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ENGL 2100
12/5/19
Writing Project
Engineering
1. Introduction:
This report is for students who have decided to pursue a career in engineering, or are
considering engineering as a possible career path. Engineering is the use of scientific
principles such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, and material science,to solve
problems and design or modify products. This report will provide information on the
process of becoming an engineer. It will outline the schooling that is needed, as well as
the schooling that is recommended but not necessary. Additionally, this report will
provide an overview of the work environment of an engineer such as: work-place culture,
types of communication, and responsibilities of an engineer. Finally, this report will
provide possible job opportunities that stem from an engineering education.
2. Methods:
The majority of information for this report was retrieved from first person accounts of
engineers or people with educational or professional backgrounds in engineering. I
conducted an interview with Kameron Drage on 9/19/2019. Drage graduated from Utah
State University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2016. Topics that
were discussed in the interview with Drage included: common modes of communication
used in engineering jobs, the culture of engineering workplaces, recent innovations in
mechanical engineering, and the college courses he found most useful in his job.
Online research was also used to retrieve information for this report. Useful information
came from google searches using keywords and phrases such as: engineering,
workplace culture, engineering salaries, engineering employment statistics, and
schooling required for engineering. Salary and job growth information was found by
searching “engineering” on The Bureau of Labor Statistics website. By using the
keywords “scientist and engineers survey data” on Google I found data from the National
Science Foundation on a survey of engineers in 2013.
3. Results:
3.1. Education:
At minimum, a Bachelors of Science degree is required for engineers. [1] According to
the National Science Foundation, more than 55% of the science and engineering labor
force in the United States have received a bachelor's degree. [2] There are benefits to
receiving a higher degree such as; higher salary, better job opportunities, and a better
understanding of essential concepts, however, less than 30% of the science and
engineering labor force has a master’s degree, and less than 5% have a doctorate's
degree. [2] According to Drage (September, 2019) most of the training required to do the
job of an engineer is received on the job. However, Drage notes, quantitative literacy
classes such as: Numerical Methods, Statics & Dynamics and Trigonometry were among
the most useful classes he took in college.
4. Discussion:
4.1. Education.
The Education required to become an engineer is focused heavily on the sciences.
Fields like physics, chemistry, and math are all studied in depth. Students that are
interested in science will find engineering to be stimulating, but students that are not
interested in all fields of science will have a hard time with the coursework. Students
must also be willing to get a bachelor’s degree at a minimum in order to get a job as an
engineer. Although, scientific literacy is necessary to get a job, once employed as an
engineer the majority of training will come from job experiences.
4.5. Conclusion.
For students considering getting a degree in engineering, there is a lot to consider. A
degree in engineering is heavily focused on science and math classes, which can be
difficult for some to understand. According to the engineers interviewed for this report,
engineering is also a very stressful job. However, for people who are good at problem
solving, and enjoy using critical thinking to improve situations, engineering may be a
good option. The job market is growing, and the median annual pay is good. If someone
is good at problem solving and enjoys math and science, the benefits of an engineering
degree seem to outweigh the downsides.
Sources
[1] Learn.org. (n.d.). What are the Requirements for Becoming an Engineer in the U.S.?
Retrieved from
https://learn.org/articles/What_are_the_Requirements_for_Becoming_an_Engineer_in_the_US.h
tml.
[2] National Science Foundation. (2015, September 1). National Science Foundation - Where
Discoveries Begin. Retrieved from https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/us-workforce/2013/.
[3] Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2016, October 6). Employment outlook for engineering
occupations to 2024. Retrieved from
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/employment-outlook-for-engineering-occupations-to-2024.ht
m.