Discover and learn about types of engineering
Select a type of engineering below:
Aerospace Engineering
Air travel as we know it today is a feat of engineering excellence.
Thanks to aerospace engineers, we can travel the world or visit the moon. These engineers design, construct and operate aircraft, aerospace vehicles and propulsion systems - including planes, jets, helicopters, gliders, missiles and spacecraft.
Tasks vary from improving the speed and strength of an aircraft, ensuring its safety, creating automatic control systems, or researching the use of new composite materials such as carbon fibre.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural engineers conserve and develop the world's natural resources such as soil, water, land, rivers and forests. They research and develop solutions to combat problems such as soil erosion and salinity; and design better methods of farming and forestry to lessen the impact of humans on the environment.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Biomedical Engineering
Engineers help to improve quality of life for sick or disabled people.
Working with doctors and medical scientists, biomedical engineers research and design ways to improve health care and medical services. They use microcomputers, lasers, and other materials to develop equipment that is used to diagnose health problems; develop medical products used to monitor and treat patients; and design and deliver technology to improve the quality of life for disabled people.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Building Services Engineering
Building services engineers design and develop the inner workings of buildings to provide a safe and functional work environment. They may work on many aspects of a buildingÕs infrastructure: heating, air-conditioning, electric lighting and power, water and gas supply, plumbing and drainage systems, fire safety and security systems, phones, faxes, intercoms, computers, lifts and escalators.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Chemical Engineering
Many of the things we take for granted today Ð foods, petrol, plastics, paints, penicillin, shampoo, paper Ð are the result of chemical engineering.
Chemical engineers convert raw materials into useful and commercial end products, through rigorous research, design and development. They are also responsible for extracting these raw materials without harming the environment.
Engineers working in this field may specialise as combustion engineers, petroleum engineers, principal chemical engineers, smelting engineers, water treatment engineers or environmental engineers. There is also scope for chemical engineers to move into related areas including biotechnology, food engineering and mineral engineering.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Civil Engineering
Civil engineers form the backbone of modern society. They design and construct most of the built world: buildings, bridges, roads, dams, pipelines, towers, transport systems, gas and water supplies, sewerage systems, harbours, airports, and railways.
Working from architects' drawings, civil engineers consider everything from the suitability of construction materials to the impact of the structure on its surroundings. Their role is to produce safe, economical and environmentally sound structures.
Specialisations include chief civil engineers, construction engineers, municipal engineers, structural engineers, transport engineers, or water supply distribution engineers.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Coastal and Ocean Engineering
Coastal and ocean engineers work at the interface between land and the sea, as well as the open ocean environment. Their understanding of this dynamic environment ensures the safe and ecologically sustainable development of our nearshore zone, vital ports and harbours and valuable offshore resources.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Computer Systems Engineering
These days, computers are used to operate many of the things we use in everyday life, from cars and telephone systems, to trains, TV and radio stations.
This discipline is based on electrical engineering and computer science, and involves the analysis, design, development and operation of computer hardware and software. Most electronic design is based on the use of computer aided simulation.
Computer systems engineers may work in the private sector with computer manufacturing and service companies, business consulting firms, or the information systems divisions of companies. They are also involved in a wide range of government activities.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Control Engineering
Stop and go: these are the tenets of control engineering, which uses electrical signals to move and operate equipment and machinery.
Control engineers design, test and improve automatic control systems for large industries such as oil refineries, mining operations and production plants; as well as the safe flow of road and air traffic.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers examine the way electrical energy is produced and used in homes, the community and industry. They design and build the systems and machines that generate, transmit, measure, control and use electrical energy essential to modern life.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering
Communication systems Ð such as satellites, telephones, optical fibres and computers Ð are vital in everyday communication, defence, transport, civil aviation, and even medical equipment such as the bionic ear, pacemakers and life support systems.
Electronics engineers are responsible for creating these systems, using small amounts of electrical energy to analyse, transmit and store information. Their work forms the basis of modern communications, IT and exciting fields like microelectronics and the use of silicon chip technology.
Electronic engineers work in a broad array of industries: communications, broadcasting, aviation, defence, robotics, computers, medical engineering, transport, telecommunications or meteorology.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineers are concerned with protecting the environment by assessing the impact a project has on the air, water, soil and noise levels in its vicinity.
Their work may involve removing problems caused by past activity, such as cleaning contaminated industrial land so it can be used for housing; planning and designing equipment and processes for the treatment and safe disposal of waste material; and directing the conservation and wise use of natural resources.
They are also involved in the research and development of alternative energy sources, water reclamation, waste treatment and recycling.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Food Engineering
Food engineers design equipment, machinery and production methods that increase the life of food whilst maintaining its quality and nutritional value. They also ensure that the food produced is free from bacteria and disease, and does not lose its original texture and colour.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical engineers examine the foundations of built structures, providing crucial information and knowledge about how the soil and rocks beneath a proposed structure will behave under pressure. They spend a lot of time outdoors, collecting samples, testing ground areas and advising on work in progress.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Hydraulics (Water) Engineering
Hydraulics engineers plan and implement water schemes for both large and local operations. They also deal with the treatment of waste from industry, the control of rivers and floodwaters, the protection of the coastline and the planning of harbours.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineering is a science devoted to getting the best results from available resources, whilst still ensuring that the quality and expectations of the project are met.
As such, industrial engineers design, improve, and install integrated systems of human resources, materials, equipment and finance. They draw upon specialised knowledge and skills in the mathematical, physical, physiological and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Marine Engineering
Marine engineers design, test and improve the machinery and equipment used at sea - everything from propulsion machinery and electrical equipment to refrigeration, air conditioning, cargo handling and domestic services equipment.
They may also work with pressure vessels, automated control systems, organic pumping or mooring systems, pipelines, dockyards, port and harbour operations, equipment for offshore oil rigs and platforms.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Materials Engineering
Materials engineers test the ways certain materials behave when put under pressure or are heated or joined with other materials. They may work with metals, plastics, rubber, timber, or ceramics ÐÊor they may develop new materials. They may also be involved with developing new and improved ways of recycling plastics and paper.
Materials engineers may work in diverse areas, particularly those where chemical, electrical, manufacturing and mining engineers find employment. These areas include large foundries, steel works, aluminum plants and companies involved with alloy research.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering
Mechanical and manufacturing engineering turns energy into power and motion.
Mechanical engineers design, create and improve machinery that is used for domestic, public and industrial purposes, such as: domestic appliances, industrial machinery, ships, aircraft, engines, pumps, compressors and turbines or complex systems such as the air-conditioning and ventilation systems of buildings.
Manufacturing systems engineers design systems and equipment that complete tasks accurately and change raw materials into products with the smallest wastage of time, materials and energy are designed and improved by manufacturing systems engineers.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Mechatronics Engineering
As the world becomes ever more technologically advanced, mechatronics has emerged as an exciting engineering discipline.
Combining mechanical and electrical engineering, mechatronics uses digital computers to control machines and processes to create diverse products such as substitutes for human sensors and organs, and computer controlled machines and tools.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Minerals and Metallurgical Engineering
A form of modern alchemy, this discipline converts basic raw materials into valuable products, for example bauxite into aluminum.
Minerals engineers use a wide range of treatments to process materials in the most efficient way. This might involve physical or chemical separations and hydro or pyro-metallurgical processes. Metallurgical engineering takes this one step further by combining metals and non-metals to make new composite materials. These new composites are lighter, stronger, more durable and heat resistant, and are used in cars, boats, jets, spacecraft and other vehicles.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Mining Engineering
Mining engineers work together with geologists to investigate and carry out the extraction of ore bodies and mineral deposits, as well as the extraction of non-metallic ores and fuels such as coal and uranium.
They are responsible for planning the safest and most cost-effective way of removing minerals from the ground, rivers or the seabed ÐÊtaking into account both people and the environment.
Experienced mining engineers have a wide range of career options including mine planning and design, operations management, technical specialists, contracting, consulting, the mines inspectorate, investment analysts and advisers, research, tertiary education and general management. Work is often on remote mine sites and involves a lot of travel.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Petroleum & Petrochemical Engineering
Petroleum engineers find, produce, use and improve oil and natural gas based on geological study; and research new methods of removing oil and gas from the earth safely and economically.
Petrochemical engineers take raw materials from the earth or oceans and convert them to synthetic fibres, dyes, detergents and many forms of plastics materials and products.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Pharmaceutical Engineering
Life-saving drugs and medicines must be made with precision, often at the micro scale. Pharmaceutical engineers design and operate the equipment that produces these drugs, working closely with medical research teams to achieve the most effective results.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Power Generation & Distribution Engineering
This discipline powers our homes and industry. Power engineers plan, develop, test, install, use and maintain power plants or stations that provide electric power; and also plan the transmission of that power to where it is needed Ð be it cities, towns, railway lines, large businesses or industry.
Power engineers also conduct research into alternative power sources such as solar and wind energy.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Process Control Engineering
Process control engineers create and maintain computer software and systems designed to control the quantity and quality of a particular product when it is being manufactured, and to minimise waste during the manufacturing process.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Production Engineering
Production engineers are responsible for the equipment and processes used in various chemical and manufacturing plants. They ensure equipment is maintained and operating at peak levels ÐÊand may even be involved in advising on the layout of the factory floor to maximise production levels, or on the purchase of new equipment.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Resource Engineering
Resource engineers develop more efficient ways to use natural resources and manage the environment in rural areas. Their work may include the development, conservation and control of water resources; soil conservation and the recovery of degraded land; catchment and land management; and the assessment and control of water pollution from agricultural and mining industries.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Risk Engineering
There is a growing awareness in the general public of the need for risk assessments to be carried out before a project begins.
Risk engineers combine knowledge of chemistry, physics and operational aspects of any given project to identify any potential hazards, the consequences of these hazards, and the frequency and magnitude with which they are likely to occur. They also develop emergency response procedures.
Risk consultants often carry out detailed risk assessment studies for private companies or review studies done by other parties.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Software Engineering
Software engineers design and modify complex software systems and computer hardware.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Structural Engineering
Natural forces such as wind, waves and earthquakes can wreck havoc on built structures; as can the stresses caused by the modern environment, such as car and foot traffic. A structural engineer devises the best way to build a structure so that it stands up to these forces.
Structural engineers often work with architects, builders and those in mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Transport Engineering
People and freight are always on the move. Transport engineers design, test and improve systems and structures to enable the more efficient movement of people, cars, trains, airplanes and ships.
From the design of a simple traffic intersection to the layout of train lines, transport engineers consider everything from traffic congestion to the future needs of cities.
Submit an idea for Transport Engineers to work on
Back to top
Home