What Is Engineering?

Engineering is the application of science and math to solve problems. Engineers figure out how things work and find practical uses for scientific discoveries. Scientists and inventors often get the credit for innovations that advance the human condition, but it is engineers who are instrumental in making those innovations available to the world.

In his book, "Disturbing the Universe" (Sloan Foundation, 1981), physicist Freeman Dyson wrote, "A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible. There are no prima donnas in engineering."

The History Of Engineering:

The history of engineering is part and parcel of the history of human civilization. The Pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge, the Parthenon, and the Eiffel Tower stand today as monuments to our heritage of engineering. Today's engineers not only build huge structures, such as the International Space Station, but they are also building maps to the human genome and better, smaller computer chips.

What does an engineer do?

Engineers design, evaluate, develop, test, modify, install, inspect and maintain a wide variety of products and systems. They also recommend and specify materials and processes, supervise manufacturing and construction, conduct failure analysis, provide consulting services and teach engineering courses in colleges and universities.

The field of engineering is divided into a large number of specialty areas:

• Mechanical Engineering: involves design, manufacturing, inspection and maintenance of machinery, equipment and components as well as control systems and instruments for monitoring their status and performance. This includes vehicles, construction and farm machinery, industrial installations and a wide variety of tools and devices.

• Electrical engineering involves design, testing, manufacturing, construction, control, monitoring and inspection of electrical and electronic devices, machinery and systems. These systems vary in scale from microscopic circuits to national power generation and transmission systems.
• Civil engineering involves design, construction, maintenance and inspection of large infrastructure projects such as highways, railroads, bridges, tunnels, dams and airports.
• Aerospace engineering involves design, manufacturing and testing of aircraft and spacecraft as well as parts and components such as airframes, power plants, control and guidance systems, electrical and electronic systems, and communication and navigation systems.
• Nuclear engineering involves the design, manufacturing, construction, operation and testing of equipment, systems and processes involving the production, control and detection of nuclear radiation. These systems include particle accelerators and nuclear reactors for electric power plants and ships, radioisotope production and research. Nuclear engineering also includes monitoring and protecting humans from the potentially harmful effects of radiation.
• Structural engineering involves the design, construction and inspection of load-bearing structures such as large commercial buildings, bridges and industrial infrastructure.
• Biomedical engineering is the practice of designing systems, equipment and devices for use in the practice of medicine. It also involves working closely with medical practitioners, including doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists and researchers, in order to determine, understand and meet their requirements for systems, equipment and devices.
• Chemical engineering is the practice of designing equipment, systems and processes for refining raw materials and for mixing, compounding and processing chemicals to make valuable products.
• Computer engineering is the practice of designing computer hardware components, computer systems, networks and computer software.
• Industrial engineering is the practice of designing and optimizing facilities, equipment, systems and processes for manufacturing, material processing, and any number of other work environments.

Engineering jobs & salaries:

Many employers require engineers to obtain state certification as Professional Engineers. Additionally, many engineers belong to the American Society of Professional Engineers and other engineering societies for their areas of specialization.

Most engineering jobs require at least a bachelor's degree in engineering. State certification as a Professional Engineer, which requires passing a rigorous and comprehensive test, is also required by many employers and to work as a consultant. Senior engineering positions and professorships generally require a master's degree or a doctorate.

Employment of engineers is projected to grow from 4 to 27 percent between now and 2022, depending on the field of specialization, according to the BLS. According to Salary.com, a newly graduated engineer with a bachelor's degree can expect to earn from $50,817 to $78,487 per year; a mid-level engineer with a master's degree and five to 10 years of experience can earn $68,628 to $114,426; a senior engineer with a master's degree or doctorate and more than 15 years of experience can earn $91,520 to $156,895. Many experienced engineers are promoted to management positions or start their own consulting businesses where they can earn even more. Additionally, some engineers go on to law school to become patent attorneys, where they can earn upward of $250,000 per year.