Degree Fields
State Portals
Industry Options
Precollege Ideas
Academic DegreesCareer Planning
University Choice
Diversity & WomenCornerstone News
Site Search / A -Z



Engineering Overview - Engineering Disciplines - Preparation - Day In The Life - Earnings - Employment - Career Path Forecast - Professional Organizations 


Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between scientific discoveries and the commercial applications that meet societal and consumer needs.

Many engineers develop new products. During the process, they consider several factors. For example, in developing an industrial robot, engineers specify the functional requirements precisely; design and test the robot's components; integrate the components to produce the final design; and evaluate the design's overall effectiveness, cost, reliability, and safety. This process applies to the development of many different products, such as chemicals, computers, powerplants, helicopters, and toys.

In addition to their involvement in design and development, many engineers work in testing, production, or maintenance. These engineers supervise production in factories, determine the causes of a component’s failure, and test manufactured products to maintain quality. They also estimate the time and cost required to complete projects. Supervisory engineers are responsible for major components or entire projects. 

Engineers use computers extensively to produce and analyze designs; to simulate and test how a machine, structure, or system operates; to generate specifications for parts; to monitor the quality of products; and to control the efficiency of processes. Nanotechnology, which involves the creation of high-performance materials and components by integrating atoms and molecules, also is introducing entirely new principles to the design process.

Most engineers specialize.  More than 25 major specialties are recognized by professional societies, and the major branches have numerous subdivisions.

Engineering Resources

Online

Overview:
Overview of Engineering
Engineering Disciplines:
Descriptions of Specific Engineering Degree Fields
Preparation:
Admission Requirements, Alternate Degree Paths, Graduate Programs, Accredited Programs
Day in the Life:
Teams and Coworkers, Tasks, the Workplace
Earnings:
Employer Options, Salary Ranges, Types of Employers
Employment:
Statistics, Industries, Employers
Career Path Forecast:
Predictions, Employers
Professional Organizations:
Resources, Networking, Support
Internet Resources:
American Academy of Environmental Engineers
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Nuclear Society

American Society of Agricultural Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
ASME
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Institute of Industrial Engineers
TryEngineering

Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 


Science
Technology
Engineering
 Computer Science
 Engineering Technology
 Engineering
  -- Aerospace
  -- Agricultural
  -- Architectural
  -- Bioengineering
  -- Chemical
  -- Civil
  -- Computer
  -- Electrical
  -- Environmental
  -- Industrial
  -- Manufacturing
  -- Materials
  -- Mechanical
  -- Nuclear
  -- Mining
  -- Petroleum
  -- Software
  -- Others
Mathematics
Computing
Healthcare


Students
Counselors
Teachers
Parents
Graduates

      AboutContactsCopyrightMedia SupportSubscriptions