- Aeronautic and astronautic engineering: This field of engineering deals with the design of aircraft and spacecraft as well as related projects. Flight captures the human imagination.
- Biomedical engineering: Engineers who specialize in this subdiscipline apply engineering principles and techniques to the medical field. They use living organisms to make desired products; for example, they might use microbes to produce drugs. They also make equipment for novel methods of medical diagnosis and drug delivery.
- Chemical engineering: Chemical engineers work to convert raw materials into usable commodities. In this subdiscipline, chemistry is integrated with physics to create an engineering science that contributes to the rapid rise and economic competitiveness of many industries.
- Civil engineering: Civil engineers deal with the design and construction of public and private works, such as bridges and buildings. When the field of engineering first emerged, “civil” meant “civilian,” as in “non-military.” But as individual engineers began developing systematic professional organizations, the meaning of “civil engineering” was narrowed down to “construction.”
- Computer science engineering: Computer science engineers contribute to the entire process of designing and coding computers and computer-related devices.
- Electrical engineering: Electrical engineers design electrical systems, such as transformers, as well as electronic goods.
- Environmental engineering: Environmental engineers are concerned with protecting the environment by assessing the impact projects have on the air, water, soil, and noise levels in their vicinities. About 52,000 environmental engineers work in the United States to improve the qualities of air, water, and land. This includes actively developing environmentally friendly industrial processes and mobilizing technologies that are available now.
- Mechanical engineering: Mechanical engineering involves the design of physical or mechanical systems, such as engines, kinematic chains, and vibration isolation equipment.
- Nuclear engineering: This subdiscipline deals with the control and use of energy and radiation released from nuclear reactions. It includes the development, design, and construction of products such as nuclear power reactors, naval-propulsion reactors, nuclear fuel-cycle facilities, and radioactive-waste disposal facilities. It also involves the development and production of nuclear weapons.
- Systems engineering: Systems engineering is geared toward the rapid design and development of large and complex systems, such as the intercontinental ballistic missile system. It uses results of engineering sciences and systems theories, shares techniques with operations research, and is akin to software engineering, which also tackles designing complex systems. Systems engineering is also referred to as concurrent engineering and employs the systems approach within a broad horizon that covers analyses of goals and requirements, considerations of the system from cradle to grave, and the organization of multidisciplinary teams in developing the system.
The 10 Major Branches of Engineering
22 Viewsby Traci Love
