For those lucky
enough to possess the combination of strengths
and abilities that lead to success in the field,
engineering provides endless opportunities to
discover and explore, solve interesting and
important problems, and work with a variety of
stimulating people.
Essentially,
what engineers do is solve problems and make
things that benefit people. To do that,
engineers draw from a broad array of tools and
talents, including mathematical and scientific
principles, experience, good judgment and
creativity.
Engineers delve
into a vast body of knowledge based primarily on
physics, mathematics and chemistry to analyze a
problem and create a new and optimum solution.
Employment
outlook for engineering
is expected to be good for the foreseeable
future.
There are many
types of engineering jobs, with more than 25
major fields recognized by professional
societies and more than 100 specialty fields.
The five largest traditional fields of study
include chemical, civil, electrical, industrial,
and mechanical. Engineering jobs usually fall
within one of these functional categories:
- Research
-
Development
- Design
-
Construction
- Production
- Operation
- Management
Employment
opportunities vary according to specialty, but
employment outlook for engineering generally is
expected to be good through 2008 at least. The
engineering profession is hungry for minority
and female professionals. Currently women make
up 19 percent of first-year engineering
students. (At Vanderbilt, women comprise 29
percent of first-year engineering students.)
Graduate
training is not required for most entry-level
engineering jobs, and only 20 percent of
engineering graduates go to graduate school
straight from college.
Licensure is
required of engineers whose work may affect
life, health or property. Licensed engineers,
called Professional Engineers, achieve that
status by obtaining a degree from a program
accredited by the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology (ABET), completing
four years of relevant work experience, and
passing the applicable state examinations.
If you're
getting the idea that an engineer is a special
breed, you're right. Not everyone can do this
work.
The 21st
Century's advances in technology have made
engineering an even more valuable field to
society.
These advances
have also made continuing education essential to
staying competitive. Increasingly engineers are
called upon to work with specialists in other
disciplines and to keep abreast of technological
developments.
Thanks to the
technological proliferation, engineering
promises a lifetime of learning and
exploration…and a virtual guarantee that the
field will never become stale, boring, or
unimportant.
For more
information about engineering:
Britannica.com
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Outlook
National Society of
Professional Engineers (NSPE)
American Society for
Engineering Education (ASEE)
National Society of Black
Engineers (NSBE)
Society of Women Engineers
(S.W.E.)
HyperLearning Center
(formerly Center for the New Engineer)
National Engineers Week
Online
International Journal of
Engineering Education
National Academy of
Engineering
