Apart from Big Four Engineering Disciplines covered in ‘Choose your Engineering Discipline carefully (Part 1): Smart Career Tips for Prospective Engineers!', there are many specific engineering disciplines that one can choose from:

Agricultural Engineering

Agricultural Engineering is also known as Biological Engineering, Biosystems Engineering, or Biological Systems Engineering. It focuses on producing and processing crops and agricultural products like poultry and livestock. Agricultural Engineers can specialize in:

1. Agricultural Equipment & Technology

2. Agricultural Product Handling or Processing Equipment

3. Biotechnology (related specifically to agriculture)

4. Land and Water Management

5. Storage Structures

Architectural Engineering

Architectural Engineering is about ‘Engineered Systems' - structural, mechanical, and electrical - that are used in commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings as well as facilities. Architectural Engineers fill the gap between ‘Architects' that are focused on form and functionality of the buildings and ‘Engineers' who are focused on how they can be built. The core area of Architectural Engineering also covers Construction Management.
Biomedical Engineering

Also known as Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering is about how engineering can be used in the fields of medicine and the life sciences. Biomedical Engineers can specialize in:

1. Biomaterials

2. Biomechanics

3. Biotechnology (related specifically to developing and producing pharmaceutical products)

4. Clinical Engineering: Clinical Engineers are experts in using technology for health care in hospitals.

5. Medical Devices or Equipment: This engineering discipline focuses especially on diagnostic units like X-ray, CAT scan, and MRI; treatment devices for surgery; and prosthetics.

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineers are needed in a wide range of industries such as fuels, petro-chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides, industrial chemicals, plastics, polymers, fibers, paper and paper products, pharmaceuticals and drugs, paints, soaps, household cleaners, food additives and products, ceramics, and electronic materials. Chemical Engineers can specialize in:

1. Biotechnology

2. Environmental Engineering

3. Petroleum and Natural Gas

4. Polymers: Polymers is also a sub-specialization of Materials Engineering and concerns itself with producing plastics, synthetic rubbers and fibers, films and composite materials.

5. Process Control Systems: It concerns itself with optimization and management of operation of large-scale, chemical-based industrial operations.

Computer Science

Computer Science programs are offered by a lot of engineering colleges but it is technically not a separate engineering discipline and just an integral part of Computer Engineering. It emphasizes on Math and general theory related to computer systems and focuses on Algorithms, Data Structure, Computer Organization and Architecture, Software Design, and Programming Languages.

Industrial Engineering

Industrial Engineering is about increasing efficiency by optimizing all the factors of production, such as materials, equipment, people, information, and energy. Industrial Engineers can specialize in:

1. Ergonomics or Human Factors Engineering

2. Facility Design

3. Management Decision Making or Operations Research

4. Manufacturing Engineering

5. Quality Control

6. Work Design: It aims in defining jobs for individuals in a way to optimize overall manufacturing operations.

7. Worker Productivity: It focuses on time and motion studies, to set work performance standards, and propose new or improved work methods.

Materials Engineering

Materials Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering focuses on developing and applying advanced materials such as ceramics, metallic alloys, polymers and electronic materials. However, its commercial-scale production comes under Chemical Engineering. Materials Engineers have to specialize in:

1. Ceramic Materials

2. Composite Materials

3. Electronic Materials

4. Materials Science

5. Metallurgical Engineering

6. Polymeric Materials

Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace Engineers focus on all flight vehicles and systems - from helicopters and airplanes to rockets and satellites and to missiles. They also work on aerodynamics of race cars as well as regular cars. The lesser-known younger siblings to Aerospace Engineering are Astronautical Engineering, which focuses on space flight, and Aeronautical Engineering, which focuses on sub-space flight or airplanes and helicopters generally. Most people opt for Aerospace Engineering though. Aerospace Engineers can further specialize in:

1. Aerodynamics

2. Structural Design & Materials Selection

3. Propulsion Systems

4. Guidance & Control Systems

Engineering Management

Engineering Management combines engineering and management courses to prepare graduate as managers of technology-driven businesses. Engineering Management is generally offered at the Graduate or Masters level for engineering graduates with relevant work experience. However, there are some Bachelors or undergraduate programs available too.

Engineering Mechanics

Studying, researching and applying principles of Mechanics towards engineering applications is the focus of Engineering Mechanics. The key areas of specialization for Engineering Mechanics are:

1. Mechanics of Solids: Engineers expert in Solids Mechanics study behaviour of bodies at rest (such as bridges and buildings) called ‘Statics' and bodies in motion (such as cars and spacecraft) called ‘Dynamics'.

2. Mechanics of Fluids: Engineers expert in Fluids Mechanics study behaviour of liquids and gases toward engineering applications, which is used in designing of basic types of equipment such as pumps, compressors, turbines, and engines, and in producing energy.

Engineering Physics & Engineering Science

Engineering Physics is about researching and applying scientific principles and physics towards engineering applications.

Geological Engineering

Geological principles applied to explore and extract natural gas, oil, coal and minerals is the expertise of Geological Engineering. It is different than Geotechnical Engineering, which is a sub-discipline of Civil Engineering.

Mining & Mineral Engineering

Mining & Mineral Engineering is about how to find, extract, and process metallic ores such as gold, copper, nickel, and zinc; minerals such as diamonds, and coal. Mining and Mineral Engineers can specialize in:

1. Identification and Estimation of Mineral Reserves

2. Mine Design & Operation

3. Mining Equipment Design & Operation

4. Mineral Processing

Petroleum Engineering

Even though refining crude oil into different petroleum products is sub-specialization of Chemical Engineering, finding out crude oil and natural gas reserves as well as extracting, storing and transporting them comes under the realm of Petroleum Engineering as a separate entity. The key areas of specializations in this stream are:

1. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Reserves

2. Land-Based Well Drilling

3. Offshore Well Drilling

4. Storage and Transportation

Nuclear Engineering

Nuclear Engineering offers specialization in controlled us of nuclear or radioactive materials and the key areas of specialization in this area are:

1. Nuclear Power: Nuclear Power specialist engineers work in nuclear power plants as well as spacecraft and submarine engines that are driven by nuclear energy.

2. Nuclear Weapons Systems: This field offers jobs mainly in defense research departments of a country.

3. Radiological Engineering or Radiation Sciences: This specialization prepares you to use radioactive materials for industrial as well as medical applications.

Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering focuses on developing and operating engineered systems that are quite complex and often very large too. These systems might be used for different segments, ranging from communication to water and food distribution to transportation and defense systems.

Ocean Engineering

Ocean Engineering focuses on operations in the ocean as well as around it. The key areas of specialization in this field are:

1. Ocean Exploration: Ocean Exploration Engineering discipline focuses specifically on design of submersible vehicles (think Submarines!).

2. Ocean Structures: Engineering discipline related to Ocean Structures is the one that enables governments to build structures on bottom of the ocean, lay underwater pipelines and set up offshore drilling platforms etc.

3. Pollution Control: Pollution Control Engineering discipline that forms the sub-category of Ocean Engineering specifically deals with preserving and protecting coastline and marine environment.

4. Wave Action Effects: So, who will help us fight Tsunami? Wave Action Effects specialist engineers, of course who work to prevent or mitigate the effects of waves on beaches, docks, and harbor facilities etc.

Ocean Engineering is closely related to:

Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering

Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering concerns itself with designing and developing ships, water vessels, as well as off-shore and ocean bottom structures. You can further specialize in one of the two:

1. Ships and Other Water-Based Vessels

2. Offshore and Ocean Bottom Structures

Our Education Expert Ankit Rules has rightly pointed out that Geotechnical Engineering is quite in vogue these days while Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and Genetic Engineering graduates do not find many takers in India. Rex_B advocates Software Engineering while Aneeket thinks Petroleum Engineering has a lot of demand in international markets. Nikhlesh Mathur has pointed out that demand for different streams of engineering keeps changing in India according to the needs of the industries. It is better to evaluate one's own calling first and then, choose the right engineering discipline for yourself.

Know more about Top 6 Engineering Disciplines Popular in India here. You can also participate in our discussion on Engineering Disciplines here and zero in on your favorite stream.

 

Source: Ruchi Shrimali (Shiksha Team)