Chemical Engineering
About the discipline
Chemical engineers use science to transform the raw materials of nature into an extraordinary range of products: from make-up and wonder drugs to permanent press pants and stain resistant carpets. They work in every aspect of production, from research to processing plant design.
Earning Potential
Like all engineers, chemical engineers are in great demand and command high salaries. The average starting salary is currently $52,166.
Diversity In The Field
Chemical engineering has proven to be a great field for women. While women comprise only about twenty percent of engineering students, they earn nearly forty percent of bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering.
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New Jersey Institute of Technology
Shell Oil
Civil/Environmental Engineering
About the
discipline
Does the word “civil” suggest anything to you about what these engineers do? If you guessed that their work has something to do with the public, you’re on the right track. Civil engineers, perhaps more than others, work in the public interest on projects impacting public health and safety. Some specialize in environmental engineering, focusing on protecting the water supply, life systems and creating new, safer ways to process human and chemical waste. Others specialize in construction, or in designing roads, bridges, airports and urban transit systems.
Earning Potential
As you can see, civil engineers are vital to the society. Career opportunities are expected to grow by more than 20 percent in the next ten years. The current average starting salary is $40,380.
Diversity In The Field
Civil/environmental engineering is the top major for American Indians, a people who regard land as sacred, and the third most popular major among Latinos (behind electrical and mechanical).
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New Jersey Institute of Technology
Electrical Engineering
About the
discipline
Electricity and electrical systems are all around us. It’s no wonder that electrical engineering is the largest and fastest growing of the disciplines, along with its “cousin,” computer science. Electrical engineers are responsible for the design and development of products ranging from MP3 players to super computers to advanced power systems for cars and cities. They have been central to the growth of the Internet. To learn more about careers in electrical engineering and computer science, click here.
Earning Potential
Electrical engineers work in many areas and are sought by many types of industries, including telecommunications, defense, and consumer electronics. Salaries vary greatly, with the current average starting salary at about $51,000.
Diversity In The Field
Electrical engineering is the top engineering discipline for both African Americans and Latinos. While minorities represent about ten percent of all engineering graduates, they comprise more than fourteen percent of electrical grads.
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Georgia Institute of Technology IBM
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lockheed Martin
Mechanical Engineering
About the
discipline
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest of all disciplines. If a machine has moving parts that work together to produce power — a steam turbine or combustible engineer, refrigerator, generator — it’s likely that a mechanical engineer designed it. They design tools used by engineers in other specialties and work in emerging fields like nanotechnology. It has been said that mechanical engineering is where the power is.
Earning Potential
The current starting salary for a mechanical engineer with a bachelor’s degree is more than $48,000 and the employment outlook is great.
Diversity In The Field
Mechanical is second only to electrical engineering in terms of diversity. African Americans, American Indians and Latinos earned about ten percent of all ME degrees last year.
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology ChevronTexaco
Various Engineers
Aeronautical and Aerospace
Engineering
Aircraft, space vehicles, satellites, missiles, and rockets are some of the projects that are developed by aeronautical and aerospace engineers. They get involved in testing new materials, engines, body shapes, and structures that increase speed and strength of a flying vehicle.
Aerospace engineers work in commercial aviation, national defense, and space exploration. Some engineers work in labs testing aircraft, while others investigate system failures such as crashes to determine the cause and prevent future accidents. They are specialists in fields such as aerodynamics, propulsion, navigation, flight testing, and more.
Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural engineers work with farmers, agricultural businesses, and conservation organizations to develop solutions to problems relating to the use and conservation of land, rivers, and forests. They look for solutions to problems such as soil erosion. They also develop new ways of harvesting crops and improving livestock and crop production.
Agricultural engineers also design and build equipment, machinery, and buildings that are important in the production and processing of food, fiber, and timber. For example, they might design specialized greenhouses to protect and grow exotic plants such as orchids.
For more information about agricultural engineering, visit the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, www.asae.org.
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineers, or bioengineers, use engineering principles to solve complex medical problems in health care and medical services. They work with doctors and medical scientists to develop and apply the latest technologies, such as microcomputers, electronics, and lasers.
Biomedical engineers might develop biomaterials to speed tissue repair in burn victims, or design medical devices that aid doctors in surgery. They might help to build bionic legs, arms, or hands to improve the lives of accident victims.
The biomedical field is changing rapidly as new technologies emerge. Bioengineers work in hospitals, government agencies, medical device companies, research labs, universities, and corporations. Many biomedical engineers have degrees in chemical or electrical engineering, and some go to medical school.
To find out more about biomedical engineering, visit the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), www.bmes.org.
Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineers develop methods to solve problems related to the environment. They assist with the development of water distribution systems, recycling methods, sewage treatment plants, and other pollution prevention and control systems. Environmental engineers often conduct hazardous-waste management evaluations to offer solutions for treatment and containment of hazardous waste. Environmental engineers work locally and globally. They study and attempt to minimize the effects of acid rain, global warming, automobile emissions, and ozone depletion.
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Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineers make things work better, more safely, and more economical. They often work in manufacturing—dealing with design and management, quality control, and the human factors of engineering. They are problem-solvers who analyze and evaluate methods of production and ways to improve the methods. Based on their evaluation, they may determine how a company should allocate its resources.
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Materials Engineering
Materials engineers work with plastics, metals, ceramics, semiconductors, and composites to make products. They develop new materials from raw materials and improve upon existing materials. Whether it's creating higher performance skis or a biodegradable coffee cup, materials engineers can be found applying their expertise.
Materials engineers specializing in metals are metallurgical engineers, while those specializing in ceramics are ceramic engineers. Metallurgical engineers extract and refine metals from ores, process metals into products, and improve upon metalworking processes. Ceramic engineers develop ceramic materials and the processes for making ceramic materials into useful products. Ceramic engineers work on products as diverse as glassware, automobile and aircraft engine components, fiber-optic communication lines, tile, and electric insulators.
Mining Engineering
Mining engineers figure out how to get valuable resources out of the ground. Along with geologists, they locate, remove, and appraise minerals they find in the earth. Mining engineers plan, design, and operate profitable mines. They are also responsible for protecting and restoring the land during and after a mining project so that it may be used for other purposes.
For more information about mining engineering, visit The Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Inc., www.smenet.org.
Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear engineers research and develop methods and instruments that use nuclear energy and radiation. They may work at nuclear power plants and be responsible for the safe disposal of nuclear waste. Some nuclear engineers specialize in the development of nuclear power for spacecraft; others find industrial and medical uses for radioactive materials, such as equipment to diagnose and treat medical problems.
Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum engineers are found wherever there is oil, working to remove oil from the ground. Petroleum engineers might be involved in drilling or developing oil fields. They might also ensure that the oil drilling process is safe, economical, and environmentally friendly.
To learn more about the field of petroleum engineering, visit the Society of Petroleum Engineers, www.spe.org.
Systems Engineering
Systems engineers are like team
captains who are responsible for bringing all the pieces of an engineering
project together and making them work harmoniously, while still meeting
performance and cost goals, and keeping on schedule. Systems engineering takes
an interdisciplinary approach to a project, from concept to production to
operation. Systems engineers consider both the business and technical needs of
a project.
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