Types of Engineering

Written by Callaghan TysonMayer

Since I am an undecided engineering major, I'd like to use this week to explore the different types of engineering. Before taking an engineering course I had no idea that there are actually 11 different fields. Each one has a different focus and creates very different job opportunities.
Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering is focused on the research and development of medicine.  Bioengineers work to create new procedures and research new methods for solving medical problems. This research is usually focused on artificial organs, monitoring patients, therapeutic and surgical devices, lab design, imaging systems, and sports medicine.
Biosystems Engineering emphasizes two different areas; bioprocess engineering (microbiology) and ecological engineering (ecology). The main purpose of this field is to use green processing technologies to improve sustainability for water, energy, and food systems.
Chemical Engineering is based within 3 fields of science: chemistry, physics, and math. Some of the responsibilities of chemical engineers include; research and development of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, synthetic fibers and films, and many other products.
Civil Engineering revolves around the design, maintenance, and construction of systems to improve the atmosphere of civilization. This means they work on projects such as bridges, transportation systems, buildings, water systems, and ports.
Computer Engineering focuses on hardware, software, and other technologies in order to design communication systems, networking systems, and designing digital systems.
Electrical Engineering is a pretty broad field that covers anything from generation of electricity to small electrical circuits. These engineers work on tasks like communication system design, control systems, power generation, and telecommunications.
Environmental Engineering is focused on cleaning up environmental contamination and preventing future contamination. The main goal for this field is to develop solutions to environmental problems like safe water, hazardous wastes, efficient energy uses, and valuing resources.
Industrial Engineering is about the design and improvement of systems. These engineers do work like analyze work processes, develop models for how systems operate and interact, and analyze how machines and people work together.
Materials Engineering deals with the properties and production of materials. Examples of this type of work includes plastic found in bullet proof vests, and ceramic spark plugs to optimize engine performance.
Mechanical Engineering can be described as machine design and manufacturing.

Source: Stephan, Elizabeth A. Thinking like an Engineer: An Active Learning Approach. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2013. Print.