What is Engineering?
Engineering is the application of scientific, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, devices, systems, materials, and processes or works, using them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation or safety to life and property. It may encompass using insights to conceive, model, and scale an appropriate solution to a problem or objective.
The discipline of engineering is extremely broad and encompasses a range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of technology and types of application.
The three traditional branches of engineering are civil, mechanical, and electrical. Apart from these, there are various other branches like aeronautical engineering, ceramic engineering, chemical engineering, computer engineering, automobile engineering, industrial engineering, environmental engineering, marine engineering, textile engineering, etc.
Engineers work starting from planning, designing, construction, production, testing, implementation, and maintenance etc. They work on scientific theories to get practical solutions. Engineering extends its branches catering to industries, technology, and business. A student is expected to graduate with a solid technical background.
Who is an engineer?
An engineer is one who effectively adapts the findings of science to the use of man. He/she is specifically trained and experienced in planning and developing structures and devices and in supervising processes. Engineers are involved in the implementation, application, design, development, and management of projects and processes.
Engineers are builders, adventurers, and problem solvers. They seek quicker, better, and less expensive ways of completing projects. An engineer uses the forces and materials of nature to benefit humankind. Helping people with laborsaving devices such as engines and computers, as well as providing health-improving devices such as artificial kidneys and heart-lung machines, are all a part of engineering.
Engineers help meet many societal needs–good housing, plentiful food and clothing, rapid transportation, pure water and air, and power. They are the bridge between scientific research and the creation of new products, translating technical principles into goods, processes, and systems for the benefit of all people.
How do I become an engineer?
Eligibility:
To become an engineer, one needs to have taken Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry at 10+2, with a minimum of 50%. Thereafter, one needs to gain admission to an engineering college by successfully clearing the entrance exams held at the college/state / all–India level. An engineering aspirant should have the following qualities:
- Strong in mathematics and science
- Highly analytical and detail-oriented
- Imaginative and creative
- Good communication skills
- Enjoy working in teams
- Enjoy building or improving the way things work
Entrance tests:
To gain admission into an engineering college, one has to successfully clear entrance exams held individually at a college, state, or all-India level. Most entrance exams today are online, where a student can book a convenient slot to answer it, though there are still some that are in traditional paper and pen mode.
The best known of all engineering entrance exams in India is the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), for admission to the IITs, NITs, and many of India’s other best engineering colleges. The JEE has 2 levels, first, the main exam in April, which is a qualifying exam for the JEE advanced exam. If a student clears this within the specified ranking and has the requisite percentage of higher secondary marks, he/she is considered eligible to appear for the JEE advanced, which guarantees admission into the IITs or NITs. Other colleges consider the JEE main score and give it weightage with higher secondary scores, to evaluate admission eligibility.
The other most written test is the BITSAT, the entrance test for admission to the Birla Institute of Technological Sciences.
Still, other colleges – India’s top deemed universities like SRM in Chennai, or Vellore Institute of Technology, have their own engineering entrance exams.
All entrance exams will have 3 core sections, one each on Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. Some exams also test ability in English, Reasoning, and/or General awareness.
You can find more information on the various test structures in our “Test content at a glance” section.
Degrees / Diplomas:
A college awards a student earns either a B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology) or a B.E (Bachelor of Engineering) degree after completion of the 4-year course.
What are my job prospects as an engineer?
Professionals in this field are in great demand today and the demand keeps on burgeoning day by day. Engineering offers tremendous scope for employment depending upon the area of specialization. Apart from jobs in the private sector, engineers can find employment in the public sector as well. There are numerous opportunities for engineers in the computer software industry, too.
Engineers can join Defense services as commissioned officers. They have great demand in the Civil Aviation Industry and Merchant Navy. Other opportunities include working as a Consultant in research / scientific organizations. Engineers with postgraduate degrees get senior positions in private and government departments or as planners or advisors on basic infrastructure development of the industry. An engineer with entrepreneurship abilities can also set up his/her own enterprise.
The five largest engineering areas are:
- Chemical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Industrial engineering
- Mechanical engineering
There are also more specialized engineering fields, including:
- Aerospace engineering
- Oceanic engineering
- Nuclear engineering
- Biomedical engineering
- Environmental engineering
Civil Engineering: Considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, Civil Engineering involves planning, designing, and executing structural works. The profession deals with a wide variety of engineering tasks including designing, supervising, and construction activities of public works like roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings, airports, dams, water works, sewage systems, ports, etc., and offers a multitude of challenging career opportunities.
Chemical Engineering: Chemical Engineering involves the design and maintenance of chemical plants and the development of chemical processes for converting raw materials or chemicals into valuable forms including those to remove chemicals from waste materials, to enable large-scale manufacture. It combines knowledge of Chemistry and Engineering for the production of chemicals and related by-products.
This branch of engineering is a varied field, covering areas from biotechnology and nanotechnology to mineral processing. It covers various fields of chemical technology in mineral-based industries, petrochemical plants, pharmaceuticals, synthetic fibers, petroleum refining plants, etc. Chemical engineers design and operate chemical plants and improve methods of production.
Note: Chemical Engineering is different from chemical technology. The former is concerned with the designing, supervision, construction, installation, and operation of plants and equipment for manufacturing chemical products and developing new methods of production while the latter deals with the actual production of substances with new properties that require new methods of production in the fields of petroleum refining, fertilizer technology, processing of food and agricultural products, paints and dyes; recycling metals, glass, and plastics; cosmetics, mineral based industries and prevention and control of environmental hazards.
Electrical Engineering: Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. Electrical engineering, an amalgamation of what is now called electrical, electronics and communication, instrumentation, computer engineering, etc. is the largest of all engineering disciplines. Four well-recognized branches of electrical engineering are power, communications, electronics, and control systems.
In a broader sense, this field covers a range of sub-disciplines including those that deal with power, optoelectronics, digital electronics, analog electronics, artificial intelligence, control systems, electronics, signal processing, and telecommunications. Overlapping of this field with computers has opened up the door to a career in almost any industry.
Electronics Engineering: Electronics Engineering is one of the largest and fastest-growing fields of engineering. It covers a wide range of applications that make our lives easier and more enjoyable such as Television, Radio, computers, telecommunication, etc. They help us to see, hear, and communicate over vast distances and do things faster. Electronics has a major role in improving productivity in industries like oil, energy, agriculture and so many other important sectors of the economy.
In steel, petroleum, and chemical industries it is the electronic devices that direct, control, and test production processes. The healthcare industry depends on electronic instruments to perform chemical tests and to check body functions. The safety in transportation, factories, mines, and in homes relies heavily on electronics.
Industrial Engineering: Industrial engineering is the branch of engineering that concerns the development, improvement, implementation, and evaluation of integrated systems of people, knowledge, equipment, energy, material, and process. Industrial engineering draws upon the principles and methods of engineering analysis and synthesis. It eliminates waste of time, money, materials, energy, and other resources.
Industrial Engineering is also known as Operations management, Production Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Manufacturing Systems Engineering depending on the viewpoint or motives of the user. In healthcare, Industrial Engineers are more commonly known as Management Engineers or Health Systems Engineers.
Mechanical Engineering: Mechanical engineering deals with the design and production of tools, machines and all other mechanical equipment to be used in industries. Mechanical engineering is concerned with all types of machinery in industries and all aspects of their mechanism and functioning; the design, development, construction, production, installation, operation, and maintenance; such as large steam and gas turbines, components of thermal power stations, internal combustion engines, jet engines, machine tools, air conditioning and heating machines, refrigerators etc to name a few. They not only design and create new products but also develop materials for them and ways of making them.
Aeronautical / Aerospace Engineering: Aeronautical / Aerospace Engineering deals with the development of new technology in the fields of aviation, space exploration, and defense systems. It specializes in the designing, construction, development, testing, operation, and maintenance of both commercial and military aircraft, spacecraft, and their components as well as satellites and missiles.
Environmental Engineering: Environmental Engineering related to Environmental science, is a broad field that applies the principles of science and engineering to protect and improve environmental conditions. The field focuses on design and technology for improving environmental quality.
The main areas of environmental engineering include air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials control, recycling, water supply, wastewater management, stormwater management, solid waste disposal, public health, and land management. Within each of these major categories, there are many subcategories.
Marine Engineering: Marine engineering is a branch of Engineering that deals with nautical architecture and science. The term ‘Marine Engineering’ is meant for research conducted in oceans and coastal or inland waters connected to the sea. Marine Engineering courses deal with the construction and maintenance of ships and other sailing vessels.
The three professions, i.e. Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, and Ocean Engineering are interrelated and sometimes may be confused. Naval Architects are those who are involved with basic ship design, starting with hull forms and overall arrangements, power requirements, structure, and stability. Ocean Engineers study the ocean environment to determine its effects on ships and other marine vehicles and structures. They may design and operate stationary ocean platforms, or manned or remote-operated sub-surface vehicles used for deep-sea exploration.
Marine Engineers have the complete responsibility of the ship’s technical management. They are responsible for selecting the ships’ machinery, which may include diesel engines, steam turbines, and gas turbines; and for the design of mechanical, electrical, fluid, and control systems throughout the vessel. They are the members of a ship’s crew who are in charge of managing a team of marine technicians and craftspeople.
The construction, operations, and maintenance of the engine room are the main obligations of a Marine engineer. That means the Marine engineer deals with the technical area of the ship. In fact, they are overall in charge of the engine and its crew and confirm the safety and standards of the marine body. The role of Marine Engineers has widened and smoothened with modern development and electronic navigation.
These are only a few of the numerous streams of specialization available, ranging from agricultural and marine engineering to petroleum and mining engineering.
Remuneration
Engineering roles are at the top of the pay scale for fresh hires in India. The median monthly salary of graduate engineers in engineering roles stands at Rs 25,000. The engineering sector representative of manufacturing, chemicals, oil and gas, natural resources, and high technology are good paymasters, attracting campus talent. There is a positive momentum in salaries of non-IT engineering roles that largely reflects the sentiment of the industry. The entry-level salaries in non-IT engineering companies are comparatively higher because of the supply-demand mismatch.
