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09/20/2005 04:55:24 PM · #1 |
hi
I'm just filling in uni application forms (deadline friday) for engineering degrees, and wondered if anyone could give me a feel for the difference between civil, environmental and mechanical engineering from the point of view of someone whos been involved in the industry.
I'm sick to death of looking at prospectuses and syllabuses, which don't really give me an idea of the scope or possible career paths, so thought I'd see if anyone out there could give me some advice.
any feedback would be GREATLY appreciated,
thanks
Kirsty |
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09/20/2005 04:58:46 PM · #2 |
No real help here, but one friend told me that electrical engineers make bombs and civil engineers make targets.
Message edited by author 2005-09-20 17:23:59. |
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09/20/2005 05:00:13 PM · #3 |
| I think I have seen some here on DPC (trying to act like a bump - hope I am a good one at that) |
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09/20/2005 05:10:06 PM · #4 |
I'm about to graduate in mechanical engineering. Mechanical encompasses a very broad range of subjects. As compared to civil, mechanical deals more with motion and dynamic topics (fluid flow, thermodynamics, machinery design, vibration, etc, etc.) while civil deals more with structural and stationary (ie, non-dynamic) topics. I don't have direct experience with environmental but expect it deals with environmental regulations, emissions, waste disposal and such. I'm sure all three have significant overlap in the subjects studied. What type of work do you want to do?
btw, the first courses you take will most likely be more tailored to a broad range of majors. At Penn State at least, you don't commit to a major until the end of the sophomore year. Prior to that I had technical-based pre-requisites (physics, math, chemistry) but the real fun courses (specifically engineering-oriented) weren't until junior year. Also, your career path is not set in stone with your major. Engineering is a very diverse field.
Message edited by author 2005-09-20 17:13:52.
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09/20/2005 05:16:08 PM · #5 |
I have a degree in mechanical engineering. the majority of jobs out there for MEs deals primarily with either product design or manufacturing support (designing machines for manufacturing and such). civil deals usually with structural concerns - building, bridges, highways, etc.
Bottom line with most engineering disciplines: the job you actually do is NOTHING like your classwork. you must get internships or co-ops to really get a feel for what the career is like. so you need to figure out what you eventually wanto to do and pick the curriculum that will get you there. you definitely don't want to pick a path based on the course description.
Nick |
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09/20/2005 05:17:38 PM · #6 |
thanks for that ben +nick
I'm not sure exactly what I want to do in the future, but I'm interested in sustainable development issues, such as renewable enrgy, emergency shelter systems, sustainable agriculture... I see engineering as a chance to apply science/maths in a social context
Biomedical engineering also seems really interesting, but because i dont know much about it I wouldnt be happy specialising in that straight away.
Message edited by author 2005-09-20 17:18:15. |
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09/20/2005 05:19:09 PM · #7 |
Back when I was in college Civil Engineers built roads/buildings/bridges and the like. Mechanical - I'm guess work with machines, Environmental didn't exist back then.
But I would not be too concerned with the differences for the first year of college. Most college students change their major. As long as your get reasonable close to your eventual major the courses the first year should not be that different. Back in my day - 35 yrs ago - Engineers/Chem/Physics/Math majors all took the same course the first year.
So what you might look at is not what they do two three years out, but what are the differences in course work for the first year. |
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09/20/2005 05:43:41 PM · #8 |
I have a degree in Aerospace Engineering, which is similar to the Mechanical Engineering degree (I had classes with ME majors all the way up until my senior year)
Above posts have already described the Mechanical degree fairly well. My Aerospace degree just included several focused courses involving rocket/jet propulsion, aerodynamics, airplane performance, and astronautics.
In the first year, pretty much all engineering disciplines are identical. Everyone gets the preliminary classes out of the way, such as physics, chemistry, getting started on the math track, etc.
In the second year, most of my classes were held with the Mechanical and Biomedical engineering majors. The electrical/civil/computer/chemical engineers started to go their own ways at that point, but a friend of mine in Civil Engineering took classes like soils (from a chemical viewpoint), surveying, etc.
I can't speak much for environmental engineering, as I really do not know that much about the curriculum for that field of study.
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09/20/2005 06:06:48 PM · #9 |
wow erin, you just got so attractive to me
=P |
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09/20/2005 07:29:16 PM · #10 |
Mechanical Engineers design products and parts of products, tools to make products, do stress analysis have to worry about material strengthes and physics things like that. Electrical Engineers do the same thing but for electrical things.
Industrial/Manufacturing designs how to build the product. Sequence of assembly, what machines/tools are needed. They work with the mechanical engineers to insure things are designed in a way that they are possible and most easily built.
Quality engineers fix problems, design how to inspect products, insure failures won't happen, make sure they don't happen a second time when they do happen and end up correcting all the other engineer's mistakes :).
I've done all of the above. I liked Quality the best, mechanical the least. As a Mechanical Engineer I spent all day at a desk and never got my hands dirty. Today I'm a "Production Engineer" which means I do the job of the Quality/Industrial/Manufacturing engineer. I get to be involved in and am responsible for everything. I spend a good junk of my time acting as a manufacturing manager, and I'm the guy that everyone goes to first if there is a problem or question. Some days it's good and other days it's not.
I've never worked with or as a civil engineer, but I believe they to a lot of government type work like roads, bridges, city planning...
Never heard of a degree in environmental engineering. You'd probably end up working for facilities in a power plant or paint shop with something like that.
But, in the real world once you are of school you are going to do what you want. I know a nuclear engineer that became a forest ranger, I work with guys that have no engineering degrees and design aircraft, and many people I know with engineering degrees end up in management.
Hope my ramble helps a little. Feel free to PM if you have any questions.
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09/20/2005 07:55:34 PM · #11 |
Aw, thanks everyone. Knew I could count on you guys to help me out.
I may be back if I have more questions; in the meantime if anyone has any more to contribute, I'm all ears. (Either here or by PM) Even when I've sent off my application, I'll want to find out more, so I can conjure up some more enthusiasm before interviews, lol.
thanks
Kirsty
edit: I'll be taking a gap year next yr before starting uni, so if anyone has contacts for companies that i could possibly do a placement/voluntary work with (preferably in some way relevant to sustainable development), that'd be fantastic! I'm based in the UK but open to living abroad for some of a gap year (only speak english, some spanish, miniscule french)
Message edited by author 2005-09-20 20:00:40. |
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09/20/2005 07:59:21 PM · #12 |
I'll add to the ramblings...
MY degree is in Mechanical Engineering, and I specialized in Materials Science and Statistics (Design of Experiments). I've worked in the electronics industry for 25 years, where there's more work for Mechanical Engineers than you'd believe. In this industry, we're the guys that assess reliabilty of electronic assemblies, design new materials for assembly, invent new processes and equipent for assembly and packaging of electronics components and systems, Model and test reliability (both destructively and non-destructively).
The electrical guys make sure the circuit works, but we make sure it can be built and that it KEEPS working.
I've known several Civil Engineers (actually I find most engineers are normally pretty civil, LOL)... OK, I really don't have a great depth of knowledge to add to what's already been posted about that discipline.
You can certainly wait until at least the beginning of your second year to decide on which engineering discipline is for you. Whatever you decide, you'll then be faced with even more decisions as to what to speicalize in. Use your professors as guides as to what are marketable areas, particularly in the geographic areas you are interested in living.
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09/20/2005 08:06:46 PM · #13 |
| I'm a chemical engineer, and we're just weird. Just thought I'd throw that in. But I work at a nuclear plant and the group I work in is the mechanical design group. Figure that out. The manager of mechanical design is also a chemical engineering graduate. We're all pretty much the same. From what I've learned, they teach you everything you need to know when you get on the job. Or maybe that's just because everything is so different in the nuclear world. |
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09/20/2005 08:06:59 PM · #14 |
My husband is trained as a mechanical engineer and does stuff like designing and building machines for companies that need automation. However, he was most recently told he was also the electrical engineer for the company he works for so he does a lot of wiring and programming aforementioned machines. :)
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09/20/2005 08:17:13 PM · #15 |
...i might be hijaking this thread, and if so, im sorry, but im in a simialr position to kirsty, except i still have about a month before my applicatins are due...
Were all of you engineers ever certain about what kind of engineering you were going into? There are so many choices...when did u realize which one was right?
...also, where any of you guys "excited" about becoming engineers? A life dream for you, or something you kind of just fell into?
thanks,
mj |
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09/20/2005 08:28:07 PM · #16 |
I am not an engineer however I was a technical recruiter and staffing agent for one of the worlds largest engineering firms for 12 years. (Fluor Daniel food/pharm, refi/petrochem & their sister co Duke Eng power). It has been my experience from staffing contract engineers and designers for projects ranging from Motorola, MCI Worldcom, Exxon, Clark, P&G, and various government contracts that there is a much wider range of opportunities for Mechanical Engineers as opposed to Civil, Structural, Electrical which are a more specialized disciplines. Also, unless you are a lead/sr eng or project manager it is difficult to command a rate competitive with that of a mid level talented mechanical engineer. For 5 years you couldn't find piping designers that new PDS fast enough or pay them enough 10 years later they are still in demand. Although the manufacturing industry in the US is on a downturn we are still leading the communications industry as kirbic said there is more work than could ever be staffed for the electronics industry.
A word of advice get in touch with a technical recruiter NOW and get your internships lined up - the more experience you have on your resume the more marketable you are when you graduate and have a greater chance of landing a position in the field you end up choosing.
Best of luck, Michele |
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09/20/2005 08:33:40 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by maxj:
Were all of you engineers ever certain about what kind of engineering you were going into? There are so many choices...when did u realize which one was right?
...also, where any of you guys "excited" about becoming engineers? A life dream for you, or something you kind of just fell into?
thanks,
mj |
I wanted to do biochemistry as a freshman, changed my mind during sophomore year. I chose mechanical because it seemed to encompass a broad range of disciplines.
Right now I'm excited about it = ) There's really a lot of opportunity. I'm in the thick of the career search though, so hopefully that excitement endures/helps me get a job = P
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09/20/2005 08:48:22 PM · #18 |
| One thing to bear in mind: the best engineers are those that are interested in engineering, not just looking for something to do. If as a child you frequently took things apart to see how they worked then you might be a good candidate for engineering. However, there are good engineers that learned that curiosity and bad engineers for whom the trait was inate. But do not ignore aptitude for the career choice. If you would prefer a new coffee maker to a new set of wrenches then think twice! |
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09/20/2005 09:13:15 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by maxj:
...i might be hijaking this thread, and if so, im sorry, but im in a simialr position to kirsty, except i still have about a month before my applicatins are due...
Were all of you engineers ever certain about what kind of engineering you were going into? There are so many choices...when did u realize which one was right?
...also, where any of you guys "excited" about becoming engineers? A life dream for you, or something you kind of just fell into?
thanks,
mj |
Good question. I started as a Electrical Engineer but switched to Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering after year 2 because I got tired of electronics and was hoping to be a fat manager of something some day. It was one of the best decisions I ever made as I've always been happy with my jobs. Once you start taking some clases and talking to other students you'll figure out what really is for you. Regardless what you major in, you will have a lot of different job choices when you graduate.
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09/20/2005 09:18:33 PM · #20 |
| When I was in the 10th grade in high school I decided I wanted to be a chemical engineer. I stuck with it, and here I am. Most people don't decide til they've been in a college a little while, but I've never been anything other than a ChemE. My older sister (by 5 years) is a chemical engineer as well, so I was exposed to it at a young age. I really enjoy it. |
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09/20/2005 09:32:58 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by maxj:
...i might be hijaking this thread, and if so, im sorry, but im in a simialr position to kirsty, except i still have about a month before my applicatins are due...
Were all of you engineers ever certain about what kind of engineering you were going into? There are so many choices...when did u realize which one was right?
...also, where any of you guys "excited" about becoming engineers? A life dream for you, or something you kind of just fell into?
thanks,
mj |
I've always known that I wanted to work with aircraft and spacecraft even when I was a little girl. Even in elementary school when my dad would take me to airshows and teach me about astronomy and manned spaceflight, I knew it's what I wanted to do. Many years of school later, here I am, still loving it!
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09/20/2005 10:26:24 PM · #22 |
i work on a military base and we have civil, environmental, mechanical, safety, chemical, computer, electrical, industrial, etc..but i would say environmental and chemical would be the most interesting to myself. Environmental deals with basically the whole environment and how to better it. They make a huge deal about the Bald Eagles here, its almost like they care more about them than us lol! But I would say any field would be great, it just depends on who you work for and what you really like.
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09/20/2005 10:35:20 PM · #23 |
I use an Architech and Engineering firm to do the design of structural, electrical and mechanical systems for my buildings I am responsible for.
I keep them bussier than a 1 legged man in a but kicking contest. I do the pre-design of the layout and make suggestions on HVAC placement and Fire supression systems as well as cable tray layouts where our equipment will go, weight and heat loads. THey then take all that and incorporate it into the CAD drawings and do final design and I approve it or tell them to do it over.
so be prepaired for a LOT of LONG hours at the office out out in the field.
James |
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09/23/2005 10:33:44 AM · #24 |
In case any one is interested in what became of my decision, I've just handed in my UCAS form.
I've mainly gone the mechanical route, with a couple of general degrees (choose to specialise in later yrs), plus engineering maths and eng design.
Thanks everyone for the advice, I'm so glad to have made the decision finally. Now i dont have to worry about anything til interviews come round :-S
And maxj, good luck with ur decisionmaking + final application, dont worry at all about hijacking, lol
Kirsty
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09/23/2005 11:02:05 AM · #25 |
| I studied Mechanical Engineering first, but decided I liked the systems side better than the machine design side, so I took Industrial Engineering. Have been doing Manufacturing Engineering and Quality Engineering for over 25 years in the military and commercial electronics field. It’s a very diverse discipline. I didn’t like electronics at school, (still don’t) but I have been involved with it for my entire career. Good Luck! |
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