Top 10 Toughest Engineering Courses in the World

Engineering courses are some of the toughest courses in the world. With wide applications in the real world, engineering courses help to develop the engineers of tomorrow who create solutions using the concepts of Maths and Science. Read this article to learn about the toughest engineering courses in the world.

Rightly said - “engineers are some of the smartest people in the world”. But what goes behind transforming a normal person into one of the smartest people? The answer is problem-solving real-world related study that helps to think and create solutions for several problems at a time. It is no surprise that the smartest engineers undergo difficult coursework to raise their aptitude to their maximum potential. In this article, we will uncover the top 10 toughest engineering courses in the world and several more details associated with them. 

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List of 10 Most Difficult Engineering Courses in the World

The most difficult engineering courses in the world incorporate the understanding of complex theories and problems. Some engineering fields often require students to practice on hazardous chemicals while others require them to develop challenging technical parts to withstand dynamic air pressure or the strongest chemical reactions in the world. 

The good thing about some of these hardest engineering courses is that they pay off with high-paying jobs and the ability to provide life-changing solutions to mankind. The 10 most difficult engineering courses in the world are given below:

Most Difficult Engineering Courses in the World
Nuclear Engineering	Aerospace Engineering
Biomedical Engineering	Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering (Structural)	Computer Engineering
Advanced Control Systems Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering (Solid Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics )	Architectural Engineering
Robotics and Automation Engineering	Petroleum Engineering

Also Read: Fully-funded Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Abroad

Details on the Top 5 Hardest Engineering Courses in the World 

Below are the details on the most difficult engineering degrees in the world. 

1. Nuclear Engineering 

Nuclear engineering, one of the toughest engineering in the world, is a branch of engineering sciences that involves designing, developing, operating, and maintaining systems that utilise nuclear energy. This field deals with the applications of nuclear processes, particularly nuclear fission and fusion, for various purposes (mainly for electrical energy production through nuclear fission processes). 

But this is not it, the most difficult engineering course in the world also prepares students for the following:

• Medical Isotope Production: Creating radioactive materials used in medical diagnosis and treatment.
• Radiation Detection: Developing and using instruments to detect and measure radiation.
• Nuclear Waste Management: Storing nuclear radioactive wastes is a big problem. Nuclear engineering also teaches the students to design safe and secure methods for storing radioactive waste without polluting the environment.
• Navy Nuclear Propulsion: Designing and maintaining nuclear reactors for powering submarines and aircraft carriers.

Above were some fields and applications of nuclear engineering courses other than its conventionally presumed scope of electronic energy generation. 

Pursuing this toughest engineering course has several benefits, such as establishing a career in government agencies, nuclear power industries, research institutions, medical Physics and other consulting firms. However, there are also some challenges associated with this course such as the requirement of a strong foundation in Maths and safety focus. 

The main points of learning in the Nuclear Engineering course include Nuclear Reactor Physics, Heat Transfer and Fluid Dynamics, Nuclear Materials Science, Radiation Safety and Shielding, and Nuclear Fuel Cycle Management. 

The other info on the toughest engineering course in the world, i.e. nuclear engineering is given below. 

Scope	Medical Isotope Production, Small Modular Reactors (SMR), Advanced Reactor Designs, etc.
Best Countries to Pursue	US, UK, France, Canada, Germany, China and Japan
Best Universities for Nuclear Engineering	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),  Tsinghua University, University of California, Berkeley,  Stanford University, University of Cambridge, École Polytechnique,  McGill University, University of Toronto, University of Tokyo,  Kyoto University,  Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
Average Starting Salary	$70,000 to $90,000 per year
Popular Designations	Reactor Engineer Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineer Health Physicist Radiation Protection Engineer Medical Physicist Nuclear Materials Engineer

2. Aerospace Engineering

Placed at number 2 of the toughest engineering courses in the world, Aerospace engineering is a branch of engineering that deals with the designing, developing, testing, and operation of aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems. It is a vast field with two major overlapping sub-disciplines, i.e. aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. The aerospace engineers are responsible for developing large flight vessels ensuring flight safety and other operations considering factors like - less fuel consumption, air dynamics, etc.

While a degree in aerospace engineering can be beneficial for students in several ways, there may be some potential challenges in getting one such as knowledge of core Maths topics such as calculus, linear algebra, differential equations and multi-disciplinary topics such as Physics, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, etc. 

The other info on one of the toughest engineering courses in the world, i.e. aerospace engineering is given below. 

Scope	Hypersonic Flights(faster-than-sound passenger jets), Reusable Launch Vehicles (to reduce the cost of space travel), Space Exploration
Best Countries to Pursue	US, UK, France, and Canada
Best Universities for Nuclear Engineering	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),  California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Purdue University University of Michigan Imperial College London Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile McGill University University of Toronto
Average Starting Salary	$65,000 to $75,000 per year
Popular Designations	Reactor Engineer Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineer Health Physicist Radiation Protection Engineer Medical Physicist Nuclear Materials Engineer

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3. Biomedical Engineering

It is a branch of engineering that employs engineering principles to solve problems in Biology and medicine. Aiming to improve healthcare facilities, biomedical engineering acts as a bridge to fill the gap between Biology and the engineering world. Being listed among the toughest engineering courses, biomedical engineering not only challenges the students to take up rigorous coursework but also provides life-changing solutions to the healthcare industry such as pacemakers and artificial limbs to diagnostic tools like MRI machines and prosthetics. 

Biomedical engineers also contribute to areas like tissue engineering, biomaterials development, and medical robotics.

What makes biomedical engineering the most difficult engineering course in the world is its requirement for one to know both the Physics principles (mechanics, electronics, etc.) and Biological sciences (anatomy, physiology, etc.). 

Graduates from this field can work in the following fields: medical research and development, clinical engineering, prosthetics and orthotics, and biomaterials sciences. 

The other info on one of the toughest engineering courses in the world, i.e. biomedical engineering is given below. 

Scope	Artificial Organs and Tissue Engineering, Bioprinting, Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs), Personalised medicine, etc.
Best Countries to Pursue	US, UK, Canada, Singapore, and Australia
Best Universities for Nuclear Engineering	Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),  University of Michigan - Ann Arbor National University of Singapore University of Toronto Imperial College London University of Melbourne University of Sydney
Average Starting Salary	$75,000 per year
Popular Designations	Biomaterials Engineer Medical Device Engineer Clinical Engineer Tissue Engineer Biomechanics Engineer Bioinformatics Engineer

4. Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering is a fascinating engineering branch that bridges the gap between Chemistry and engineering subjects. This too is considered the toughest engineering course in the world owing to its rigorous curriculum and the tendency to build from raw or scratch chemical substances to form usable and sustainable solutions for significant problems (for example - the generation of polymers, pharmaceuticals, biofuels and personal care items). 

Thus, it is safe to say that the chemical engineers are the masterminds behind:

• Essential materials: Plastics, polymers, fibres
• Life-saving drugs: Pharmaceuticals, antibiotics
• Everyday products: Food processing, personal care items
• Clean energy solutions: Biofuels and fuel cells

Due to its applications across various industries, chemical engineering poses a strong job prospect for graduates with high pay. 

The main concepts of learning include chemical reaction engineering, heat and mass transfer, process design and control and thermodynamics. 

The other info on one of the toughest engineering courses in the world, i.e. aerospace engineering is given below. 

Scope	Nanotechnology, Biotechnology and Environmental Engineering
Best Countries to Pursue	US, Europe and Asia
Best Universities for Nuclear Engineering	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),  California Institute of Technology (Caltech) ETH Zurich Technical University of Munich National University of Singapore University of Tokyo Nanyang Technological University Delft University of Technology University of Oxford
Average Starting Salary	$70,000 per year
Popular Designations	Process Engineer Research & Development Engineer Plant Engineer Environmental Engineer Product Development Engineer

Also Check: How to get into Top Colleges for Undergraduate Courses

5. Civil Engineering (Structural)

Civil engineering (structural) is a specialised field within civil engineering that deals with the design, analysis, and construction of the skeleton or "bones" of a structure. Structural engineers are essentially the ones who ensure our buildings, bridges, dams, and other creations can safely withstand all the forces acting upon them. The course requires strong Mathematical knowledge, relevant software knowledge, visualisation & spatial reasoning, and bonding between several mixing substances to make strong building structures. 

The other details on one of the 10 most difficult engineering courses in the world are given below.

Scope	Sustainable building designs, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and smart materials and structures.
Best Countries to Pursue	US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Netherlands and Australia
Best Universities for Nuclear Engineering	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),  University of California, Berkeley (UCB) Delft University of Technology National University of Singapore ETH Zurich Tsinghua University Imperial College London
Average Starting Salary	$65,000 per year
Popular Designations	Structural Engineer Seismic Design Engineer Bridge Engineer Building Engineer Construction Engineer

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This was all about the top 10 hardest engineering courses in the world, their applications, future prospects, and the best universities and countries for getting an education in these fields. If you have any doubts then, drop your queries in the comments below.