Engineer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Engineer (disambiguation).
Engineer

An electrical engineer, circa 1950

Occupation
Names

Engineer

Occupatio
n type

Profession

Activity
sectors

Applied science

Description
Competen Mathematics and scientificknowl
cies
edge, art and design, analytical
and critical thinking,engineering
ethics
Education
required

Engineering education

Related

Scientist, architect, project

jobs

manager, inventor, astronaut

An engineer is a practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific

knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical, societal
and commercial problems. Engineers design materials, structures, and systems
while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety, and
cost.[1][2] The word engineer is derived from the Latin words ingeniare ("to contrive,
devise") and ingenium ("cleverness").[3][4]
The work of engineers forms the link between scientific discoveries and their
subsequent applications to human needs and quality of life. [1]
Contents
[hide]

1Definition

2Roles and expertise

o

2.1Design

2.2Analysis

2.3Specialization and management

3Types of engineers

4Ethics

5Education

6Regulation

7Perception
o

7.1Differences among countries

7.2French "Ingnieur" title

7.3Corporate culture

8See also

9References

Definition[edit]
In 1960, the Conference of Engineering Societies of Western Europe and the United
States of America defined "professional engineer" as follows: [5]
A professional engineer is competent by virtue of his/her fundamental education
and training to apply the scientific method and outlook to the analysis and solution
of engineering problems. He/she is able to assume personal responsibility for the
development and application of engineering science and knowledge, notably in

research, design. construction, manufacturing. superintending. managing and in the

education of the engineer. His/her work is predominantly intellectual and varied and
not of a routine mental or physical character. It requires the exercise of original
thought and judgement and the ability to supervise the technical and administrative
work of others. His/her education will have been such as to make him/her capable of
closely and continuously following progress in his/her branch of engineering science
by consulting newly published works on a worldwide basis, assimilating such
information and applying it independently. He/she is thus placed in a position to
make contributions to the development of engineering science or its applications.
His/her education and training will have been such that he/she will have acquired a
broad and general appreciation of the engineering sciences as well as thorough
insight into the special features of his/her own branch. In due time he/she will be
able to give authoritative technical advice and to assume responsibility for the
direction of important tasks in his/her branch.
Roles and expertise[edit]
Design[edit]
Engineers develop new technological solutions. During the engineering design
process, the responsibilities of the engineer may include defining problems,
conducting and narrowing research, analyzing criteria, finding and analyzing
solutions, and making decisions. Much of an engineer's time is spent
on researching, locating, applying, and transferring information. [6] Indeed, research
suggests engineers spend 56% of their time engaged in various information
behaviours, including 14% actively searching for information. [7]
Engineers must weigh different design choices on their merits and choose the
solution that best matches the requirements. Their crucial and unique task is to
identify, understand, and interpret the constraints on a design in order to produce a
successful result.
Analysis[edit]

Engineers conferring on prototype design, 1954

Engineers apply techniques of engineering analysis in testing, production, or
maintenance. Analytical engineers may supervise production in factories and
elsewhere, determine the causes of a process failure, and test output to maintain
quality. They also estimate the time and cost required to complete projects.

Supervisory engineers are responsible for major components or entire projects.

Engineering analysis involves the application of scientific analytic principles and
processes to reveal the properties and state of the system, device or mechanism
under study. Engineering analysis proceeds by separating the engineering design
into the mechanisms of operation or failure, analyzing or estimating each
component of the operation or failure mechanism in isolation, and re-combining the
components. They mayanalyze risk.[8][9][10][11]
Many engineers use computers to produce and analyze designs, to simulate and
test how a machine, structure, or system operates, to generate specifications for
parts, to monitor the quality of products, and to control the efficiency of processes.
Specialization and management[edit]

NASA Launch Control Center Firing Room 2 as it appeared in the Apollo era
Most engineers specialize in one or more engineering disciplines.[1] Numerous
specialties are recognized by professional societies, and each of the major branches
of engineering has numerous subdivisions. Civil engineering, for example, includes
structural and transportation engineering, and materials engineering includes
ceramic, metallurgical, and polymer engineering. Engineers also may specialize in
one industry, such as motor vehicles, or in one type of technology, such as turbines
or semiconductor materials.[1]
Several recent studies have investigated how engineers spend their time; that is,
the work tasks they perform and how their time is distributed among these.
Research[7][12] suggests that there are several key themes present in engineers
work: (1) technical work (i.e., the application of science to product development);
(2) social work (i.e., interactive communication between people); (3) computerbased work; (4) information behaviours. Amongst other more detailed findings, a
recent work sampling study[12] found that engineers spend 62.92% of their time
engaged in technical work, 40.37% in social work, and 49.66% in computer-based
work. Furthermore, there was considerable overlap between these different types of
work, with engineers spending 24.96% of their time engaged in technical and social

work, 37.97% in technical and non-social, 15.42% in non-technical and social, and
21.66% in non-technical and non-social.
Engineering is also an information intensive field, with research finding that
engineers spend 55.8% of their time engaged in various different information
behaviours, including 14.2% actively seeking information from other people (7.8%)
and information repositories such as documents and databases (6.4%). [7]
The time engineers spend engaged in such activities is also reflected in
the competencies required in engineering roles. In addition to engineers core
technical competence, research has also demonstrated the critical nature of their
personal attributes, project management skills, and cognitive abilities to success in
the role.[13]
Types of engineers[edit]
Main article: List of engineering branches
There are many branches of engineering, each of which specializes in specific
technologies and products. Typically engineers will have deep knowledge in one
area and basic knowledge in related areas. For example, mechanical engineering
curricula typically includes introductory courses in electrical engineering and
software engineering.
When developing a product, engineers typically work in interdisciplinary teams. For
example, when building robots an engineering team will typically have at least three
types of engineers. A mechanical engineer would design the body and actuators. An
electrical engineer would design the power systems, sensors, and control circuitry.
Finally, a software engineer would develop the software that makes the robot
behave properly.
Branch

Techno
logies

Chemical
Engineering

Focuses
on the
manufact
uring
ofchemica
Chemicals, Petroleum,
Chemistry, Thermodynamics,
ls and
Medicines, Raw
Biology, Medicine
chemical
Materials
productio
n
processes
.

Civil
Engineering

Focuses
on the
constructi

Related Sciences

Statics, Fluid Mechanics

Products

Roads, Bridges, Dams,B

uildings

Branch

Techno
logies

Related Sciences

Products

Electrical
Engineering

Focuses
on the
design of
electrical
systems
and circui
try.

Electromagnetism, Logic

Computers, Electronics

Mechatronics
Engineering

Focuses
on the
technolog
y and
controllin
g all the
industrial
field

Process Control, Automation

Robotics, Controllers,C
NC

Mechanical
Engineering

Focuses
on the
manufact
uring
of machin
esand
control
systems.

Dynamics, Fluid Mechanics

Cars, Airplanes

Metallurgical
Engineering/
Materials
Engineering

Focuses
on
extraction
of metals
from its
ores and
developm
ent of
new
materials

Material
Science, Thermodynamics,
Extraction of Metals, Physical Iron, Steel, Polymers,Ce
Metallurgy, Mechanical
ramics, Metals
Metallurgy, Nuclear
Materials, Steel Technology

on of
large
systems
and
structures
.

Branch

Techno
logies

Related Sciences

Products

Computer
Engineering/S
oftware
Engineering

Focuses
on the
productio
n of
software
systems

Computer
Science, Mathematics

Applications, Websites,
Operating Systems

Ethics[edit]
Main article: Engineering ethics

The Challenger disaster is held as a case study of engineering ethics.

Engineers have obligations to, the public, their clients, employers and the
profession. Many engineering societies have established codes of practice and
codes of ethics to guide members and inform the public at large. Each engineering
discipline and professional society maintains a code of ethics, which the members
pledge to uphold. Depending on their specializations, engineers may also be
governed by specific statute, whistleblowing, product liability laws, and often the
principles of business ethics.[14][15][16]

An engineer receiving hisOrder of the Engineer ring in a ceremony at Wayne State

University
Some graduates of engineering programs in North America may be recognized by
the Iron Ring orEngineer's Ring, a ring made of iron or stainless steel that is worn on
the little finger of the dominant hand. This tradition began in 1925 in Canada
with The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, where the ring serves as a symbol and
reminder of the engineer's obligations to the engineering profession. In 1972, the
practice was adopted by several colleges in the United States including members of
the Order of the Engineer.
Education[edit]
Main article: Engineering education
Most engineering programs involve a concentration of study in an engineering
specialty, along with courses in both mathematics and the physical and life
sciences. Many programs also include courses in general engineering and applied
accounting. A design course, often accompanied by a computer or laboratory class
or both, is part of the curriculum of most programs. Often, general courses not
directly related to engineering, such as those in the social sciences or humanities,
also are required.
Accreditation is the process by which engineering programs are evaluated by an
external body to determine if applicable standards are met. TheWashington
Accord serves as an international accreditation agreement for academic engineering
degrees, recognizing the substantial equivalency in the standards set by many
major national engineering bodies. In the United States, post-secondary degree
programs in engineering are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology.
Regulation[edit]
Main article: Regulation and licensure in engineering

In many countries, engineering tasks such as the design of bridges, electric power
plants, industrial equipment, machine design and chemical plants, must be
approved by a licensed professional engineer. Most commonly titled Professional
Engineer is a license to practice and is indicated with the use of post-nominal
letters; PE or P.Eng. These are common in North America, as is European Engineer
(Eur Ing) in Europe. The practice of engineering in the UK is not a regulated
profession but the control of the titles of Chartered Engineer (CEng) and
Incorporated Engineer (IEng) is regulated. These titles are protected by law and are
subject to strict requirements defined by the Engineering Council UK. The title CEng
is in use in much of the Commonwealth.
Many semi-skilled trades and engineering technicians in the UK call themselves
engineers. A growing movement in the UK is to legally protect the title 'Engineer' so
that only professional engineers can use it; a petition[17] was started to further this
cause.
In the United States, licensure is generally attainable through combination
of education, pre-examination (Fundamentals of Engineering exam), examination
(Professional Engineering Exam),[18] and engineering experience (typically in the
area of 5+ years). Each state tests and licenses Professional Engineers. Currently
most states do not license by specific engineering discipline, but rather provide
generalized licensure, and trust engineers to use professional judgement regarding
their individual competencies; this is the favoured approach of the professional
societies. Despite this, however, at least one of the examinations required by most
states is actually focused on a particular discipline; candidates for licensure typically
choose the category of examination which comes closest to their respective
expertise.
In Canada, the profession in each province is governed by its own engineering
association. For instance, in the Province of British Columbia an engineering
graduate with four or more years of post graduate experience in an engineeringrelated field and passing exams in ethics and law will need to be registered by the
Association for Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (APEGBC)[19] in order to
become a Professional Engineer and be granted the professional designation of
P.Eng allowing one to practice engineering.
In Continental Europe, Latin America, Turkey and elsewhere the title is limited by
law to people with an engineering degree and the use of the title by others is illegal.
In Italy, the title is limited to people who both hold an engineering degree and have
passed a professional qualification examination (Esame di Stato). In Portugal,
professional engineer titles and accredited engineering degrees are regulated and
certified by the Ordem dos Engenheiros. In the Czech Republic, the title "engineer"
(Ing.) is given to people with a (masters) degree in chemistry, technology or
economics for historical and traditional reasons. In Greece, the academic title of
"Diploma Engineer" is awarded after completion of the five-year engineering study
course and the title of "Certified Engineer" is awarded after completion of the fouryear course of engineering studies at a Technological Educational Institute (TEI).
Perception[edit]

This section possibly contains original research. Please improve

it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements
consisting only of original research should be removed. (July 2014)
Differences among countries[edit]

19th century engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel by the launching chains of the SS
Great Eastern
The perception and definition of engineer varies across countries and continents.
British school children in the 1950s were brought up with stirring tales of "the
Victorian Engineers", chief amongst whom were the Brunels,
the Stephensons, Telford and their contemporaries. In the UK, "engineering" was
more recently perceived as an industry sector consisting of employers and
employees loosely termed "engineers" who included the semi-skilled trades.
However, the 21st-century view, especially amongst the more educated members of
society, is to reserve the term Engineer to describe a university-educated
practitioner of ingenuity represented by the Chartered (or Incorporated) Engineer.
However, a large proportion of the UK public still sees Engineers as semi skilled
tradespeople with a high school education.
In the US and Canada, engineering is a regulated profession whose practice and
practitioners are licensed and governed by law. A 2002 study by the Ontario Society
of Professional Engineers revealed that engineers are the third most respected
professionals behind doctors and pharmacists. [20]

Auto rice milling machinery in Bangladesh

In the Indian subcontinent, Russia, Middle East, Africa, and China, engineering is one
of the most sought after undergraduate courses, inviting thousands of applicants to
show their ability in highly competitive entrance examinations.
In Egypt, the educational system makes engineering the second-most-respected
profession in the country (after medicine); engineering colleges at Egyptian
universities require extremely high marks on the General Certificate of Secondary
Education (Arabic: al-Thnawiyyah al-`mmah)on the order of 97 or
98%and are thus considered (along with the colleges of medicine, natural science,
and pharmacy) to be among the "pinnacle colleges" ( kullyt al-qimmah).
In the Philippines and Filipino communities overseas, engineers who are either
Filipino or not, especially those who also profess other jobs at the same time, are
addressed and introduced as Engineer, rather than Sir/Madam in speech
or Mr./Mrs./Ms. (G./Gng./Bb. in Filipino) before surnames. That word is used either in
itself or before the given name or surname.
French "Ingnieur" title[edit]
It is sometimes told by urban legends that in France, the "Ingnieur" title refers only
to membership of the French executive elite and has no relation to technological
skills. This is false, engineer is the title of someone who succeeded in engineers
schools. There are many different kind of engineer schools in France like in other
countries. Some engineer schools are more famous than others. Examples of French
famous engineer schools are Polytechnique, Supelec, Institut national des sciences
appliques, Institut Mines-Tlcom, Ecole nationale suprieure d'arts et
mtiers, cole Centrale Paris. Polytechnique and ENSAM have their roots in the
French revolution and some of their alumni become famous either as scientists
(Henri Poincar), CEO of international companies (Bernard Arnault) or as politicians
(Valry Giscard d'Estaing).
Polytechnique is even different of other engineer schools as education lasts 6 years
instead of 5, with the last year being of specialization in one specific technique. It is
also a military school. Most schools of higher education that were created during the
French revolution have a special status in French people mind. They helped to make
the transition from a mostly agricultural country of late 18th century to the

industrial state that France was in the 19th century. A great part of 19th century
France's richness was created by engineers coming from Polytechnique or Ecole des
mines. This was also the case after the WWII, when France had to be rebuilt.
Before the "rforme Ren Haby" in the 70's, it was very difficult to become a French
engineer (hence the term "faire les Grandes coles" in language of older people),
nowadays after the Haby reform and a string of further reforms Modernization plans
of French universities it is much more common to access those schools and the
French elite comes more from cole nationale d'administration for managers or
politicians and cole normale suprieure for scientists. Engineers are less
highlighted in current French economy as industry provides less than a quarter of
the GDP.
Corporate culture[edit]
In companies and other organizations, there is sometimes a tendency to undervalue
people with advanced technological and scientific skills compared to celebrities,
fashion practitioners, entertainers and managers. In his book The Mythical ManMonth,[21] Fred Brooks Jr says that managers think of senior people as "too valuable"
for technical tasks, and that management jobs carry higher prestige. He tells how
some laboratories, such as Bell Labs, abolish all job titles to overcome this problem:
a professional employee is a "member of the technical staff." IBM maintain a dual
ladder of advancement; the corresponding managerial and engineering or scientific
rungs are equivalent. Brooks recommends that structures need to be changed; the
boss must give a great deal of attention to keeping his managers and his technical
people as interchangeable as their talents allow.
See also[edit]
Engineering portal
Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia
Commons has
media related
to Engineers.

Engineer's degree

Engineers Without Borders

Greatest Engineering Achievements