Graves Center for Calling and Career

What can I do with an engineering major?

AREA	EMPLOYERS	STRATEGIES
ANY ENGINEERING DISCIPLINE Production Sales and Marketing Management Consulting Research and Development Teaching Law	Industry Business Federal, state, and local government Colleges and universities	Obtain related experience through co-op or internships for business/industry-related career. MBA degree provides best opportunities in technical management. Obtain Ph.D. for optimal teaching and research careers. Develop strong verbal and written communication skills. Learn federal, state, and local government job application procedures.
AEROSPACE Propulsion Fluid Mechanics Thermodynamics Structures Celestial Mechanics Acoustics Guidance and Control	Aircraft, guided missile, and space vehicle industries Communications equipment manufacturers Commercial airlines Federal government departments: Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Business and engineering firms	Discipline uses cutting edge technology to deal with challenges of aeronautics, space, mass transportation, environmental pollution, and medical science. Keep abreast of status of federal funding for defense and space programs. Seek co-op opportunities. Develop effective verbal and written communication skills. Learn to work well within a team.
BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING Natural Resources: Soil and Water Conservation International Consulting Environmental Control Agricultural Structures Power and Machinery Electronic Systems Food Engineering Genetic Engineering Engineering Technology	Technological agricultural industries Land grant universities: Experimental farm stations, Research laboratories Consulting firms Equipment design, testing, and manufacturing firms Equipment and food industries including processing, packaging, and storing Quality control for food, feed, fiber, etc. Biotechnology research firms Foreign Service	A broad, basic engineering discipline with a close relationship to the environment, food production, and agricultural productivity. Participate in internship or co-op programs. Acquire strong computer skills. Learn a foreign language for work in foreign service. Develop strong math and problem solving skills.
BIOMEDICAL Bioengineering: Design, Development, Manufacturing Medical Engineering: Instrumentation, Materials, Diagnostic/Therapeutic Devices, Artificial Organs, Medical Equipment Rehabilitation Engineering Bio-environmental Engineering	Manufacturers of medical and surgical devices Hospitals and healthcare facilities Federal government: Regulatory agencies, Veteran's Administration, National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Industry Research facilities of educational and medical institutions	Discipline combines engineering and human anatomy to develop and maintain medical and healthcare systems and equipment. Develop strong team work skills. Many positions require a graduate or professional degree. Serves as a good background for medical school.
CHEMICAL Administration Design and Construction: Project Engineering, Control Systems, Field Engineering, Process Engineering, Operations/Production Environmental and Waste Management: Development, Design	Independent research institutes Consulting organizations Chemical industry including: Agricultural chemicals, Plastics, Industrial chemicals, Petroleum, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Food processing, Atomic energy development, Environmental Federal government including: Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency Manufacturing plants including automotive, airplane, paper, microelectronics, textiles, metals, rubber, food, and beverage	Combines science of chemistry with discipline of engineering to solve problems and develop efficiency. Develop exceptional interpersonal skills. Acquire technical work experience during college years.
CIVIL Structural Urban and Community Planning Construction Environmental Water Resources Transportation and Pipeline Geotechnical Photogrammetry, Surveying and Mapping Materials	Construction industry Engineering or architectural firms Utility companies Oil companies Telecommunications businesses Manufacturing companies Consulting firms Railroads State and federal government agencies	Broad discipline of "doers" providing service to the community through development and improvement. Works extensively with other professionals involved with the community. Provides opportunity to work outdoors. Learn to work well within a team. Develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. Develop physical stamina for outdoor work. Get experience in organizing and directing workers and materials. Ability to visualize objects in three dimensions is helpful. Demand has remained steady due to broad nature of discipline. States may require licensing or registration.
ELECTRICAL/COMPUTER Power Electronics Power Systems Communications Electronics Control Systems Digital Signal Processing Microelectronics Image Processing & Robotics Computer Engineering Plasma Engineering Computer Vision	Manufacturing firms and industry including: Aeronautical/Aerospace, Automotive, Business machines, Professional and scientific equipment, Consumer products, Chemical and petrochemical, Computers, Construction, Defense, Electric utilities, Electronics, Environmental, Food and beverage, Glass, ceramics, and metals, Machine tools, Mining and metallurgy, Nuclear, Oceanography, Pulp and paper, Textiles, Transportation, Water and wastewater Public utilities Federal government including: Armed forces, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institutes of Health, Bureau of Standards, Department of Defense, Various commissions Consulting firms Free-lance consulting	A field in touch with a wide and growing range of applications such as high speed and wireless communication, exploration of outer space, and a revolution in medical diagnosis and treatment. Develop effective verbal and written communication skills. Gain experience in team work. Acquire capacity for details. Develop interpersonal skills. Obtain research experience.
INDUSTRIAL Operations Research Applied Behavioral Science Systems Manufacturing Management Information Engineering Computer Systems Design and Development	Manufacturing industries Accounting firms Retail distribution organizations Banks and financial institutions Hospitals and healthcare organizations Educational and public service agencies Transportation industries Construction industries Public utilities Electrical and electronics machinery industries Consulting firms	Discipline links management and operations by improving productivity through a "big picture" approach; serves human needs and works with people. Take courses in psychology, sociology and anthropology to learn more about people and how they behave. Earn an MBA for advancement in management or administration.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Metallurgy Ceramics Plastics/Polymers Composites Research Extractive Process Applications Management Sales Service Consulting	Materials producing companies Manufacturing companies including automobiles, appliances, electronics, aerospace equipment, machinery, medicine Service companies including airlines, railroads, and utilities Consulting firms Government agencies: Department of Defense, National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) Research institutes Publishers	Studies properties of various types of materials and how they are made and behave under different conditions. Many positions require a graduate degree. Some areas benefited by additional study in business administration, medicine, management and/or law. Develop good communication skills. Gain laboratory and research experience as an undergraduate.
MECHANICAL Mechanical Power Generation: Internal Combustion Engines, Jet Engines, Steam Power Plants, Rockets, Energy Utilization and Conservation Thermal/Fluids: Thermodynamics, Environmental Control, Refrigeration, Instrumentation and Control Machine Sciences: Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Production, Robotics, Operation and Maintenance	Transportation: Automotive industry, aerospace industry, military laboratories Utilities: Steam driven electric power stations Equipment Design: Plants, Nuclear power stations Electronics industry Petro-Chemical: Drilling & production, plant operations Manufacturing: Consumer products, chemical products, farm equipment, industrial equipment, paper and wood products, textile equipment Consulting engineering firms	Takes broad outlook on solving complex problems. Involves design, development and production. Keeps pace with technology. Acts as an interface between society and technology. Obtain related experience through internships or co-op. Take additional courses in area(s) of interest. Develop strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Design Planning Operations Administration Regulations	Private industry and businesses involved with air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials control, water supply, storm water and wastewater management, solid waste disposal, public health, and land management Private engineering consulting firms Construction firms Research firms Testing laboratories International organizations	Discipline plays vital role in reducing toxicity and pollution of water, ground and air for a better quality of life for all living things. Consider a master's degree for advancement. Foreign language ability beneficial for international work.
NUCLEAR Environment and Pollution Health Space Exploration Consumer and Industrial Power Food Supply Transportation Water Supply	Electric and gas utility companies Guided missile and space vehicle companies Engineering consulting firms Business services including medical industry Manufacturers of nuclear power equipment Research facilities Military services Defense manufacturers	Discipline studies basic components of neutrons, protons, electrons and all matter; deals with inanimate substances.
ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND MECHANICS Engineering Mechanics Biomedical Engineering Computational Mechanics Engineering Materials	Industry Manufacturing Research organizations	Interdisciplinary program with broad training in engineering science, mathematics, and physical or biological science.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Bachelor's degree provides wide range of career opportunities in industry, business, and government.
Graduate degrees offer more opportunities for career advancement.
Bachelor's degree is good background for pursuing technical graduate degrees as well as professional degrees in Business Administration, Medicine or Law.
Related work experience obtained through co-op, internships, part-time or summer jobs, or regular employment is extremely beneficial.
Develop computer expertise within field.
Engineers need to think in scientific and mathematical terms, have ability to study data, sort out important facts, solve problems, and be logical thinkers. Creativity is useful.
Other helpful traits include intellectual curiosity, technical aptitude, perseverance, ability to communicate and work well with others, a commitment to teamwork, and a basic understanding of the economic and environmental context in which engineering is practiced.
Develop excellent verbal and written communications skills including presentation and technical report writing.
All states and the District of Columbia require registration of engineers whose work may affect the life, health, or safety of the public.
Professional or technical societies confer certification in some areas.
Join related professional organizations.
Most fields offer overseas opportunities with businesses or government agencies.
Because of rapid changes in most engineering fields, both continued education and keeping abreast of new developments are very important.
Most states require an EIT (Engineer-In-Training) test before taking a state examination to become a Professional Engineer (PE).
Search the Internet for additional information about individual disciplines.

HELPFUL LINKS

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Prepared by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
(2005) UTK is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA /ADEA Employer