Engineering
Engineering is the use of science and math to design or make things. People who do engineering
are called engineers. They learn engineering at a college or university. Engineers usually design
or build things. Some engineers also use their skills to solve technical problems. There are
different types of engineers that design everything from computers and buildings to watches
and websites. People have been engineering things for thousands of years.
Engineering is a big subject. Here are a few of the many types of engineers:
• Aerospace engineers design space vehicles or airplanes.
• Biomedical engineers design and work with medical equipment.
• Chemical engineers use chemicals to make products like drugs and medicines or
fertilizers for crops.
• Civil engineers work on roads, bridges, buildings and other public structures.
• Computer engineers design or improve computers (including embedded systems and
their parts).
• Electrical engineers work with electricity and design electrical equipment, from small
things like radios and computers to large things like electric power transmission
systems.
• Electronic engineers work with electronics, which are used to build computer parts
and electrical equipment.
• Environmental engineers design and implement ways to remediate and restore the
environment.
• Manufacturing engineers design and improve the machines and assembly lines that
make things. They work with robots and automation and ways to help companies work
faster and better with fewer mistakes.
• Mechanical engineers design machines or things that move, like cars and trains. A
mechanical engineer also might help design electricity generating stations, oil
refineries, and factories.
• Mechatronics engineers work in multiple fields of engineering that include mechanical
engineering, electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, control
engineering and computer engineering.
• Marine Engineers design, build, test and repair boats, ships, underwater craft, focusing
primarily on their internal systems.
• Nanotechnology engineers study very small things, like strings of atoms and how they
are put together.
• Nuclear engineers design and build nuclear plants. They also study the characteristic
behaviors of certain radioactive or unstable elements.
• Structural engineers are dealing with design and analysis of buildings and large non-
building structures to withstand both the gravity and wind loads as well as natural
disasters.
• Software engineers design and write programs for computers.
• Systems engineers look at how complicated things work and try to make them faster
and smarter.
Engineers do not only work with machines. They also work a lot with other people. Many
engineering projects are large and very complicated. Often different kinds of engineers work
together and help each other. As an example, computer engineers need help from electrical
engineers to build a computer. The computer needs programs written by software engineers.
The computer could be used by aerospace engineers to control an airplane. An airplane is a big
mechanical system with many parts, so a mechanical engineer and a systems engineer are also
needed.
Most (but not all) engineers have had years of training. Much of their training involves working
within a limited budget and materials.
American courses
In the United States, most engineers go to a college or university to get an engineering degree.
Most people go to school for four years to get a bachelor's degree in engineering. A Master's
Degree is an advanced degree, usually requiring two more years of study after the Bachelors.
A person with a master's degree is eligible to enter a Doctoral program in engineering. A
graduate of a Doctoral program is awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree, which is commonly
called a PhD. A PhD in engineering requires three or four years of study after a master's degree,
and includes the completion of a long research report called a dissertation. After having gained
enough work experience, one can sit for their Professional Engineer's (PE) License, reinforcing
their demonstrated proficiency in their specialty.
British courses
In the United Kingdom, engineering degrees at universities are either three year BEng (Bachelor
of Engineering) or four year MEng (Master of Engineering). In many universities it is common
to take only one engineering discipline (e.g. aeronautical or civil engineering) although some
universities have a general engineering degree. British universities may also offer Doctoral
programs as a doctor of philosophy (PhD) or a doctor of engineering (EngD). Engineers of all
disciplines have common approaches to solving problems including teamwork, communication,
and an Iterative design process.
Engineers can also get additional recognition in the form of becoming Chartered. A chartered
engineer is one who has his degree or doctorate has been recognised by a group of professionals
such as the IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology), IMechE (Institution of Mechanical
Engineers), IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers) or ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers).
Experience and responsibility enables a further step of recognition by becoming a Fellow of
these institutions.
French courses
The best way to become an engineer in France is to take the CPGE (Classe Préparatoire pour
les Grandes Écoles is the French class for engineer's school) for two years and then study for
three years in an "École d'Ingénieur" (Engineer's school). You can also study in an IUT (Institut
universitaire technologique) for two years, and then study three years in an "École d'Ingénieur".
Aerospace engineering is a field of engineering that specializes in designing vehicles that
move through air and/or space, namely aircraft or spacecraft. Aerospace engineering is a
culmination of design, development and testing to produce top-notch civilian and military
aircrafts and space crafts.
As with other fields of engineering, aerospace engineers (who design and oversee the repair of
vehicles) must study for several years at a university or college and earn a degree that
specializes in aerospace engineering. The course curriculum is designed to ensure critical
thinking and inculcate problem-solving thinking for designing and testing aircrafts, missiles
and space crafts. Aerospace engineer is responsible for devising project proposals to ensure
financial and technical feasibility, ensuring effective progress of various phases in hardware
development, integration and evaluation, testing and analyzing new applications for
implementation in aerospace systems. Vet projects to ensure they meet the quality benchmark.
Assess ongoing projects in terms of safety and feasibility to match desired objectives. Apart
from the technical aspects, the job also has some managerial elements that are: Preparing risk
assessment plans and elaborate strategic solutions and working on insightful and attractive
presentations for prospective business contacts, clients and various stakeholders. Aerospace
technicians (those who repair and construct vehicles) will complete a shorter technical course
with 'on the job' training that equips them with the skills required to construct and repair said
vehicles. Aerospace jobs include astronauts, pilots, and other professionals.
Biomedical engineering is the study of medical equipment used in an environment of care or
training and how this equipment interfaces with the human body.
Biomedical engineers design, test, modify, recommend modification of, and evaluate all
medical equipment used to interface or interact with the human body. In addition to these
functions, clinical engineers usually supervise the biomedical equipment maintenance function
within an environment of care.
The medical devices include man-made hands, arms, and legs to replace lost ones and, also,
Dialysis machines which clean the blood of a person with damaged kidneys.
Chemical engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with chemistry that came to existence
in the early 20th century. Before this time, chemical plants were designed by chemists, who
were trained to work on a small scale only. Chemical engineering combines the jobs of a
chemist and that of industrial engineer. This makes factories more efficient and chemicals much
cheaper. Chemical engineering uses physics (the science of moving objects and forces),
chemistry (the science of substances), and mathematics. There are many different types of jobs
for people with degrees in chemical engineering.
Some new topics in chemical engineering include:
• environmental sanitation at factories (making certain that nature is not hurt by the
factories);
• developing types of energy other than those from gas or oil;
• biomedical engineering.
Civil engineering is the term for the work of designing and building infrastructure. It usually
means large structures, like bridges, dams, buildings, and tunnels. It also covers complicated
networks such as water, irrigation and sewerage networks. It also covers the construction of
houses and homes. Civil engineers can be involved in all stages in the life of infrastructure,
from planning and construction to maintenance and demolition. Civil engineering often
overlaps with architecture.
Civil engineering has many different areas or disciplines. Some important areas are
geotechnical, structures, environmental, construction management, hydrology, transportation,
and materials. It is important for civil engineers to have an understanding of all these disciplines
as projects often involve many of them at the same time.
Civil engineers are responsible for lots of the things that are required for a society to function
properly. Safe water supplies, sewage treatment, roads, railways and buildings are all part of
civil engineering.
To work in civil engineering requires training. Construction workers will train at a center and
'on the job' (training while doing the job), sometimes with apprenticeship.
To be a professional in civil engineering requires study at a university or college. Civil
engineers often study subjects like structures, materials, physics and calculus.
The profession of civil engineering is represented by professional bodies in various countries.
In the UK the Institution of Civil Engineers promotes civil engineering as a discipline and
supports engineers throughout their careers. The American Society of Civil Engineers performs
a similar task in the USA.
Professional engineers often choose to become Chartered Engineers. Chartership shows
employers and clients that they are both qualified and experienced in their jobs. Civil engineers
usually have to write a big essay and take an interview with a panel of experienced engineers
to gain chartership
Computer engineering is the practice of making computers and their parts. Computer
engineers are always trying to make new parts smaller and better. They can also work on
software, especially software for embedded systems (specialized electronics like cell-phones
and satellite receivers, not a general-purpose computer).
Computers are electrical machines that run programs. So Computer engineering has parts of
both electrical engineering and computer science/software engineering. In Computer
engineering classes, students learn about the hardware and software of computers. This starts
with learning how transistors and computer chips are made and how they work (which uses
quantum mechanics). Then the student learns how the chips talk to each other and how to make
a complete printed circuit board (PCB). This is the electrical part. They also learn how to
program the ROM or Flash memory so the computer can do something useful.
Because Computer engineering is closely related to electrical engineering and computer
science, the fields are found in the same department at many universities. Students also need to
learn fundamental science subjects and mathematics, such as calculus and differential
equations.
Computer engineering is difficult to learn, but computer engineers are needed. Software
engineering companies, telecommunications firms, designers of digital hardware, and many
other companies hire computer engineering majors upon graduation and pay them well.
Electrical engineers are engineers who develop (think and make) different things that use
electricity in a helpful way. They fix or design new and better ways of using devices that use
electricity.
Big subjects in electrical engineering include power generation, automation and control of
robots, digital systems, and information technology (using radio and computers to move and
use data). To meet new needs, electrical engineering produced new specialties, such as
electronic engineering and software engineering.
History
Early universities taught philosophy and later science. As the industrial revolution began they
had to start teaching new parts of these sciences to keep up with the demand for new items.
When the industrial era began, we needed to study mathematics, physics and chemistry to help
support it. These subjects are "applied" (or, used in the real world) using engineering. In the
late 19th century when electricity was used to make electric motors and to send messages to far
away places, a new branch called electrical engineering was invented. When radio became
important, many engineers worked at it, and their branch was later expanded to cover electronic
engineering.
Electronic engineering is an engineering discipline that investigates the use of electricity and
magnetism. Electronic engineers are concerned with such processes as; the use of radio waves,
the design of electronic circuits, the design of computer systems, and the development of control
systems such as aircraft autopilots and other embedded systems.
The term electronic engineering started to emerge in the late 1950s. Before World War II,
electronic engineering was commonly known as a 'radio engineering'. At that time, studying
radio engineering at a university was part of a physics degree. Later, as other electronic devices
were developed, the field broadened to include radar, television, audio systems, Hi-Fi and later
computers and microprocessors. In the mid to late 1950s, the term radio engineering gradually
gave way to the name 'electronic engineering', which then became a stand-alone university
degree subject.
Engineers must study the sciences of physics and mathematics as these help to get both
qualitative and quantitative descriptions of how such systems will work. Today most
engineering work involves the use of computers and it is commonplace to use computer-aided
technologies when designing electronics systems.
Environment is a place where different things are such as a swampy or hot environment. It can
be living (biotic) or non-living (abiotic) things. It includes physical, chemical and other natural
forces. Living things live in their environment. They constantly interact with it and adapt
themselves to conditions in their environment. In the environment there are different
interactions between animals, plants, soil, water, and other living and non-living things.
Since everything is part of the environment of something else, the word environment is used to
talk about many things. People in different fields of knowledge use the word environment
differently. Electromagnetic environment is radio waves and other electromagnetic radiation
and magnetic fields. The environment of galaxy refers to conditions of interstellar medium.
In psychology and medicine, a person's environment is the people, physical things and places
that the person lives with. The environment affects the growth and development of the person.
It affects the person's behavior, body, mind and heart.
Discussions on nature versus nurture are sometimes framed as heredity vs. environment.
The living conditions of living organisms in an environment are affected by the weather or
climate changes in the environment.
Natural environment
In biology and ecology, the environment is all of the natural materials and living things,
including sunlight. If those things are natural, it is a natural environment.
Environment includes the living and nonliving things that an organism interacts with, or has an
effect on it. Living elements that an organism interacts with are known as biotic elements:
animals, plants, etc., abiotic elements are non living things which include air, water, sunlight
etc. Studying the environment means studying the relationships among these various things. An
example of interactions between non-living and living things is plants getting their minerals
from the soil and making food using sunlight. Predation, an organism eating another, is an
example of interaction between living things.
Some people call themselves environmentalists. They think we must protect the natural
environment, to keep it safe. Things in the natural environment that we value are called natural
resources. For example; fish, insects, and forests. These are renewable resources because they
come back naturally when we use them. Non-renewable resources are important things in the
environment that are limited for example, ores and fossil fuels after a few thousand years. Some
things in the natural environment can kill people, such as lightning.
Ecological units which are natural systems without much human interference. These include all
vegetation, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere, and natural events.
Universal natural resources and physical phenomenon which lack clear-cut boundaries. These
include climate, air, water, energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism.
Historical environment
A person's environment is the events and culture that the person lived in. Environment is
everything around us. A person's beliefs and actions depend on his environment. Modern people
mostly think it is wrong to own slaves. But in Jefferson's and Caesar's environments slavery
was normal. So, their actions did not look as wrong in their societies. Its simple definition is:
Interaction between human and environment in the past.
Manufacturing engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the design, development,
and implementation of integrated systems of humans, machines, and information resources to
provide products and services.
Manufacturing engineering applies knowledge and skills in the physical, social, engineering,
and management sciences, as well as in human sciences, computer systems and information
technologies, manufacturing processes, operations research, production, and automation.
Marine engineering generally refers to the engineering of boats, ships, and other marine
vessels or structures. A marine engineer is someone responsible for the operation (running) and
maintenance of a ship's engines, steering, and other related ship systems.
Mechanical engineering is a branch of engineering that applies the principles of Mechanics
and Materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical
systems. It involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the design,
production, and operation of machines and tools. They can range from building a rocket ship
down to things as small as an integrated circuit. It is one of the oldest and broadest engineering
disciplines.
Mechatronics (or mechatronic engineering) is a combination of mechanical engineering,
electronic engineering, computer engineering, control engineering, and systems-design
engineering in order to design and manufacture some useful products. Mechatronics is an
engineering system design that combines several areas of study and avoids splitting engineering
into separate disciplines.
Nanotechnology is a part of science and technology about the control of matter on the atomic
and molecular scale - this means things that are about 100 nanometres across
Nanotechnology includes making products that use parts this small, such as electronic devices,
catalysts, sensors, etc. To give you an idea of how small that is, there are more nanometres in
an inch than there are inches in 400 miles.
To give an international idea of how small that is, there are as many nanometres in a centimetre,
as there are centimetres in 100 kilometres.
Nanotechnology brings together scientists and engineers from many different subjects, such as
applied physics, materials science, interface and colloid science, device physics, chemistry,
supramolecular chemistry (which refers to the area of chemistry that focuses on the non-
covalent bonding interactions of molecules), self-replicating machines and robotics, chemical
engineering, mechanical engineering, biology, biological engineering, and electrical
engineering.
Generally, when people talk about nanotechnology, they mean structures of the size 100
nanometers or smaller. There are one million nanometers in a millimeter. Nanotechnology tries
to make materials or machines of that size.
People are doing many different types of work in the field of nanotechnology. Most current
work looks at making nanoparticles (particles with nanometer size) that have special properties,
such as the way they scatter light, absorb X-rays, transport electrical currents or heat, etc. At
the more "science fiction" end of the field are attempts to make small copies of bigger machines
or really new ideas for structures that make themselves. New materials are possible with nano
size structures. It is even possible to work with single atoms.
There has been a lot of discussion about the future of nanotechnology and its dangers.
Nanotechnology may be able to invent new materials and instruments which would be very
useful, such as in medicine, computers, and making clean electricity (nanoelectromechanical
systems) is helping design the next generation of solar panels, and efficient low-energy
lighting). On the other hand, nanotechnology is new and there could be unknown problems. For
example, if the materials are bad for people's health or for nature. They may have a bad effect
on the economy or even big natural systems like the Earth itself. Some groups argue that there
should be rules about the use of nanotechnology.
Nuclear engineering is a field of engineering dealing with application of atomic nuclei
breakdown and other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics. It includes
the interaction and maintenance of nuclear fission systems and components such as nuclear
reactors, nuclear power plants, and nuclear weapons.
Nuclear engineering also includes the study of nuclear fusion, medical and other applications
of radiation, radiation safety, heat transport, nuclear fuel and other related technologies, nuclear
proliferation, and the effect of radioactive waste or radioactivity on the environment.
Structural engineering is a subset of civil engineering dealing with the design and analysis of
buildings and large non-building structures to withstand both the gravity and wind loads as well
as natural disasters. Besides, it may also cover design of machinery, medical equipment,
vehicles or any other objects where structural functionality or safety are involved. Structural
engineers must ensure their designs satisfy building codes.
Major structural engineering projects go through the following four stages: research, design,
testing, and construction which are featured with the images below
Structural engineering came to existence when the humans first started to construct their own
structures. It became a more defined profession with the emergence of the architecture
profession during the industrial revolution in the late 19th Century.
Entry-level structural engineers may design individual structural elements of a structure, for
example, beams, columns, and floors of a building. More experienced engineers would be
responsible for the structural design and integrity of an entire system, such as a building.
Structural engineers often specialize in particular fields, such as bridge engineering, building
engineering, pipeline engineering, industrial structures, or special mechanical structures such
as vehicles or aircrafts.
Software engineering is a field of engineering, for designing and writing programs for
computers or other electronic devices. A software engineer, or programmer, writes software (or
changes existing software) and compiles software using methods that improve it. Better quality
software is easier to use. Better documentation helps other people understand and maintain it
and add new features. Becoming a software engineer requires experience and practice writing
code. Software engineering may be very difficult work. It may be repeated during thesoftware
release life cycle.
Steps in creating software
Software engineering can broadly be split into the following steps:
• Requirements say what the software should do.
• Software design is usually done on paper. It says what the different parts of the software
are, and how they talk to each other.
• After the design phase is done, each component (part) of the software is coded. Code is
what tells the computer exactly what to do at each step.
• Testing is done to see if the components meet the requirements and that the system as a
whole meet the requirements.
• Part or all of this process can be repeated if software bugs are found or new requirements
are needed.
Systems engineering is a field of engineering that deals with complex engineering projects
which should be designed and managed over the life cycle of the project. Therefore, issues such
as logistics, the coordination of different teams, and automatic control of machinery become
really complicated. Systems engineering deals with work-processes and tools to handle such
projects. For this, it applies both technical and human-centered disciplines such as control
engineering, industrial engineering, organizational studies, and project management.
