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Engineering

AREAS
ANY ENGINEERING DISCIPLINE

  • Production
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Management
  • Consulting
  • Research and Development
  • Teaching
  • Law

EMPLOYERS

  • Industry
  • Business
  • Federal, state, and local government
  • Colleges and universities

STRATEGIES

  • Obtain related experience through co-op or internships for business/industry-related career.
  • MBA degree provides best opportunities in technical management.
  • Obtain Ph.D. for optimal teaching and research careers.
  • Develop strong verbal and written communication skills.
  • Learn federal, state, and local government job application procedures.

AREAS
AEROSPACE

  • Propulsion
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Structures
  • Celestial Mechanics
  • Acoustics
  • Guidance and Control


EMPLOYERS

  • Aircraft, guided missile, and space vehicle industries
  • Communications equipment manufacturers
  • Commercial airlines
  • Federal government departments: Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • Business and engineering firms

STRATEGIES

  • Discipline uses cutting edge technology to deal with challenges of aeronautics, space, mass transportation, environmental pollution, and medical science.
  • Keep abreast of status of federal funding for defense and space programs.
  • Seek co-op opportunities. Develop effective verbal and written communication skills. Learn to work well within a team.

AREAS
BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

  • Natural Resources: Soil and Water Conservation
  • International Consulting
  • Environmental Control
  • Agricultural Structures
  • Power and Machinery
  • Electronic Systems
  • Food Engineering
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Engineering Technology

EMPLOYERS

  • Technological agricultural industries
  • Land grant universities: Experimental farm stations, Research laboratories
  • Consulting firms
  • Equipment design, testing, and manufacturing firms
  • Equipment and food industries including processing, packaging, and storing
  • Quality control for food, feed, fiber, etc.
  • Biotechnology research firms
  • Foreign Service

STRATEGIES

  • A broad, basic engineering discipline with a close relationship to the environment, food production, and agricultural productivity.
  • Participate in internship or co-op programs. Acquire strong computer skills.
  • Learn a foreign language for work in foreign service.
  • Develop strong math and problem solving skills.

AREAS
BIOMEDICAL

  • Bioengineering: Design, Development, Manufacturing
  • Medical Engineering: Instrumentation, Materials, Diagnostic/Therapeutic Devices, Artificial Organs, Medical Equipment
  • Rehabilitation Engineering
  • Bio-environmental Engineering

EMPLOYERS

  • Manufacturers of medical and surgical devices
  • Hospitals and healthcare facilities
  • Federal government: Regulatory agencies, Veteran's Administration, National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • Industry
  • Research facilities of educational and medical institutions

STRATEGIES

  • Discipline combines engineering and human anatomy to develop and maintain medical and healthcare systems and equipment.
  • Develop strong team work skills.
  • Many positions require a graduate or professional degree.
  • Serves as a good background for medical school.

AREAS
CHEMICAL

  • Administration
  • Design and Construction: Project Engineering, Control Systems, Field Engineering, Process Engineering, Operations/Production
  • Environmental and Waste Management: Development, Design



EMPLOYERS

  • Independent research institutes
  • Consulting organizations
  • Chemical industry including: Agricultural chemicals, Plastics, Industrial chemicals, Petroleum, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Food processing, Atomic energy
  • development, Environmental
  • Federal government including: Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency
  • Manufacturing plants including automotive, airplane, paper, microelectronics, textiles, metals, rubber, food, and beverage

STRATEGIES

  • Combines science of chemistry with discipline of engineering to solve problems
  • and develop efficiency.
  • Develop exceptional interpersonal skills. Acquire technical work experience during college years.

AREAS
CIVIL

  • Structural
  • Urban and Community Planning
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Water Resources
  • Transportation and Pipeline
  • Geotechnical
  • Photogrammetry, Surveying and Mapping
  • Materials


EMPLOYERS

  • Construction industry
  • Engineering or architectural firms
  • Utility companies
  • Oil companies
  • Telecommunications businesses
  • Manufacturing companies
  • Consulting firms
  • Railroads
  • State and federal government agencies

STRATEGIES

  • Broad discipline of "doers" providing service to the community through development and improvement.
  • Works extensively with other professionals involved with the community.
  • Provides opportunity to work outdoors.
  • Learn to work well within a team.
  • Develop strong communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Develop physical stamina for outdoor work.
  • Get experience in organizing and directing workers and materials.
  • Ability to visualize objects in three dimensions is helpful.
  • Demand has remained steady due to broad nature of discipline.
  • States may require licensing or registration.

AREAS
ELECTRICAL/COMPUTER

  • Power Electronics
  • Power Systems
  • Communications
  • Electronics
  • Control Systems
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Microelectronics
  • Image Processing & Robotics
  • Computer Engineering
  • Plasma Engineering
  • Computer Vision

EMPLOYERS

  • Manufacturing firms and industry including: Aeronautical/Aerospace, Automotive, Business machines, Professional and scientific equipment, Consumer
  • products, Chemical and petrochemical, Computers, Construction, Defense, Electric utilities, Electronics, Environmental, Food and beverage, Glass,
  • ceramics, and metals, Machine tools, Mining and metallurgy, Nuclear, Oceanography, Pulp and paper, Textiles, Transportation, Water and wastewater
  • Public utilities
  • Federal government including: Armed forces, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institutes of Health, Bureau of Standards,
  • Department of Defense, Various commissions
  • Consulting firms
  • Free-lance consulting

STRATEGIES

  • A field in touch with a wide and growing range of applications such as high speed and wireless communication, exploration of outer space, and a revolution in medical diagnosis and treatment.

  • Develop effective verbal and written communication skills. Gain experience in team work. Acquire capacity for details. Develop interpersonal skills. Obtain research experience.

AREAS
INDUSTRIAL

  • Operations Research
  • Applied Behavioral Science Systems
  • Manufacturing Management
  • Information Engineering
  • Computer Systems Design and Development



EMPLOYERS

  • Manufacturing industries
  • Accounting firms
  • Retail distribution organizations
  • Banks and financial institutions
  • Hospitals and healthcare organizations
  • Educational and public service agencies
  • Transportation industries
  • Construction industries
  • Public utilities
  • Electrical and electronics machinery industries
  • Consulting firms

STRATEGIES

  • Discipline links management and operations by improving productivity through a "big picture" approach; serves human needs and works with people.

  • Take courses in psychology, sociology and anthropology to learn more about people and how they behave. Earn an MBA for advancement in management or administration.

AREAS
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

  • Metallurgy
  • Ceramics
  • Plastics/Polymers
  • Composites
  • Research
  • Extractive
  • Process
  • Applications
  • Management
  • Sales
  • Service
  • Consulting



    EMPLOYERS

  • Materials producing companies

  • Manufacturing companies including automobiles, appliances, electronics, aerospace equipment, machinery, medicine

  • Service companies including airlines, railroads, and utilities

  • Consulting firms

  • Government agencies: Department of Defense, National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA)

  • Research institutes

  • Publishers

STRATEGIES

  • Studies properties of various types of materials and how they are made and behave under different conditions.
  • Many positions require a graduate degree.
  • Some areas benefited by additional study in business administration, medicine, management and/or law.
  • Develop good communication skills.
  • Gain laboratory and research experience as an undergraduate.

AREAS
MECHANICAL

Mechanical Power Generation: Internal Combustion Engines, Jet Engines, Steam Power Plants, Rockets, Energy Utilization and Conservation
Thermal/Fluids: Thermodynamics, Environmental Control, Refrigeration, Instrumentation and Control
Machine Sciences: Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Production, Robotics, Operation and Maintenance

 

EMPLOYERS

  • Transportation: Automotive industry, aerospace industry, military laboratories
  • Utilities: Steam driven electric power stations
  • Equipment Design: Plants, Nuclear power stations
  • Electronics industry
  • Petro-Chemical: Drilling & production, plant operations
  • Manufacturing: Consumer products, chemical products, farm equipment, industrial equipment, paper and wood products, textile equipment
  • Consulting engineering firms

STRATEGIES

  • Takes broad outlook on solving complex problems.
  • Involves design, development and production.
  • Keeps pace with technology.
  • Acts as an interface between society and technology.
  • Obtain related experience through internships or co-op.
  • Take additional courses in area(s) of interest.
  • Develop strong interpersonal and communication skills.

AREAS

  • Design
  • Planning
  • Operations
  • Administration
  • Regulations

EMPLOYERS

  • Private industry and businesses involved with air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials
  • control, water supply, storm water and wastewater management, solid waste disposal, public health, and land management
  • Private engineering consulting firms
  • Construction firms
  • Research firms
  • Testing laboratories
  • International organizations

STRATEGIES

  • Discipline plays vital role in reducing toxicity and pollution of water, ground and air for a better quality of life for all living things.
  • Consider a master's degree for advancement.
  • Foreign language ability beneficial for international work.

AREAS
NUCLEAR

  • Environment and Pollution
  • Health
  • Space Exploration
  • Consumer and Industrial Power
  • Food Supply
  • Transportation
  • Water Supply

EMPLOYERS

  • Electric and gas utility companies
  • Guided missile and space vehicle companies
  • Engineering consulting firms
  • Business services including medical industry
  • Manufacturers of nuclear power equipment
  • Research facilities
  • Military services
  • Defense manufacturers

STRATEGIES

  • Discipline studies basic components of neutrons, protons, electrons and all matter; deals with inanimate substances.

AREAS
ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND MECHANICS

  • Engineering Mechanics
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Computational Mechanics
  • Engineering Materials


    EMPLOYERS

  • Industry

  • Manufacturing

  • Research organizations

STRATEGIES

  • Interdisciplinary program with broad training in engineering science, mathematics, and physical or biological science.

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Bachelor's degree provides wide range of career opportunities in industry, business, and government.
  • Graduate degrees offer more opportunities for career advancement.
  • Bachelor's degree is good background for pursuing technical graduate degrees as well as professional degrees in Business Administration, Medicine or Law.
  • Related work experience obtained through co-op, internships, part-time or summer jobs, or regular employment is extremely beneficial.
  • Develop computer expertise within field.
  • Engineers need to think in scientific and mathematical terms, have ability to study data, sort out important facts, solve problems, and be logical thinkers. Creativity is useful.
  • Other helpful traits include intellectual curiosity, technical aptitude, perseverance, ability to communicate and work well with others, a commitment to teamwork, and a basic understanding of the economic and environmental context in which engineering is practiced.
  • Develop excellent verbal and written communications skills including presentation and technical report writing.
  • All states and the District of Columbia require registration of engineers whose work may affect the life, health, or safety of the public.
  • Professional or technical societies confer certification in some areas.
  • Join related professional organizations.
  • Most fields offer overseas opportunities with businesses or government agencies.
  • Because of rapid changes in most engineering fields, both continued education and keeping abreast of new developments are very important.
  • Most states require an EIT (Engineer-In-Training) test before taking a state examination to become a Professional Engineer (PE).
  • Search the Internet for additional information about individual disciplines.

Prepared by the Career Planning staff at Career Services of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (2005) UTK is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA /ADEA Employer