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More types of Engineering
Engineering is a broad industry with four main fields – civil, chemical, electrical and mechanical.
Most universities will offer more than just those four specialisations, they will also give students the option to specialise in areas like aerospace, marine, agricultural, biomedical, construction, environmental and mechatronics.
Here are some of the specialisations available in engineering courses, but please note that not all universities will offer every speciality. |
Aerospace Engineer
Aerospace engineers are involved in the design, production and maintenance of all kinds of flight machines, including planes, helicopters, missiles, spacecraft and satellites. They use computer programs to draw plans for aircraft, make calculations and analyse test results.
Engineers working for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority test aircraft systems and structures to ensure they comply with aviation standards.
Agricultural Engineer
Agricultural engineers work to conserve and develop natural resources. They research solutions to combat problems such as soil erosion and salinity, and design better methods of farming and forestry. They also work at lessening the impact of humans on the environment.
Biomedical Engineer
Biomedical engineers are concerned with finding ways to improve health care and medical technology.
They work with microcomputers and lasers to develop and improve equipment for diagnosing health problems, helping disabled people and treating patients. Those working in a hospital may be responsible for ensuring the safe operation of equipment or designing artificial joints and limbs.
This kind of engineering involves learning mechanical, mechatronic and electrical engineering, as well as biomedical studies.
Environmental Engineer
Environmental engineers are primarily involved with protecting the environment. They assess the impact of a project or activity on the air, water, soil and noise levels in the area and find ways to minimise the damage.
They also work on predicting the environmental impacts of accidents like oil spills and providing advice on the best way to deal with waste material. It’s essentially civil engineering with added environmental knowledge.
Marine Engineer
Marine engineers work on ships and other offshore structures to design, test, install, improve, control and maintain machinery and equipment. They must have a solid understanding of a wide range of machinery, pressure vessel operation and computer controlled systems.
Materials Engineer
Materials engineers work with materials such as metals, plastics, rubber, timber and ceramics to ascertain their properties and how they would behave if heated, joined, or put under pressure.
With this knowledge, they try to improve existing materials, create new ones, and assess their commercial and engineering applications.
Mechatronic Engineer
Mechatronic engineering combines electrical, mechanical and software engineering to make computer-controlled machines.
People working in this field design and maintain things like manufacturing robotics, aircraft, car components and cameras. Mechatronics will interest anyone who likes solving problems, robotics and physics.
Risk Engineer
Risk engineers, or safety engineers, are hired by private and public sectors to carry out risk assessments before a project begins.
They identify any hazards and find ways to minimise or get rid of the hazards. Risk engineering usually requires a good understanding of chemistry, physics and other broad engineering principles.
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