Many students say they want to be an engineer, but what kind of engineer is the question. In this episode, I explain the main types of engineering degrees and the general purpose of each type.

Types of Engineering Degrees Offered at Oklahoma State
Aerospace
What is aerospace engineering?
Aerospace engineering is the study of the science and technology of flight, and the design of air, land and sea vehicles for transportation and exploration.

Biosystems
What is biosystems engineering?
The study of biosystems engineering merges engineering and agricultural science to improve our quality of life while maintaining the environment and preserving our natural resources.

Chemical
What is chemical engineering?
Chemical engineering is a discipline focused on conceiving and designing processes to produce, transform and transport materials — beginning with experimentation in the laboratory followed by implementation of the technology.

Civil
What is civil engineering?
Civil Engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines with the focus on the built environment that encompasses much of what defines modern civilization: buildings, bridges, roads, etc.

Computer
What is computer engineering?
Computer engineering encompasses a broad range of technologies that utilize digital devices for the benefit of society. Subdisciplines include digital electronics, VLSI chips, embedded controllers, networking, software development, memory and storage devices, cloud computing, internet-of-things, computer security, application-specific IC's, graphics processing units, and computer architecture.

Electrical
What is electrical engineering?
Electrical Engineering encompasses a broad range of technologies that utilize electricity for the benefit of society. Subdisciplines include energy systems, machines, power electronics, analog electronics, instrumentation, sensors, signal processing, machine vision, communications, robotics, wireless devices, radar, photonics, biomedical devices, and artificial intelligence.

Industrial
What is industrial engineering?
Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) is an engineering discipline that focuses on designing, operating, managing, and continuously improving manufacturing and service systems so that they are effective and efficient.

Mechanical
What is mechanical engineering?
Mechanical Engineering is focused on a learning and research environment to instruct and encourage our students to reach their full potential in technical expertise, innovative expression and collaborative design.

US News and World Report

Mechanical Engineer

32 in 100 Best Jobs

Someone with a mechanical engineering degree has many job options for his or her career path. The skills of a mechanical engineer are needed in many industries and on many types of projects, from vehicle manufacturing to nanotechnology. Mechanical engineers are involved in the production of mechanical instruments and tools from start to finish, and their work includes aspects of design, development and testing.

PROJECTED JOBS
12,800
MEDIAN SALARY
$87,370
EDUCATION NEEDED
Bachelor's

Civil Engineer

33 in 100 Best Jobs

From the street in front of your home to the Golden Gate Bridge, civil engineers are responsible for the design and maintenance of public works and facilities. Civil engineers are involved from start to finish in the process of constructing buildings, bridges and roads.

PROJECTED JOBS
20,500
MEDIAN SALARY
$86,640
EDUCATION NEEDED
Bachelor's