergence of disparate disciplines, yet we continue to draw unnatural distinctions between college-level engineering education and K–12 educational experiences that could tap into the passion of youngsters and prepare them to pursue engineering futures. Our collective challenge is to design a seamless K–16 engineering education system that integrates engineering with the liberal arts so technological literacy is considered a component of basic literacy. All engineering graduates should have excellent communication skills, and, evidenced by reading broadly and thinking deeply, a sophisticated understanding of the roles and responsibilities of engineers in our society. We must prepare tomorrow’s leaders to be responsible stewards of our planet.

With the advancement of technology, we have reached an age where engineers are the new explorers and innovators. Sadly, yet realistically, we need more of them to tackle the myriad of problems facing the 21st century.