Module 1. Engineering as a Career and Profession

• Engineering - Considered to be one of the most challenging and exciting career.
• Engineering - Application of the principles Science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems.
• Engineering - “is the application of science to the common

  purpose of life” – Benjamin Thompson (aka Count Rumford)
• Derived from the Latin ingenium, meaning “cleverness” and ingeniare, meaning “to contrive, devise”
• Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience, and practice, is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of [hu]mankind”.
• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
• George Washington


  Considered to be the first engineer in the United States.
• “Engineers turn dreams into reality.” –theme from National Engineers Week held at United States in honor of George Washington
• Neil Armstrong


  Provided an excellent answer on the difference of Science and Engineering in the foreword of A Century of Innovation: Twenty Engineering Achievements That Changed Our Lives.
• “Engineering is often associated with science and understandably so. Both make extensive use of mathematics, and engineering requires a solid scientific basis. Yet as any scientist or engineer will tell you, they are quite different.
• Science is a quest for “truth for its own sake,” for an ever more exact understanding of the natural world. It explains the change in the viscosity of a liquid as its temperature is varied, the release of heat when water vapor condenses, and the reproductive process of plants. It determines the speed of light.
• Engineering turns those explanations and understandings into new or improved machines, technologies, and processes – to bring reality to ideas and to provide solutions to societal need.”
• Science

  • Understand
  • Describe
  • Explain
• Engineering

  • Design
  • Build
• The scientist seeks to know, the engineer aims to do.
• Qualities of an Engineer

  1. Curiosity
  2. Critical Thinking
  3. Creativity
  4. Effective Communication
  5. Collaborative Spirit
• Curiosity - Engineers are curious because they want to know how and why things work as they do. For many engineers, once they have this understanding, their thinking morphs into how they can make it better,
• Critical Thinking - Engineers need to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to make objective judgments and recommendations. They rely on

  these critical thinking skills in every stage of their work, particularly when it comes to decision- making.
• Creativity - At first glance, it would seem that in a field structured by math and science there would be little to no room for a creative spirit but when one looks more deeply, the creative engineer is changing the way we live and work as creativity often spurs innovation. It was a creative engineer who converted another glue-based project into Sticky Notes.
• Effective Communication - Effective engineers understand that

  clear, concise, written and verbal communication is the key to giving their

  ideas life and their team a competitive edge.
• Effective Communication - where language and meaning often become lost

  in translation. While many graduate programs in engineering place little focus on teaching students these skills, there are plenty of resources which

  engineers may avail themselves in order to improve their ability to effectively communicate.
• Collaborative Spirit - units. Engineers are tasked with contributing to collaborative and cross-functional teams to ensure integrated development. The more easily an engineer can collaborate with a team, the more likely the project or product will be successful.
• Engineers who remain curious throughout their lives, while employing sharp critical thinking skills, combined with the ability to clearly communicate

  their ideas in a creative and collaborative way, are those who will continue to ease the way in which people navigate their world.
• Additional personality traits and work habits that typify most of today’s successful engineers

  • different ways to model and analyze various practical problems.
  • Have time management skills that enable them to work productively and efficiently.
  • Have people skills that allow them to interact and communicate effectively with various people in their organization.
  • Have a desire to be lifelong learners. They have to take continuing education classes, seminars and workshops
  • Regardless of their area of specialization, have a core knowledge that can be applied in other related fields.
• Civil Engineering - is one of the oldest of the engineering fields. It emphasizes mathematical knowledge in geometry, calculus and physical sciences.

  • design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, water supply, and water and wastewater treatment systems.
• Chemical Engineering - engineering is the field of applied science that employs physical, chemical, and biochemical rate processes for the betterment of humanity.

  • use the principles of chemistry and basic engineering sciences to solve a variety of problems related to the production of chemicals
• Computer Engineering - This discipline is referred to in a multitude of terms including computer hardware engineering, computer software engineering, and computer science. This field encompasses the development of the programming.
• Computer engineers work on computer hardware chips, circuit boards and keyboards.
• Electrical Engineering - involves the conception, design, development, and production of the electrical or electronic products and systems.

  • design, developed test and supervise the manufacturing pf electrical equipment, including lighting and wiring for buildings, cars, buses, trains, ships and Aircraft.
• Electronics Engineering - integrates available and emerging technologies with knowledge of mathematics, natural, social and applied sciences to conceptualize, design, and implement new, improved, or innovative electronic, computer and communication systems, devices, goods, services and processes.

  • develop, test, and supervise the production of electronic equipment, including computer hardware; computer network hardware; communication devices such as cellular phone, television, and audio and video equipment;
• Environmental And Sanitary Engineering - branch of engineering that is concerned with protecting people from the effects of adverse environmental effect, such as pollution and environment

  • laws and principles of chemistry, biology, and engineering to address issues related to water and air pollution control, Hazardous waste, waste disposal, and recycling. it also involved the development of local, national and international environmental policies and regulation.
• Food Engineering - multidisciplinary field which combines microbiology, applied physical sciences , chemistry and engineering for food and related industries.

  • provide the technological knowledge transfer essential to the cost-effective production and commercialization of food products and services.
• Industrial Engineering - focuses on the entrepreneurial and business aspect of engineering projects.

  Whether it is research and development or group projects, industrial engineers desire to create the most efficient plans for employee scheduling, factory schedules, and a multitude of other factors.
• Instrumentation and Control Engineering - is a branch of engineering that studies the measurement and control of process variables, and the design and implementation of systems that incorporate them.

  • engineers focus on the implementation of control systems, mainly derived from mathematical modeling.
• Mechanical Engineering - is an engineering branch that combines

  engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials

  science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems.

  • research, develop, design, manufacture and test tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. They work on power producing machines such as electricity-producing generators, internal combustion engines,
• Mechatronics Engineering - a multidisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the engineering of both electrical and mechanical systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, computer, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering.
• Petroleum Engineering - field of engineering concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or

  natural gas. Exploration and production are deemed to fall within the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry.

  • specialize in the discovery and production of oil and natural gas.
• Aerospace Engineering - The primary field of engineering concerned with the design, development, testing, and production of aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems and equipment.

  • Develop leading-edge technologies and integrate them into aerospace vehicles systems used for transportation, communications, exploration, and defense applications.
• Automotive Engineering - a branch of vehicle engineering that focuses on the

  application, design and manufacturing of automobiles. This field of engineering involves the direct application of mathematics in the design and production of vehicles.

  • An automotive engineer designs and tests various components of vehicles, including fuel technologies and safety systems.
• Biomedical Engineering - combines engineering principles with medical and biological sciences to design and create devices, computer systems, software and equipment for use in healthcare e.g. artificial limbs

  • engineer works as part of a team which creates a device, procedure or system that will aid in healthcare.