ALL Engineering Majors & Careers Explained | 22 Types of Engineers

Summary

This video script addresses the confusion surrounding the multitude of engineering disciplines by categorizing them into six primary types: mechanical, chemical, civil, electrical, software, and industrial engineering. It outlines the core aspects of each, including relevant courses and potential job roles post-graduation. Additionally, it connects specialized fields like mechatronics, aerospace, and biomedical engineering back to these foundational categories, clarifying how they are combinations or subsets. The script serves as a comprehensive guide for students navigating the vast landscape of engineering careers.

Takeaways

• 😀 Engineering has evolved from a few basic types to a vast array of disciplines, reflecting the growth of technology and new challenges.
• 🔧 The 'Big Six' engineering disciplines are Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Software, and Industrial, which form the foundation of all other engineering fields.
• ⚙️ Mechanical Engineering focuses on the design and optimization of products across various industries, including automotive and aerospace.
• 🧪 Chemical Engineering involves designing chemical processes and plants to produce materials like drugs and fertilizers, with a significant role in the petroleum industry.
• 💡 Electrical Engineering is about designing electronic hardware and systems, from small circuits to large-scale communications technology.
• 💻 Software Engineering deals with creating, testing, and evaluating software for computers and mobile devices, utilizing a variety of programming languages.
• 🏗 Civil Engineering is concerned with designing and managing large-scale public projects like roads, bridges, and buildings.
• 🏭 Industrial Engineering aims to optimize processes, systems, and organizations by considering various factors including people, money, and information flow.
• 🤖 Mechatronics Engineering combines Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Engineering, opening opportunities in robotics and autonomous vehicles.
• 🌱 Environmental Engineering tackles issues like wastewater management and pollution, aiming to create sustainable solutions for environmental challenges.
• 🚀 Aerospace and Automotive Engineering involve Mechanical, Electrical, or Software Engineers working on specific aspects of aircraft and vehicles.

Q & A

What are the six main categories of engineering referred to as the 'big six'?

The 'big six' categories of engineering are Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Software, and Industrial engineering.

What is the role of a mechanical engineer in designing a laptop?

A mechanical engineer in designing a laptop would be responsible for designing the chassis, selecting materials for optimal heat dissipation, weight, strength, and durability, as well as analyzing mechanical stresses within the assembly.

Which courses are typically included in a mechanical engineering curriculum?

Courses in a mechanical engineering curriculum may include Statics, Dynamics, Photo Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Mechanical Design, Manufacturing Processes, and learning a common programming language such as MATLAB.

What types of jobs can a chemical engineer expect to apply for?

A chemical engineer can apply for jobs such as Process Engineer, developing and optimizing processes using energy to convert raw materials into usable products, or a Solid State Cell Chemistry Engineer, designing fabrication methods for electric vehicle batteries.

What is the primary focus of electrical engineering?

Electrical engineering focuses on designing all the electronics hardware such as wiring, circuitry, and communications technology used in devices that utilize electricity.

What are some job positions a graduate with a degree in software engineering might pursue?

Job positions for software engineering graduates include Software Engineer, developing software for operating systems, apps, games, and APIs; Web Developer, focusing on front-end or back-end development; and roles involving the creation of software for specific industries or applications.

How does civil engineering differ from architectural engineering?

Civil engineering oversees large-scale infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges, dams, buildings, airports, and railways, while architectural engineering is a subset of civil engineering, focusing specifically on the planning, designing, and constructing of buildings.

What is the role of an industrial engineer in a manufacturing context?

An industrial engineer in manufacturing focuses on developing strategies to improve production lines, reduce waste, and achieve maximum efficiency using tools like Six Sigma, Kanban, and Lean Manufacturing.

What is mechatronics engineering and how does it relate to the 'big six'?

Mechatronics engineering is a combination of mechanical, electrical, and software engineering. It allows individuals to work on interdisciplinary projects such as robotics, prosthetic limbs, and autonomous vehicles, making use of knowledge from any of the three disciplines.

What is the difference between a petroleum engineer and an engineer working in the oil and gas industry with a degree in mechanical, chemical, or electrical engineering?

A petroleum engineer specifically works on subsurface operations like exploration, drilling, and reservoir management, requiring a degree in petroleum engineering. In contrast, engineers with degrees in mechanical, chemical, or electrical engineering can work in surface operations like transportation or conversion of crude oil to gasoline without needing a petroleum engineering degree.

How does materials engineering stand out from the 'big six' categories of engineering?

Materials engineering is distinct from the 'big six' as it focuses on the development of new materials such as piezoelectrics and shape memory alloys. While it doesn't fit into any of the six categories, mechanical and chemical engineering majors often take material science courses, and one can work in this field with a degree in either of those disciplines.

Outlines

00:00

🔧 Overview of Engineering Disciplines

The speaker begins by addressing the confusion among engineering students regarding the choice of engineering major and the differences between various engineering fields. Historically, there were few types of engineering, but with technological advancements, the field has expanded significantly. The speaker, an experienced mechanical engineer, aims to explain the 22 types of engineering, focusing on the 'big six': mechanical, chemical, civil, electrical, software, and industrial engineering. These six categories encompass most engineering disciplines, with other types being combinations or subsets of these main areas. The speaker promises to discuss each category's essence, relevant courses, and potential job opportunities post-graduation.

05:01

🏗️ Engineering Roles and Job Prospects

This section delves into the specifics of mechanical, chemical, electrical, and software engineering. Mechanical engineers are involved in designing and optimizing products across industries, with courses like statics, dynamics, and thermodynamics. Job roles include product design and aerodynamics engineering. Chemical engineers focus on chemical processes and plant design, with job opportunities in the petroleum and food industries. Electrical engineers design electronic hardware and take courses in electromagnetic systems and circuits. Software engineers develop software for various platforms, with classes in programming and data structures. Civil engineers manage infrastructure projects, taking courses in mechanics and structural design. Industrial engineers optimize processes and systems, with studies in operations modeling and data processing. The speaker also introduces mechatronics, computer, and systems engineering as combinations of the primary disciplines.

10:02

🚀 Specialized Engineering Fields

The speaker continues by discussing specialized fields such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, petroleum, architectural, nuclear, construction, agricultural, marine, materials, manufacturing, and financial engineering. Each field has its unique focus, such as aerospace and automotive on vehicle design, biomedical on medical device development, and petroleum on oil extraction. Some fields like architectural and nuclear engineering require specific degrees, while others like marine and materials engineering can be entered with degrees from broader disciplines. The speaker emphasizes the versatility of engineering degrees and the potential for cross-disciplinary work.

15:04

🎓 Conclusion and Encouragement

In the final paragraph, the speaker summarizes the vast array of engineering disciplines and encourages viewers who are considering an engineering career to find the video helpful. The speaker acknowledges the complexity of choosing an engineering path but hopes to have provided clarity. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to subscribe for more content, indicating the speaker's intent to continue providing informative videos on engineering topics.

Keywords

💡Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering is a discipline that involves the design, building, and optimization of physical systems. In the video, it is described as a field where engineers work on products across various industries such as automotive, aerospace, and medical. An example given is the design of a laptop chassis, which requires understanding materials, heat dissipation, and mechanical stresses. Mechanical engineers take courses in statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, and mechanical design, and may use programming languages like MATLAB.

💡Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering focuses on the design and operation of chemical processes to produce materials like fertilizers and drugs. The video mentions that chemical engineers might work in a lab or a production plant, and they take courses in organic chemistry, thermodynamics, and reactor design. An example job is a process engineer who optimizes the conversion of raw materials into products, such as producing synthetic rubbers.

💡Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering pertains to the design of electronic hardware and systems that use electricity. The video explains that electrical engineers work on devices like smartphones and cars, focusing on wiring, circuitry, and communication technology. Coursework includes electromagnetic systems, circuits, and signals and systems. Job opportunities range from hardware engineering to embedded software development.

💡Software Engineering

Software Engineering is about designing, testing, and evaluating software for computers and mobile devices. The video highlights that software engineers work with programming languages like C, Java, and Python to create apps, operating systems, and web pages. They take courses in algorithms, software design, and operating systems, leading to jobs such as software development and web development.

💡Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering involves the planning, design, and construction of public infrastructure like roads, bridges, and buildings. The video describes civil engineers as overseeing large-scale projects from design to construction. They study statics, dynamics, and structural design. Career paths include civil engineering, where one might manage infrastructure projects, and structural engineering, focusing on the design of robust structures.

💡Industrial Engineering

Industrial Engineering is about designing and optimizing processes, systems, and organizations. The video explains that industrial engineers consider various factors including people, money, and information flow. They take courses in operations modeling and data processing. Job roles include industrial engineering, where one might improve production line efficiency, and process improvement engineering, focusing on customer experience and queue times.

💡Mechatronics Engineering

Mechatronics Engineering is a combination of mechanical, electrical, and software engineering, as the name suggests (mechanical + electronics). The video notes that mechatronics engineers can work on a variety of projects like robotics and autonomous vehicles. It is an interdisciplinary field that opens up opportunities across different engineering sectors.

💡Computer Engineering

Computer Engineering is a blend of software and electrical engineering, focusing on the design of computer systems and components. The video mentions that computer engineers work on hardware and software aspects of computing devices. This field is suitable for those interested in both software and hardware, and it often involves coursework in digital logic design and computer architecture.

💡Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering involves the management and coordination of multiple interacting components within a system. The video explains that systems engineers work across various domains, including electrical, mechanical, and business processes. They might build models for communication networks or develop stock selection models. This field is broad and requires an understanding of how different systems work together.

💡Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering focuses on solutions to manage waste, alleviate pollution, and address recycling and waste disposal issues. The video describes environmental engineers as working on solutions to environmental problems, such as wastewater management and pollution control. This field is crucial for sustainable development and requires knowledge of both engineering and environmental science.

💡Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace Engineering is about the design and testing of aircraft and spacecraft. The video mentions that aerospace engineers may be mechanical, electrical, or software engineers working on different aspects of airplanes and spacecraft. They might design aircraft structures, develop avionics, or create software for flight control systems. This field requires a deep understanding of aerodynamics and materials science.

Highlights

The speaker clarifies the confusion around the multitude of engineering disciplines and introduces the concept of 'Big Six' engineering fields.

Mechanical engineering is described, focusing on the design, build, analyze, and optimize products across various industries.

Chemical engineering is detailed, emphasizing work in labs and production plants to create materials like fertilizers and drugs.

Electrical engineering is outlined, including the design of electronics hardware and the necessary courses such as electromagnetic systems.

Software engineering is explained, focusing on the design, test, and evaluation of software for various computing platforms.

Civil engineering is discussed, highlighting the design and management of large-scale public projects like roads and bridges.

Industrial engineering is defined, covering the holistic optimization of processes, systems, and organizations.

The relationship between the 'Big Six' and other specialized engineering fields is explored.

Mechatronics engineering is introduced as a combination of mechanical, electrical, and software engineering.

Computer engineering is presented as a mix between software and electrical engineering, suitable for those undecided between the two.

Systems engineering is described, traditionally involving the building, analyzing, and managing of complex systems.

Environmental engineering is mentioned, focusing on solutions to manage wastewater and alleviate pollution.

Aerospace and automotive engineering are discussed, noting their focus on different aspects of airplanes and cars.

Biomedical engineering is explained, with possibilities for mechanical, electrical, or software engineers to work in the field.

Petroleum engineering is defined, involving the extraction of crude oil and natural gas and conversion to various fuels.

Architectural engineering is described as a subset of civil engineering, focusing on the planning, design, and construction of buildings.

Nuclear engineering is outlined, focusing on the design of reactors and power plants using nuclear fission and fusion.

Construction engineering is detailed, emphasizing on-site management and implementation in civil engineering projects.

Agricultural engineering is introduced, focusing on improving power supplies, farming machinery, and solving agricultural problems.

Marine engineering is discussed, involving the design and engineering of boats, ships, submarines, and offshore structures.

Materials engineering is explained as a distinct field, separate from mechanical and chemical engineering, focusing on the development of new materials.

Manufacturing engineering is defined as a subset of industrial engineering, combining mechanical and chemical engineering elements.

Financial engineering is introduced as a unique field leveraging software engineering knowledge and financial theory.

The video concludes with a summary of all the engineering types discussed and a call to action for viewers to subscribe for more content.

Transcripts

happy 2022 everyone i've recently been

hearing from an overwhelming number of

engineering students myself included

asking questions like is it better to

major in mechanical or chemical

engineering or what's the difference

between industrial and manufacturing

engineering and honestly we have a legit

reason to be confused let's say we could

travel back 200 years into the past i

could probably count all the different

types of engineering with just one hand

but with the passage of time comes new

technologies and problems and as a

result there's like a bajillion types of

engineering out there today including

mechanical civil chemical software

industrial aerospace petroleum etc so as

someone who got his bachelor's and

master's degree in engineering and

someone who has worked as a mechanical

engineering industry for several years

now i've gotten the opportunity to

interact with all different kinds of

engineers and engineering programs out

there so i'll attempt to explain all 22

types of engineering in this video

universities and companies like to give

us the impression that there's so many

different types of engineering out there

with their fancy programs and job titles

but in the end it all boils down to only

six which i like to call the big six

mechanical chemical civil electrical

software and industrial all the other

types of engineering that you've heard

is either a combination of two or more

of these disciplines or a smaller

subsection of one of them first i'll

walk through each of the six categories

i'll talk about what it actually is the

courses you can expect to take and what

kind of jobs you can expect to get with

the degree after graduation afterwards

i'll clarify how all the other types of

engineering relate to the big six let's

start off with mechanical engineering

mechanical engineers design build

analyze and optimize products in

virtually every industry including but

not limited to automotive aerospace

medical electronics and defense take

this laptop for instance a group of

mechanical engineers probably spent at

least a year designing the chassis and

selecting the right material for the

optimal heat dissipation weight strength

and durability as well as analyzing the

mechanical stresses within the overall

assembly before it was finally produced

and sold some courses you will take

include statics dynamics photo mechanics

thermodynamics mechanics of materials

mechanical design manufacturing

processes and a common programming

language such as matlab some positions

that you can apply for with a mechanical

engineering degree include product

design engineer whose role is to for

example design the housing of an iphone

to make sure that it's manufacturable

using computer aided design tools and to

conduct failure analysis to make sure

that it doesn't break when dropped onto

a hard surface second we have

aerodynamics engineer whose function is

to design analyze the aerodynamic and

thermodynamic performance of airplanes

to improve fuel efficiency or even

reduce manufacturing costs third we have

a manufacturing engineer who is a

subject matter expert at various

manufacturing processes and equipment

safe for a tesla model 3 and how to

efficiently and cost effectively produce

250 000 vehicles in three months next on

the list is chemical engineering

chemical engineers will work in a lab

but most likely a production plant to

design the plant itself or the chemical

processes used to make materials such as

fertilizers and drugs they can work for

many industries including the petroleum

industry for places like exxon mobil and

shell to accelerate the destruction of

planet earth as well as the food

industry for places like coca-cola and

tyson chemical engineers have to take a

lot of chemistry courses including

organic and organic and biochemistry as

well as thermodynamics separation

processes chemical kinetics and reactor

design some positions that you can apply

for with a mechanical engineering degree

include process and chemical engineering

who develops and optimizes processes

that uses energy to convert raw

materials into usable products such as

producing synthetic rubbers using

petroleum hydrocarbons and coal another

position could be solid state cell

chemistry engineer who designs scalable

fabrication methods and participates in

the sizing process for electric vehicle

batteries next is electrical engineering

electrical engineers design all the

electronics hardware such as the wiring

circuitry and communications technology

and basically anything that uses

electricity such as an iphone a stepper

motor or engine control unit of a car

some of the courses you'll have to take

if you decide to study electrical

engineering include electromagnetic

systems circuits entropy electronics and

large design as well as signals and

systems now there's a huge selection of

jobs you can expect to get with the

electrical engineering degree after

graduation first is hardware engineering

where you design test and debug

electrical components and circuits for

production that go into any electrical

device second is pcb designer where you

design pcbs and study pcb design trends

as well as manufacturing processes and

evaluate things like cost packaging

manufacturing and system performance

third is embedded software or firmware

engineer where you get to essentially

write code and algorithms that tell the

device how to behave so you get to work

with both software and hardware next

let's talk about software engineering

software engineers design test and

evaluate software for computers and

mobile devices such as android and ios

apps operating systems and even web

pages using various program languages

such as c c plus plus go java and python

classes you can expect to take include

programming with languages such as c and

object oriented programming starting

with c plus and its starter languages

you should also expect to take

algorithms software design advanced data

structures and intro to operating

systems some of the jobs you can expect

to get include obviously a software

engineer where you develop software for

operating systems apps games and apis

second is web developer which includes

front and back end developers as a

front-end developer you'll create and

maintain all the code that controls the

visual elements of a website and as a

back-end developer you'll focus more on

the server side of the website or the

site that users can't see a civil

engineer designs and manages large-scale

projects in the public sector including

roads bridges dams buildings airports

and railways as a civil engineering

major you can expect to take statics and

dynamics flow mechanics mechanics and

materials solid mechanics structural

design and the design the mechanics of

concrete structures the positions you

can expect to get with a civil

engineering degree include obviously a

civil engineer where you oversee

large-scale infrastructure projects from

design all the way to construction

second is structural engineer where you

will use math and physics to determine

the safest and most functional way to

design a bridge or building and what

materials will make the structure robust

for an indefinite period of time third

is water resources engineer where you

will create infrastructure used to

channel clean drinking water to cities

and homes and create underground wells

for water collection industrial

engineers design and optimize processes

systems and organizations holistically

including people money knowledge flow of

information and equipment and they can

work in hospitals manufacturing plants

banks consulting firms etc courses you

can expect to take as an industrial

engineering major include operations

modeling ergonomics optimal methods

mark-up processes data processing and

discrete event simulation with the

industrial engineering degree you can

expect to get a lot of different

positions versus industrial engineer

where you develop a lot of strategies to

improve say a production line and to

reduce waste to achieve max efficiency

using six sigma kanban lean

manufacturing and other tools second is

process improvement engineering where

you might find ways to shorten queue

times at a bank and find ways to improve

the customer experience and third is

supply chain analysts where you take

data and reports from each stage of the

supply chain to minimize transportation

time and cost from point a to point b

now that you have a better sense of what

the six overarching categories of

engineering are you're probably still

wondering about the other five gazillion

types of engineering out there so let's

state your curiosity and talk about them

let's start off with mechatronics

engineering the name itself is literally

mechanical plus electrical and for that

reason it's a combination of mechanical

electrical and software engineering and

you can get a position related to any of

these three disciplines it opens up the

door to many new opportunities and

allows you to work on things like

robotics prosthetic limbs and autonomous

vehicles then there's computer

engineering which is a mix between

software and electrical engineering so

if you're undecided between the two and

you know that mechanical engineering is

not for you then this is probably a good

option for you to consider next we have

systems engineering which is

traditionally building analyzing and

managing any system via electrical

mechanical chemical biological or one

involving business processes and

logistics technically speaking both

mechatronics and computer engineering

are both subsets of system engineering

because they combine two or more types

of engineering to build a system with

multiple interacting components so the

opportunities are endless in terms of

what you get to work on but many of the

systems engineering jobs today are a mix

of computer and mechatronics engineering

based on what i've seen some examples

include building models for

communication computer and sensor

networks or developing quantitative

stock selection models that are used to

pick high performing stocks for clients

as environmental engineer you will come

up with solutions to manage wastewater

alleviate pollution and solve issues

related to recycling and waste disposal

now let's talk aerospace and automotive

engineering these are very interesting

because both automotive and aerospace

engineers are either mechanical

electrical or software engineers that

work on different areas of airplanes and

cars respectively for example you could

design a body and white of a car as a

mechanical engineer or design a

circuitry that allows the gasoline

engine to charge the battery or the

circuitry that allows a battery to

distribute electricity to the electric

motors in the electric vehicle as a

electrical engineer or develop the

software of the autopilot system that

controls how an autonomous vehicle makes

driving decisions the same goes for

biomedical engineering you can become a

biomedical engineer with a mechanical

electrical or software engineering

degree without getting a specific

biomedical engineering degree depending

on the area you're working in for

example you could design the external

housing of a pacemaker that protects the

batteries and electrical components as a

mechanical engineer or you can work on a

circuitry that contains the leads and

pulse generator as an electrical

engineer or you can program the logic

that drives the device as a software

engineer however if you want to get into

areas like genetic and tissue

engineering getting a biomedical

engineering degree is probably a smart

move to make petroleum engineers work in

the oil and gas industry to design

methods of extracting crude oil and

natural gas from below the earth's

surface and finding ways of converting

them to gasoline jet fuel and other

types of fuels you don't necessarily

need a petroleum engineering degree to

become a petroleum engineer and you can

still work in the industry with a

mechanical chemical or electrical

engineering degree if you're interested

in surface operations like transporting

or converting crude oil to gasoline

however if you're more interested in

subsurface operations like exploration

drilling and reservoir management a

petroleum engineering degree is

definitely required architectural

engineering is a subset of civil

engineering and deals with planning

designing and constructing specifically

buildings generally a civil engineer

oversees the overall project of several

structures whereas an architectural

engineer will focus on the design and

construction of a single building 99.9

of the time i always recommend sticking

with civil engineering which is

definitely more popular and gives you

way more flexibility in terms of the

projects you can work on nuclear

engineering falls under chemical

engineering and as a nuclear engineer

you will design reactors power plants

weapons and instruments leveraging

nuclear fission and fusion you'll

generally need a masters or phd degree

in nuclear science or engineering to

work in this specialized area

construction engineering is a specialty

of civil engineering and like civil

engineers construction engineers work on

bridges buildings and roads civil

engineers generally focus more on the

design aspect of infrastructure while

construction engineers focus more on

on-site management and implementation of

the plans done by the civil engineer

agricultural engineers design and

improve power supplies farming machinery

facilities structures and solutions to

solve agricultural problems for example

you might modify environmental factors

affecting crop or animal production such

as airflow in a barn or runoff patterns

on a field you can become an

agricultural engineer by getting a

biological or agricultural engineering

degree but that isn't necessary and you

can still work in the industry with a

mechanical electrical software or

chemical engineering degree for example

a software engineer might develop

software that integrates ai to improve

the efficiency of fertilizer application

next as a marine engineer you will

design and engineer boats ships

submarines and offshore structures using

either your mechanical software or

electrical engineering knowledge for

example a software engineer might

develop and install software for mission

critical systems while mechanical

engineer would analyze the stresses and

the hydrodynamic performance of the

submarine's propeller moving on to

materials engineering this one is

interesting because it doesn't fit into

any of the six categories of engineering

although mechanical and chemical

engineering majors take material science

it doesn't fall into either of the two

types of engineering beginning in the

1940s materials engineering became

widely recognized as a distinct field of

science and engineering and many

universities began creating dedicated

schools just for its study with that

being said you can still without

question work in this niche field with

the mechanical or chemical engineering

degree to develop new materials such as

piezoelectrics and shape memory alloys

the second last type of engineering

we'll talk about is

manufacturing engineering which is a

subset of industrial engineering that

combines some elements of mechanical and

chemical engineering to add value to raw

materials by turning them into saleable

goods and products using computers and

lean six sigma tools such as value

stream mapping you can become a

manufacturing engineer with either a

mechanical or industrial engineering

degree

last but not least is financial

engineering yes believe it or not this

is a thing and many universities like

columbia and princeton offer a degree in

financial engineering this one is an odd

duck because it doesn't fit into any of

the six categories of engineering

however it does leverage software

engineering knowledge such as

programming and financial theory and

math to develop new investment tools

trading strategies and financial models

but i'm going to be brutally honest

financial engineers aren't actual

engineers and they're essentially just

quantitative analysts or applied

mathematicians but that's it this is

every type of engineering out there

explained and if you're currently

deciding on which engineering program to

get into or thinking about becoming one

of these types of engineers i hope you

found this video helpful thank you so

much for watching please don't forget to

smash the subscribe and hit the bell

icon for more videos like this and i'll

see you in the next one

peace

[Music]