Choosing the best engineering courses to take can be one of the hardest parts of deciding what you want to study in college or university.
If you’re unsure what engineering courses to take, don’t worry! Engineers are in high demand these days and can make excellent money, so many different career paths are open to you depending on your skill set and preferences.
The following 20 engineering courses provide excellent foundational knowledge as well as unique job opportunities in the field of engineering.
The best way to decide which engineering course to take next is to consider the career path you want to pursue carefully, then pick one of the following 20 engineering courses that fit that path best!
Table of Contents
What is the future of Engineering?
Engineering is a broad field that covers many areas and applications. There are many opportunities for engineering professionals in the future.
The demand for engineers will continue to grow in the future, so you should consider getting an engineering degree if you want to work in this field.
Engineering is a broad field that covers many areas and applications. There are many opportunities for engineering professionals in the future.
The demand for engineers will continue to grow in the future, so you should consider getting an engineering degree if you want to work in this field.
There will always be a need for engineers as long as technology continues to advance. The demand for engineers will also increase due to population growth.
As our world becomes more crowded and we build cities, there will be a greater need for engineers who can design safe, efficient structures that meet the needs of people living in these areas.
Gaining Engineering Knowledge and Skills
Engineering is a challenging career, but very rewarding. The future of engineering looks bright and promising.
With the rise of new technologies and innovations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), more people are becoming interested in pursuing careers in this field.
The demand for engineers has increased over the years due to their skills being required by various businesses to solve problems related to production processes or maintenance tasks that require technical knowledge and expertise.
With the right training and education, you can become an engineer. There are many different types of engineering fields, such as civil, mechanical, and electrical.
Each field requires a different set of skills and knowledge to be successful in your career.
List of the 20 Best Engineering Courses
Below is a list of the 20 best engineering courses:
- Chemical Engineering
- Aeronautical Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Automotive Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Telecommunication Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Material Engineering
- Software Engineering
- Robotics Engineering
- Geological Engineering
- Agricultural Engineering
- System Engineering
- Environmental Engineering.
20 Best Engineering Courses
1. Chemical Engineering
- Salary range: $80,000-$140,000
- Job Opportunities: Biotechnologist, Chemical engineer, Colour technologist, Energy engineer, Nuclear engineer, Petroleum engineer, Product/process development.
Chemical engineering is the application of physical science and engineering principles to chemical processes.
Chemical engineers design and build plants, factories, and other equipment for the production of chemicals, fuel, pharmaceuticals, food additives, detergents, and pulp and paper products.
The majority of these jobs are located in large cities like Houston or New York City where there are lots of opportunities for working overtime if you’re looking for something more flexible than your current job.
2. Aerospace Engineering
- Salary range: $71,000-$120,000
- Job Opportunities: Academic researcher, Aerospace engineer, CAD technician, Design engineer, Higher education lecturer, Maintenance engineer, and Manufacturing systems.
Aerospace engineering is a field that involves designing, building, and testing aircraft. This can include designing the entire vehicle or just its parts.
Aerospace engineers also work on satellites and spacecraft, they are employed by governments and research institutions as well as in private industry.
Aerospace engineers must have a high level of technical expertise to be able to work with a variety of equipment such as computer-aided design software or robotic arms (if they’re working on airplanes).
They also need excellent communication skills because they may have to liaise with other departments within an organization when designing new technology items such as airframes or engines.
3. Aeronautical Engineering
- Salary range: $60,000-$157,000
- Job Opportunities: Aircraft interior engineer, Aircraft structural engineer, maintenance engineer, pilot or spacecraft crew, Air traffic controller, CAD technician, Aeronautical engineer.
Aeronautical engineering is a branch of engineering that deals with the design, construction, and study of aircraft.
Aeronautical engineers are responsible for the design, construction, and testing of aircraft and their components.
The field got its start when Leonardo da Vinci designed some models in France in 1490.
It was then that he realized that if he could create an airplane with wings like those found on birds (as opposed to propellers), it would be much easier to fly over hills than by using horses as propulsion.
The first successful flight took place in 1783, a man named Blanchard flew from Paris to Moulins using an internal combustion engine fueled by alcohol (alcohol being weaker than gasoline but still able to power his craft).
This was also one year before Charles invented his submarine which has been considered one of the most significant inventions ever made since then.
4. Civil Engineering
- Salary range: $87,000-$158,000
- Job opportunities: Building control surveyor, CAD technician, Consulting civil engineer, Contracting civil engineer, Design Engineer, Estimator, and Nuclear engineer.
Civil engineering is a broad field of engineering that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment.
It can be subdivided into several sub-disciplines including structural engineering, transportation engineering, and materials science/engineering.
Civil engineers are responsible for projects ranging from large dams to footbridges over rivers and highways. Civil engineers can also work in fields such as urban planning, environmental engineering, and land surveying.
Civil engineering is one of the most popular types of engineering jobs; indeed it was the fifth most popular college degree for graduates in 2016.
Civil engineering is a broad discipline that encompasses many sub-disciplines, including structural engineering, water resources engineering, and geotechnical engineering.
Many civil engineers work on construction projects such as building bridges, highways, and dams. Others study the environment and how to best manage it for human use.
5. Computer Engineering
- Salary range: $92,000-$126,000
- Job Opportunities: Multimedia programmer, Technical support specialist, Web developer, Forensic computer analyst, Computer programmer, Game developer, and Computer systems analyst.
Computer engineering is the branch of engineering that focuses on the design, construction, and operation of computers.
Computer engineering is the branch of engineering that focuses on the design, construction, and operation of computers.
The field of computer engineering has two main areas: hardware and software. Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system, while software refers to the programs that run on the computer. Computer engineers are responsible for designing and testing both types of components.
Computer engineers work in a variety of industries, including computer manufacturing, health care, and aerospace.
They may also work for government agencies or private businesses. Computer engineers must have a strong knowledge of math, science, and technology to succeed in this field.
6. Electrical Engineering
- Salary range: $99,000-$132,000
- Job Opportunities: Acoustic consultant, Aerospace engineer, Broadcast engineer, CAD technician, Control and instrumentation engineer, Design Engineer, and Electrical engineer.
Electrical engineering is a discipline of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
It is one of the oldest and broadest disciplines within engineering, encompassing a wide range of subdisciplines that work together to meet its goals.
Electrical engineers design and analyze electrical networks, circuits, and devices such as power plants (generators), transformers, power lines (inverters) electronics equipment, etc.
Electrical engineers also play an important role in the field of information technology where they develop software applications for data collection or processing systems.
7. Industrial Engineering
- Salary range: $84,000-$120,000
- Job Opportunities: Occupational health and safety manager, Process engineer, Energy efficiency engineer, Manufacturing engineer, Quality engineer, Industrial engineer.
Industrial Engineering is a branch of engineering that deals with the optimization of complex processes.
Industrial engineers work in a variety of industries including manufacturing and service, but their main focus is on optimizing processes within these industries to make them more efficient. This can include things like improving the efficiency of production lines or reducing waste in manufacturing plants.
Industrial engineers use mathematics to understand how machines behave under different conditions and then design solutions using those findings based on mathematical models (such as linear programming).
They use these techniques to improve product quality or increase profitability by increasing production yields while minimizing costs associated with equipment maintenance requirements such as fuel consumption/consumption rate variability due to thermal expansion/contraction cycles occurring over time due to temperature changes at various points throughout your facility’s internal environment.
8. Mechanical Engineering
- Salary range: $85,000-$115,000
- Job Opportunities: Aerospace engineer, Automotive engineer, CAD technician, Contracting civil engineer, Control and instrumentation engineer, and Maintenance engineer.
Mechanical engineering is a field of engineering that applies the principles of engineering, physics, and materials science for the design, analysis, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems.
It spans a broad range from medicine to aerospace technology to automotive design. Mechanical engineers may specialize in designing new products such as cars or locomotives or improving existing ones like aircraft engines or medical devices.
They also apply these skills to construction projects involving:
- Mechanical equipment such as pumps, industrial machinery, water supply pipes, and boilers.
- Transport vehicles such as ships that use propellers too large for their hulls alone.
- Lift mechanisms like elevators which are used in buildings where weight is needed up high but not necessarily supported by gravity alone (elevators).
9. Automotive Engineering
- Salary range: $90,000-$120,000
- Job Opportunities: Drafter, Industrial Engineer, Materials Engineer, Automobile Technician, Bike Mechanic, Automobile Designers, Car Mechanic, Quality Engineer, and Mechanical Design Engineer.
Automotive engineering is a broad discipline that is divided into several subdomains, including powertrain, vehicle body, and chassis, vehicle dynamics, design, and manufacturing.
The automotive industry relies on automotive engineers to design cars for the road. The term “automotive engineer” may be used interchangeably with “motor vehicle engineer.”
However, there are many important differences between these two professions: Automotive engineers must have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or some other closely related area such as computer science.
They generally work on single projects rather than large teams, and they often work full-time during regular business hours (and even overtime) but do not receive health benefits from their employer unless they work in sales or marketing roles rather than purely technical positions.
10. Petroleum Engineering
- Salary range: $120,000-$160,000
- Job Opportunities: Drilling Engineer, Production Engineer; Petroleum Engineer; Offshore Drilling Engineer; Reservoir Engineer, Geochemist, Energy manager, and Engineering geologist.
Petroleum Engineering is a field of engineering concerned with the development of new methods for the extraction and processing of oil and gas.
The availability of these two commodities makes petroleum engineering one of the most important branches within the field.
Petroleum engineers design and operate equipment in order to extract, process, and distribute petroleum products, including natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, condensate, and light hydrocarbons via pipeline systems or marine tankers.
They also provide support services to drilling operations by monitoring well conditions and installing instruments to monitor pressure buildup along with other aspects such as temperature variations that could lead to cracking in pipes or valves due to excessive pressure buildup inside them.
11. Biomedical Engineering
- Salary range: $78,000-$120,000
- Job Opportunities: Biomaterials Developer, Manufacturing Engineer, Biomedical Scientist/Researcher, Rehabilitation Engineer, Medical technology developer, Medical Imaging.
Biomedical engineering is a branch of engineering that applies principles of biology and medicine to the design and development of engineered systems.
As the field continues to grow, it’s important to have a solid background in biomedical engineering if you want to stay relevant in today’s world.
Biomedical engineers can work in the field of medical devices, diagnostics, and rehabilitation.
They also help develop new treatments for diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s disease through research on human cells (in vitro) or animal models (in vivo).
12. Telecommunication Engineering
- Salary range: $60,000-$130,000
- Job Opportunities: Network/cloud architect, Information systems security manager, Data architect, Telecommunications Systems Manager, Line Installer, and Telecommunication specialist.
Telecommunication engineering is the application of engineering principles to telecommunications.
Telecommunications engineers are responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of telecommunication systems.
They may also be responsible for the installation and maintenance of equipment.
Telecommunications engineers may work in a variety of fields, including:
- Wireless telecommunications, which includes mobile phones and wireless internet connections.
- Wireline telecommunications, which includes landline phones and fiber optic cables.
- Telecommunications networking involves the design and implementation of computer networks (such as those used by corporations).
13. Nuclear Engineering
- Salary range: $85,000-$120,000
- Job Opportunities: Engineering technician, Nuclear Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Project engineer, Test engineer, Research engineer, Systems Engineer, Power plant operator, and Principal engineer.
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the design, construction, and operation of nuclear reactors, as well as the use of radiation in medicine, industry, and research.
Nuclear engineers are involved in a wide range of activities from designing nuclear power plants to operating them.
It’s also important to note that there are many different types of nuclear engineers who specialize in different areas within this field:
- Reactor physicists
- Reactor chemists
- Fuel designers
- Instrumentation specialists (e.g., sensors)
- Safety personnel/Inspectors/Regulators
- Material scientists (who work on nuclear waste disposal).
14. Material Engineering
- Salary range: $72,000-$200,000
- Job Opportunities: CAD technician, Design engineer, Materials Engineer, Metallurgist, Product/process development scientist, and Research scientist.
Materials are the substances from which objects are made. They’re also used to make up all of the things in our world, including people and buildings.
In material engineering, you’ll learn how to study materials on a microscopic level and understand how they behave in different environments.
This course will teach you about the properties of metals like steel and aluminum as well as composite materials like wood or plastic.
It will also give you an understanding of how these materials work together in various applications like cars or airplanes.
15. Software Engineering
- Salary range: $63,000-$131,000
- Job Opportunities: Applications developer, Cyber security analyst, Game developer, Information systems manager, IT consultant, Multimedia programmer, and Web developer.
Software engineering is the application of engineering to software development.
The term “software engineering” was first used in 1959 by the American engineer and science fiction writer Willard V. Swann, who wrote an article for IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering titled “Software Engineering Reflections”.
Software engineering deals with the design, development, and testing of software.
It includes aspects of computer science as well as other disciplines such as mathematics and linguistics, but it also draws heavily on methods from other sciences including psychology, statistics, economics, and sociology.
16. Robotics Engineering
- Salary range: $78,000-$130,000
- Job Opportunities: Controls engineer, CAD designer, Mechanical engineer, Manufacturing engineer, Hydraulic Engineer, Design Engineer, and Data Scientist.
Robotics Engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on the design, construction, and operation of robots.
It’s also used in research and development, manufacturing, and space exploration.
Robotics engineers design robots to perform specific tasks such as collecting data or helping humans perform tasks that are too difficult or dangerous for them alone.
Robots can be used in healthcare (e-health) as well as industry, they’re also being tested in outer space because it would be easier to send people up there if they were assisted by robots instead of humans.
17. Geological Engineering
- Salary range: $81,000-$122,000
- Job Opportunities: Drilling engineer, Energy engineer, Environmental engineer, Minerals surveyor, Quarry manager, and Sustainability consultant.
Geology is a broad science that focuses on the composition, structure, and evolution of Earth’s crustal materials.
Geological engineers use this knowledge to design buildings, bridges, and other structures in order to meet human needs.
Geological engineers may conduct fieldwork in remote locations, often in extreme weather and terrain conditions.
They may also work at a coal mine or oil well site where they must plan for subsurface exploration techniques such as drilling through rock layers that contain valuable natural resources (like oil) or dangerous chemicals (like gas).
18. Agricultural Engineering
- Salary range: $68,000-$122,000
- Job Opportunities: Agricultural production engineer, Agricultural research engineer, Biosystems engineer, Conservation engineer, Agriculture specialist, and Soil technician.
Agricultural engineering is the application of engineering principles to the design, construction, and operation of agricultural machinery, irrigation systems, farm buildings, and processing facilities.
Agricultural engineers are also known as “farm engineers” or “agricultural mechanics”.
Agricultural engineers develop advanced technology for farmers to make their crops grow faster or better.
They study how animals can be fed more efficiently so that there’s enough food for everyone.
They may work on new ways that don’t use water at all instead of using it only when needed (like sprinklers).
19. System Engineering
- Salary range: $97,000-$116,000
- Job Opportunities: Network Administrator, Staff Software Engineer, Systems Engineer, Technical Director, Mission systems engineer, and Product Architect.
System engineering is a discipline that focuses on the design and development of systems, as well as the integration of components into these systems.
Systems engineering is a combination of many other disciplines including mechanical, electrical, chemical, civil, and software engineering.
Systems engineers take on projects involving complex systems where different technologies must be integrated together to form an overall product or service.
They may work with other engineers on specific tasks such as hardware design or software programming but they also need to understand how these objects operate within their environment so they can apply appropriate methods based on those experiences.
20. Environmental Engineering
- Salary range: $60,000-$110,000
- Job Opportunities: Water project manager, Environmental Engineer, Environmental health and safety director, Environmental compliance specialist, Land surveyor, and Water treatment plant operator.
Environmental engineering is a branch of civil engineering that deals with the remediation of contaminated sites, the design of municipal infrastructure, and the development of renewable energy sources.
Environmental engineers work to protect human health and the environment by providing effective solutions for managing waste issues within their field.
Environmental engineers commonly use 3D modeling software like Autocad or SolidWorks to create models of their proposed systems before they are built in reality.
They also prepare reports on potential pollution problems that could occur from these systems by using data from previous projects as well as current statistics about air quality in certain areas where they will be located (for example New York City).
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the difference between an engineering degree and a computer science degree?
At their most basic level, an engineering program focuses on problem-solving while a computer science program focuses on programming skills.
What skills should I have for an Engineering career?
It depends on what type of engineer you want to be. Some positions require specialized knowledge that may not be useful for other roles. Generally speaking though, you should have strong math and science skills as well as computer programming experience and excellent writing ability.
What Makes a Good Engineer?
Engineers make the world a better place by solving problems and designing solutions. Engineers use math, science, design, and ingenuity to find solutions that are safe, reliable, efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. They ask What if? a lot and then design their ideas or inventions so they work well in the real world.
What Do Engineers Do?
Engineers are responsible for designing, manufacturing, and maintaining all kinds of products. They work on everything from water treatment plants to fighter jets. Engineers need a lot of training in math and science, so they typically go through college and graduate school before they can work in this field. Engineers also need creativity, because they're often thinking up new ways to solve problems or design new products.
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Conclusion:
The future of engineering is bright. Today, engineering students are pursuing careers in a wide variety of fields and earning significant incomes.
Engineering is a great field to pursue. Today, you can earn good money doing what you love.
We hope this article helped shed some light on your career goals and which courses would best match them.