Engineering is one of the most sought after professions today. There are many students who look forward to pursue their career as an engineer. The study of engineering can provide simulating challenges, opportunity to be creative and most of all, can lead to an exciting and rewarding career. But before aspiring to become an engineer, it is advisable to get an overall idea about this profession.
Basically, to put it into simple terms, engineering is where you solve problems. To add a bit more to it, engineers use technical, as well as scientific knowledge in order to make judgments. By using their imaginations, they come up with solutions to problems either new or old.
This is just a brief description as to what engineering basically means. Now let us have a look into engineering colleges and the courses offered by them.
Engineering colleges generally refer to institutes of higher education which offer an engineering course at degree (undergraduate) level. The duration of the course is four to five years depending upon the university to the college is affiliated. The students learn little of basic science (pure science) concentrating instead on its applications to real life problems. Some colleges provide postgraduate courses such as PhDs. Students can specialise in different branches such as electrical engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering. The popularity of engineering colleges is surging, especially in countries like US, possibly because the Information Technology (IT) sector has a high demand for engineers.
A bachelor’s degree in engineering provides students with the fundamental engineering training they need to start exciting careers in the engineering field. With an extensive variety of engineering specialties available, including aerospace, biomedical, environmental and technology, engineering students have the opportunity to find the perfect niche for their career interests.
While there were thought to be 1-5 million engineers in the Unites States at the beginning of the decade, the number has since quadrupled to a near 20 million working engineers. In the US, public engineers require a license, with the process of licensure involving two exams. The first exam has to be taken right after graduation and can help recent graduates to become an Engineer in training. The second exam has to be taken after four years or so of work experience and can help students to become a Professional Engineer.
Pursuing the career as an engineer requires creativity and ability to solve problems. Engineering is an apt option for those who wish to make a difference and change the world. Engineers belong to the greatest profession in the world, responsible for almost everything that makes life worth living-from shelter, energy and transportation to communication, health care and a clean environment. In fact, modern life would be impossible if it weren’t for the ingenuity and creativity of an engineer.
The top ranked engineering college in the US are:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Stanford University, Stanford, C
- University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
- University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
- University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI
- Cornell University-Ithaca, NY
