Career
Look around you. Every inanimate object you see was designed by a team of engineers. Even something as simple as the lead pencil has a long and complex history of design and redesign as demonstrated in Henry Petroski’s book, The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance. In his book, Petroski (who teaches civil engineering at Duke University) endeavors to honor the unsung instrument used by his heroes–engineers.
How Complex Can a Pencil Be?
America’s first pencil factory was founded in 1854 by Edward Weissenborn, a trained mechanical engineer who learned how to make pencils in Germany. He used his knowledge as an engineer to come up with 360 machine designs for different parts of the pencil-making process.
Think about it … if it can take that much design effort to create something as simple as a pencil, how much effort is required by a vast team of engineers to successfully launch the space shuttle or design a submarine? Both must be designed to endure extreme environments … environments that the engineers who designed them may themselves never experience.
It’s easy to see that there will always be a demand for engineers.
The Mother Branch of Engineering
Ever think about what Adam would do when he wanted to easily move something around or when Noah was having to transport large volumes of logs and timber? At some point and time, the wheel was designed and then redesigned time and again to enable it to better serve its purpose. At that moment, mechanical engineering may have been born. The wheel would have facilitated enhanced transportation which required roads and bridges, bringing about the birth of civil engineering. Other engineering branches would follow, all precipitated by a mechanical engineering breakthrough.
Because it always begins with something mechanical, mechanical engineering is often referred to as the “Mother Branch of Engineering.” It’s the oldest and broadest engineering discipline and has links to all other fields of engineering. It is, in fact, the launching platform for every other branch of engineering.
Engineering as a Field of Study
Engineering is an important field of study. We’ll always need engineers to create exciting new inventions and to make improvements to items already in existence. It’s a vast field of study with numerous branches from which to choose. Which leads engineering majors to ask questions such as, which engineering field is best for the future? Which engineers are in the highest demand? Or, which branch of engineering is the most lucrative?
What is the Best Engineering Degree?
Determining the best branch of engineering to study is obviously subjective, differing from one person to the next. Many factors must be considered before the best engineering degree for you can be determined. What field are you naturally drawn to? Which field best uses your God-given talents? Which engineering degree offers the best outlook for the future? Which engineering career path is the most lucrative?
Many people believe computer technology will continue to expand at an exponential rate, placing computer and software engineers at the cutting edge of technology. Because computers are now firmly entrenched in all sectors of industry, there will always be a huge demand for computer and software engineers, and this demand continues to increase.
For some people, salary is a required indicator of career success. For those individuals, the most lucrative engineering careers can be found in the mining industry–petroleum engineers and chemical engineers. Click here for more information concerning these and other high paying engineering careers.
Looking for an exciting engineering career path with an excellent job outlook? Due to advances in medical technology and an aging baby-boomer population, the biomedical engineering field is expected to continue to grow at a staggering rate. Also referred to as bioengineering, BioMed or BME, it is a multidisciplinary STEM field combining engineering and biology–applying engineering principles and materials to medicine and healthcare.
Every engineering degree will be challenging and provide a stimulating career to hold your interest for many years to come. As you try to determine which engineering field is best for you, it’s wise to first consider the natural tendencies and talents God has given you and work with those as the foundational basis for your decision.
Are you interested in the pursuit of an engineering degree? Geneva College’s engineering program is one of the nation’s best undergraduate engineering programs. Geneva offers a Bachelor’s in Engineering in a number of engineering concentrations, including:
If you’d like to learn more about professions, such as engineering, that enable you to serve wholeheartedly and faithfully in your life’s work or want to learn more about a biblically based, Christ-centered education at Geneva, we’d love to chat with you. For more information on how Geneva College can help you pursue your education goals, please phone us at 855-979-5563 or email admissions@geneva.edu.
© Geneva College | All rights reserved
