What is Engineering?

What is Engineering? Engineering refers to the branch of technology and science related to the designing, building, and usage of machines, engines, and structures. It comes from the Latin word "Ingenium", which means "cleverness" or "Ingeniare", which means "to contrive or devise". It is said that it is the first profession of the human world since the early man did as a sign of civilization was to build stuff to make life easier.

"Engineering is quite different from science. Scientists try to understand nature. Engineers try to make things that do not exist in nature."- Fung et al.

Today, we can confidently say that it is the most important profession to keep our world revolving. This is because every need for modern-day mankind revolves around using tools that have been meticulously engineered, no matter how small they may seem.

Table of Contents

• What is Engineering?
• Engineering Branches
• Engineering Eligibility Criteria
• Engineering Admission Process

What is Engineering?

Engineering can relate to any field, be it science, art, or commerce. It applies anywhere there are structures to be built, be it a canvas or a rocket engine. Hence, engineering is a very interdisciplinary subject. BE is an acronym for Bachelor of Engineering is a professional degree program having a duration of 4 years that focuses on scientific theory, concepts, and experiments.

Engineering management or "Management engineering" is a special field of management related to engineering practise or the engineering industry. The demand for managers with an understanding of engineering has resulted in specialized engineering management degrees that develop the skills and knowledge needed for these roles. Other than that, there are branches such as marine engineering, biotechnological engineering, and genetic engineering, which are subjects that have shown an entirely new world to us.

From Archimedes to Leonardo Da Vinci and Nikola Tesla to the new household name Elon Musk, engineers are shaping the world one step at a time. As a result, engineers are considered as a unique spectrum of people.

Engineering Branches

Mainstream Engineering has chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and aerospace engineering. Business engineering also deals with the relationship between IT systems, professional engineering, change management, and business administration.

Bachelor of engineering has various branches like specializing in different fields.

1. Mechanical Engineering
2. Electrical Engineering
3. Computer Science Engineering
4. Aerospace Engineering
5. Civil Engineering
6. Electronics and Communication Engineering
7. Mechatronics Engineering
8. Agricultural Engineering
9. Genetic Engineering
10. Biomedical Engineering
11. Production Engineering
12. Industrial Engineering
13. Automobile Engineering
14. Chemical Engineering
15. Petroleum Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

B.Tech ME, the undergraduate Mechanical engineering degree, is a 4-year program that deals with developing, designing, building, simulating, and controlling machines. Mechanical engineering graduates have wide opportunities in domains such as the manufacturing, assembling, and research & development industries.

Electrical Engineering

B.Tech Electrical Engineering deals with in-depth knowledge of electrical devices and circuits in daily-life applications. The course offers basic electrical systems and their applications, which are entitled to many job opportunities. The primary domains are automotive, electronics, heavy machines manufacturing, and robotics manufacturing industries.

Computer Science Engineering

B.Tech CE, the Computer Engineering 4 year bachelor's program, deals with designing and programming languages to develop hardware and software applications. The prominent domain jobs deal with the development of computer application software.

Aerospace Engineering

B.Tech Aerospace Engineering, a four-year undergraduate program, deals with the design, construction, and study of physical properties and science behind aircraft, rockets, or spacecraft forces. The advanced studies include training in launch vehicles, spacecraft design & development, and aircraft.

Civil Engineering

It is a discipline of engineering sciences related to designing, constructing, and maintaining dams, buildings, bridges, highways, tunnels, and other structures by applying mathematical equations, physical laws, and mechanics theories. Engineers use the available resources like workforce, expertise, materials, etc., to complete the project in the given time, fulfilling the various expenditures, time, environmental issues, and physical hazards of the project. Civil Engineering syllabus and structure may vary from college to college as per their requirements.

There are various specializations in civil engineering that candidates may choose from:-

• Construction Engineering
• Coastal and Ocean Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Fire protection engineering
• Structural Engineering
• General Engineering

Civil Engineering is regarded as one of the profitable career fields. Opportunities are required to be particularly productive in renewable energy and develop and maintain water and waste treatment systems.

Various civil engineering jobs in India are as follows,

• Assistant Engineer
• Project Manager
• Senior Engineer
• Division Leader
• Supervisory Engineer
• City Engineer

Electronics and Communication Engineering

Electronics and communications engineering utilize active electrical components such as semiconductor devices, transistors, diodes, etc., to design electronic circuits, devices, integrated circuits, and systems.

Application Of Electronics and Communication includes:-

• Digital telecommunication
• Power electronics
• Manufacturing companies
• Aerospace manufacturing companies
• Satellite and mobile communication
• Remote Sensing
• Electrocardiograph
• Microwave Communication

A recent research study predicted jobs for electronics and communication engineers would grow by 7% from 2016 to 2026, and employment in the ECE sector will be amplified significantly in the last few years.

Companies for Electronics and Communication Engineering Branch Include:

• Texas Instruments
• Intel
• Commercial & Industrial Security Corporation (CISCO)
• International Business Machines (IBM)
• Samsung Electronics
• Sony
• Toshiba
• Philips Semiconductors
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)

Mechatronics Engineering

A Multi-disciplinary Branch of Engineering mainly focuses on both Electric and Mechanical engineering. In addition, it includes other engineering streams like robotics, electronics, computer, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering.

One of the most excellent applications of Mechatronics is the development of the Mars Rover crafted by NASA, which was used to collect samples and photographs from the Mars surface.

Agricultural Engineering

Agricultural engineering combines the disciplines and principles of mechanical, civil, electrical, food science, and chemical engineering with a knowledge of agricultural principles and technological principles. A vital goal of this discipline is to improve the efficacy and sustainability of farming practices.

Duties of Agricultural Engineers are,

• Design equipment, systems, or structures using computer softwares
• Test equipment to guarantee its safety and reliability.
• Oversee construction and production operations.
• Plan and work together with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers to ensure effective and desirable outcomes.

Software Engineering

Software engineering is an engineering branch combining th class="pFonts"e development of software products by adopting well-defined scientific methods, principles, and procedures. The results of software engineering are a good and reliable software product. It is the practical application of scientific knowledge to the creative design and building of computer programs.

Following are the duties of a software engineer:

• Develop a well-optimized and effective source code for the latest software applications
• Produce various software instruments and amalgamate them into a fully functional software system
• Maintain and test software to ensure that it is operating properly

Mechanical Engineering

It is the branch of engineering concerned with the designing, manufacturing, installing, and operating of engines and machines involving various manufacturing processes. It is mainly concerned with forces and motion. Mentioned below are various UG, PG, Diploma, and certification courses offered for the candidates.

Different areas of employment for Mechanical Engineering are:

• Electronics
• Automobile
• Sales
• Chemical
• Steel Plants
• Marketing
• Power Plants
• Oil Exploration and Refining
• Agricultural
• Aeronautical
• Space Research Organisation

The average mechanical engineer salary in India is approximately Rs. 16,856 per month. The starting mechanical engineer salary varies from Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh per annum.

Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering is the discipline of study that includes genetics and biotechnology methods of intersecting and joining together genetic material, particularly DNA. It also involves introducing the modified genome into an organism to generate the desired features in an organism.

It is because of the significant advantages of genetic engineering, from increased crop yields to enhanced nutrient production and food quality.

Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering is based on the advancements that improve human health and health care at every level. There are multiple subdisciplines within biomedical engineering, including medical imaging, clinical engineering, orthopaedic implants, biomedical signal processing, design, and expansion of various medical devices, tissue, and stem cell engineering.

Biomedical Engineering innovations examples are artificial limbs, prosthetics, imaging machines, and several other medical devices. In addition, Biomedical Engineer assesses the security, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.

Production Engineering

Production engineering involves designing, optimizing resources, analyzing ProductionProduction, planning, and employing cost-effective techniques to create a product. It uses engineering, technology, manufacturing, and management science principles to develop safe and efficient processes for transforming raw materials into finished items.

The national average salary for a Production Engineer is INR 4 Lakh per annum in India.

Industrial Engineering

Industrial engineering makes a study to unlock the key to finding answers to many vital problems in manufacturing, distribution of goods and services, health care, utilities, transportation, entertainment, and the environment. In addition, industrial engineers play a significant role in designing and implementing changes to increase quality, safety, and productivity.

Automobile Engineering

Automobile Engineering or Automotive Engineering defines a division of vehicle engineering that comprises components of electronic, mechanical, electrical, software, and safety engineering being applied to the manufacture, design, and operation of automobiles, motorcycles, and trucks, and buses and their corresponding engineering subsystems. The main application areas are in car design, operations involving the ProductionProduction of cars, designing engines, and fuel management.

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering is the most popular branch of engineering for aspirants to pursue in India. B.Tech in Chemical Engineering is a four-year undergraduate program that combines chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, microbiology, biochemistry, and Engineering for the ProductionProduction of chemicals and their by-products.

Chemical Engineering is applied in the manufacture of various products, including inorganic and organic industrial chemicals, ceramics, agrochemicals plastics and elastomers, fuels and petrochemicals, explosives, detergents, etc., detergent products, fragrances and flavours, additives, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals.

Petroleum Engineering

Petrochemical Engineering is all about designing and creating processes to extract oil and gas from the reservoirs below the earth's surface. Petroleum Engineering has a proper scope in the country as India is rich in minerals and natural gases. The salary packages offered to Petrochemical Engineers vary between INR 3.60 Lakh per annum to INR 4.80 Lakh per annum in India. However, abroad, the demand for petroleum engineers is at an all-time high and is a lucrative pay package.

System Engineering

Systems engineering means using a systematic and disciplined approach for the design, realization, technical management, operations, and retirement of a system. A "system" is defined as a collection of different elements that produce results not obtainable by the elements alone.

The foundation for the successful development of complication systems is that system engineering uses a structured yet flexible approach.

Listed below are the set of critical skills required by system engineers:

• Problem Solving
• Troubleshooting
• Emotional Intelligence
• Persuading Others
• Entrepreneurial Thinking
• Computer Skills

Engineering Eligibility Criteria

The first-year BE syllabus for all the branches are more or less the same as those learned by all streams of engineering students and then three years of subject-specific to specialization.

The eligibility criteria for Engineering are,

• Under Graduation Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility criteria for admission into pursuing Bachelor of Engineering course are that students must have passed XII examination from any recognized board with Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics as the primary subjects, with minimum aggregate marks of 50%.

• Post Graduation Eligibility Criteria

Candidates willing to pursue an M.Tech degree in engineering should have completed their Bachelor's in a related discipline with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks.

Engineering Admission Process

BE/B.Tech or ME/M.Tech admissions are mainly based on the entrance exams or students' merit on exams conducted by central and state governments. However, some of the reputed institutes or universities conduct entrance exams to get admission.

Below are the admission process for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions.

• B.Tech Admission Process
• M.Tech Admission Process

B.Tech Admission Process

For admissions into a B.Tech course, candidates must go through a rigorous clearing of national-level and state-level entrance tests to obtain admission into different colleges, universities, or institutes.

Entrance exams are:

• JEE Main
• JEE Advanced
• ComedK
• KCET (Exclusive to colleges in Karnataka)
• KEAM (Exclusive to colleges in Kerala)
• WBJEE (Exclusive to colleges in West Bengal)
• MHT CET (Exclusive to colleges in West Bengal)
• GUJ CET (Exclusive to colleges in West Bengal)
• VITEEE (For admissions into SRMIT, Chennai)
• NIPER JEE (For admissions into NIPER)
• SRMJEE (For admissions into SRMIT, Chennai)
• BITSAT (For admissions into BITS, Pilani)
• MET (For admissions into MIT, Manipal)

Fees:

Fees of B.Tech Engineering courses vary institute-wise and branch opted.

M.Tech Admission Process

To get an M.Tech/ME degree from top colleges in India, one must clear the GATE Examination compulsorily. However, some colleges, universities, or institutes have their entrance exams followed by personal interviews and counselling for admission.

GATE is an All-India examination conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). It is an online test based on multiple-choice questions (MCQs) divided into three sections, namely:

• General Aptitude
• Engineering Mathematics
• Speciality subject

Fees:

Fees of M.Tech Engineering course vary institute-wise and specialization chosen by the student.

FAQ's

1. What is system engineer vs software engineer?

   Systems engineers perform the same work as software engineers, and also develop software components. However, system engineering involves specifying, maintaining, and supporting technical infrastructure.

2. What is the difference between Industrial and Mechanical engineering?

   Industrial engineering combines business with engineering principles to improve profitability, while mechanical engineering focuses on designing and building mechanical devices that solve problems.

3. What is the suitability of the Production Engineering course?

   Students with a keen interest in designing and building along with excellent knowledge in mathematics and information technology can make a successful career in production engineering.

4. Is being an agriculture engineer a good career option?

   In recent years we all have realized how important the agriculture sector is. Agriculture is a vast and diversified field, offering numerous career options; this is because India is a significant producer and exporter of various cash crops.