Engineer Definition and 849 Threads

Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety and cost. The word engineer (Latin ingeniator) is derived from the Latin words ingeniare ("to create, generate, contrive, devise") and ingenium ("cleverness"). The foundational qualifications of an engineer typically include a four-year bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, or in some jurisdictions, a master's degree in an engineering discipline plus four to six years of peer-reviewed professional practice (culminating in a project report or thesis) and passage of engineering board examinations.
The work of engineers forms the link between scientific discoveries and their subsequent applications to human and business needs and quality of life.

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  1. D

    Engineering Electrical Engineer Seeking Career Advice

    I’m hoping that I can find some career advice that can shine some light on my situation…I served in the Navy where my primary duty was working with the ships radar and communication systems as well as providing support with other electronic warfare systems. When I discharged from the Navy I got...
  2. R

    Engineering Is it possible for me to become an engineer?

    I'm currently at a junior college and want to major in mechanical or electrical engineering. The issue is that I got arrested for a misdemeanor a couple of years ago. Even though it I didn't get prosecuted nor convicted and I got it expunged does it affect my chances of being an engineer?
  3. L

    Engineering Career advice to become a Fusion Engineer

    Hello, I am posting to get some career advice about pursuing a career in fusion physics/engineering. With the construction of ITER in France and all the worldwide research into fusion as an energy source, I am extremely interested in the field and I want to help develop fusion technology. I am...
  4. KeshavTheBest

    Engineering Become a Scientist: Engineer or Physicist?

    Hello, I would like to become a 'scientist' that can research new things and give theories but also is capable of inventing stuff. For example (just am example, don't say not possible please :( ) I research about how a kerr black hole can be made and used to travel time. I reach to a conclusion...
  5. Mayed Al-Tunaiji

    Other Senior graduation project (HS)

    Hello, PF, I am a senior in high school and my school requires me to come up with an innovative idea about science and/or engineering. After coming with an idea let's say for example it was an engine of some sort we have to request the parts from the school and build it. my problem is with the...
  6. A

    Engineering Electrical Engineer or Electrician

    I'm 24 and graduated with a masters degree in electrical engineering in the UK last year. I had it in my head that I would get a masters degree and then get a graduate training scheme position in something like power/energy and enjoy it while earning decent money, but I haven't been able to get...
  7. V

    Courses Aeronautical Engineer to Physicist?

    Hey guys, I needed some help in my course advice. I recently completed my course in Aeronautical Engineering from India. I scored not-that-great with a 67% avg and a gap year cause of sickness. I always wanted to do a masters in physics and specifically in theoretical physics in topics related...
  8. vinicius0197

    Courses Mechanical Engineer switching to CS or Electrical

    I'm on a sticky situation right here. I have almost completed my third year of a mechanical engineering degree and I'm just now realizing that I would prefer working with embedded systems/software. This happened after I start toying around with an Arduino and learned C and Python for fun's sake...
  9. R

    Studying Necessity of formal math education for Electrical Engineer?

    So, I am majoring in Electrical engineering, and probably doing a decent amount of Physics and Computer science courses until I can no longer squeeze it into my schedule. In the far future, I definitely plan to work in industry, and hopefully in R&D type engineering work. Will I ever in my...
  10. Cathr

    Engineering Can one successfully be an Engineer AND a Physicist?

    What I meant in the title is Theoretical Physicist (character limit). A year ago, when I decided to get a Physics bachelor degree, I was 100% sure I'm going to do theoretical research. Since high school, I was always searching stuff about particle physics, relativity and other topics on the...
  11. A

    Should I pursue this skill? (becoming a mechanical engineer)

    By my question I mean is this something that I should realistically consider a goal? A little about me, I'm currently a Senior in high school, well, at least I'm about to be because the school year hasn't begun yet. I'm really considering becoming a mechanical engineer because I love math and...
  12. rfranceschetti

    Engineering Job market for engineer physicists

    Hi all, Could you guys tell me how's the job market* for engineer physicists and engineer scientists? These majors seem very nice in terms of the range of the coursework, seeing many different parts of physics and chemistry. However, I'm quite skeptic about their career prospects. I see...
  13. rfranceschetti

    Engineering The relationship of a mechanical engineer with electricity

    Hi all, I have in mind that an engineering project tends to be quite "integrated", as in, it envolves different engineers. So, for instance, in order to build an aircraft, you need not only a mechanical engineer, but also an EE, Materials, managers, etc etc. So lots of teamwork. However, I'd...
  14. Rx7man

    Something every Mechanical Engineer should watch

    Here's a great video of what one guy has to say about what he learned at university.. He really hits the nail on the head.. My favourite point is with "safety factors".. If something failed under normal use, it's not because you chose a 1.2 safety factor instead of a 1.5 safety factor, it's...
  15. yecko

    Engineering Mechanical engineering or Aerospace engineer

    I am a year one student who is going to promote to year 2 in September, and I am required to choose between Mechanical engineering or Aerospace engineer within these few days (i just received the urgent message...) I believe I am better in memorization and language skill than mathematics...
  16. S

    Engineering Maximizing Your ME Degree for a Career in Robotics

    Hi all! Just recently discovered PF, loving the community. I'm a softmore Mechanical Engineering undergrad, who's been exploring careers and what comes next after I graduate. My question to you all is: What skills can I learn/focus on throughout the rest of my schooling to increase my chances of...
  17. R

    Engineering Electrician vs EE: Which Path is Right for Me?

    Hey guys I'm trying to figure out my path forward. I'm currently in an electrician apprenticeship which I enjoy a lot however I sense I have a stronger talent for engineering work. I've interviewed several EEs and it seems that my motivations for entering the fields are sound; however I don't...
  18. EEristavi

    Engineering Process Safety Engineer Job Description

    Hello everyone, I'm interested specifically what Process Safety Engineer's job is like. Like, what you must handle everyday at work, what knowledge is needed, do you find it interesting or not (and why) etc. Thank you for attention
  19. Connor

    Will I still be able to find a job as an engineer?

    I'm 21 years old and going to college for computer science. A year ago I got arrested and charged with a misdemeanor. To make a long story short when I went to court I was never convicted and the charge was dismissed and my record got expunged. I'm not looking to get a job at companies like...
  20. P

    Each day a quality engineer selects a random sample of 60 power supplies

    Homework Statement Each day a quality engineer selects a random sample of 60 power supplies from the day's production, measures their output voltages, and computes a 90% confidence interval for the mean output voltage of all the power supplies manufactured that day. What is the probability...
  21. Gigigifgof

    What job opportunities are available for Thai physics graduates in the USA?

    I am Thai and I have my applied physics degree from Thailand but I will be moving to USA and want to know what kind of jobs I can look for? and how employers will think about hiring someone with a degree from Thailand? I will have a green card and will not need to be sponsored by the company.
  22. N

    Engineering Is it a Career Mistake to Leave a Good Job for Personal Happiness?

    Hey forum, I'm looking for some career advice for myself and I'll try to keep this short and sweet. To give you some background I graduated with my BS in mech. engineering in May 2015. I was hired into a company's rotational program and started out as a LEAN engineer for about 16 months, then...
  23. Neven

    Engineering Mechanical engineer to aerospace engineer?

    HI I am a bit early for a 16years old and already think about it maybe but , my dream is to go in the space , which type of engineer goes in space? And can i start from a mechanical engineer to a aerospace engineer ?
  24. Neven

    Which Engineering Field is Best for Space Exploration?

    HI , I'm a bit early for those kind of questions but my passion is the space ,my dream is to go in the space so i was wondering which type of engineer goes in space and if its the AeroEngineer , is the mechanicalE turn into aerospaceE ? P.S I am not english first language sorry if i spelled...
  25. TheFlyingGandalf

    Physics A few questions about a theoretical physicist career

    Hello, I'm Michael, am 17 and uncertain about my future (as I'm sure anyone my age is). you see, I aim to be a theoretical physicist in the future and I am worried a bit: Yes, I know, you shouldn't pick a job just for the money, but I do worry about how much does a theoretical physicist make. do...
  26. S

    Need to interview a Mechanical Engineer

    I am a first-year Mechanical Engineering major at Cal Poly, and I need to interview a Mechanical Engineer for my Technical Writing class. If you have a few minutes and could answer these five questions, I would greatly appreciate it! What are common genres in the field of mechanical...
  27. J

    MHB Need help to reverse engineer a problem...........................

    I hoping that someone may help me find a formula for this problem... Starting with a specific, large-sum number (ex. 5,408,286,291), find 4, three or four digit numbers that, when multiplied, will arrive at this large-sum number. It could be 3 larger numbers or 4 smaller numbers. It doesn't...
  28. KaelanSong

    Can You Help Find a Mechanical Engineer for an Urgent Student Interview?

    One of classes needs me to interview an engineer with a degree of my same major (mechanical engr), preferably with 7+ years of experience in the field (we can lie about that, but deadlines are approaching and I've struck out everywhere), AND A BUSINESS CARD (used as proof to my professor that...
  29. T

    Exploring Alternate Models of Physics: A Software Engineer's Perspective

    I dabble in building software models of alternate physical theories
  30. R

    Mechanical Engineer vs. Computer Engineer

    Hello everyone, I am in my first year at University, and I have to choose what discipline to enter. I am passionate about designing, testing, and implementing various ways to solve problems, and I found I can do this in both disciplines just in different ways. From previous job experience, I...
  31. Patrick Jago

    Where Does the Energy Go in an Electric High Pressure Water Motor or Pump?

    In an electrical high pressure water motor or pump what is the main cause of energy loss. Originally I was thinking along the lines of 1st heat/electrical losses in motor. 2nd Friction of the water in pipes. 3rd noise. But I'm torn between the first 2 ? Tho
  32. Gjmdp

    Engineering Should I be an Aerospace engineer or an Astronomer?

    I have this conondrum since long ago, and it's really hurting me. I love both Aerospace engineering and Astronomy, and I know I can study both. The thing is I'll be an Aerospace engineer or an Astronomer. I know I can't be both. I really love Astronomy: Physics, Science, Mathematics; because I...
  33. Gjmdp

    Engineering Is it too much being an engineer & a scientist?

    I am talking about being both engineer and scientist: a PhD in Physics and a MS in engineering. Far too much? I hope not to be the case. These days is really hard to decide whether to choose engineering or science, and I'm not in a position to eliminate one of them "forever".
  34. Dheer Parikh

    Engineering Aerospace Engineer or Master of Physics in COSMOSES

    I want to go in ISRO or NASA accordingly.But for that I am confused that Should I do Master of Physics in cosmology or i should go with Aerospace Engineering.Pls give me suggestion which one of this is better
  35. Greg Bernhardt

    Insights Interview with Instrument Engineer Jim Hardy - Comments

    TheAdmin submitted a new PF Insights post Interview with Instrument Engineer Jim Hardy Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  36. Robert Sanchez

    How can a returning student succeed in challenging engineering courses?

    Hey y'all, I'm an old guy going back to school for the first time in 20 years for civil engineering. My next semester consists of calculus, physics and statics and strength of materials... I expect I'll need some help and advice and this looks like the place to be.
  37. G

    Analog Electrical Engineer Explores Physics & Astrophysics

    I am an analog electrical engineer by trade engaged in self teaching myself Analysis / Particle Physics and Astrophysics for the last couple of years. I have worked in the computer graphics field for almost 30 years, ranging from hardware / chip design / device drivers and compilers with 30...
  38. Labilana

    Engineering Can I handle Medical Physics as an Engineer?

    Hello everyone! I just finished my Chemical Engineering bachelors degree and after my study I developed a strong interest in nanomedicine, but because I would really like to be in direct contact with medicine and make an impact on people's lives, I'm seriously considering to continue my masters...
  39. Hamal_Arietis

    Engineering What Are the Job Opportunities for Nuclear Engineers?

    Hello I'm a student in university, my major is nuclear engineering, energy and nuclear electric. But in my country, nuclear electric company isn't build. I'm afraid that no jobs when I graduate. Besides working in company, what is the jobs for nuclear engineer? Thank you
  40. T

    Who has more prestige, a physicist or an engineer?

    To the common citizen, what profession is more estimated, physicist or engineering.
  41. R

    Engineering Mechanical engineer but experience only in startups

    Hi, I am a mechanical engineer who has worked only in start-ups, for past 3 years. Main experience is Mechanical design CAD with bit of FEA. Problem is I want to move to a more traditional company. I had had an interview with one of the largest oil and gas company for role of design engineer in...
  42. W

    I need to interview an engineer for a school project.

    For my engineering class I have to interview a person who is currently an engineer. I was hoping somebody could help answer some questions, it'd be greatly appreciated. • Please describe your engineering field. • What is your current job title? • Please describe your particular job and...
  43. T

    Engineering I want to be an engineer for the Navy

    Should i be a mechanical engineer or an electronics or an electric? I am not sure of the pros and cons of each,any tips or pointers? I am 15 will be 16 in nov and i want to go through NROTC
  44. S

    Engineering Keep working as an engineer or pursue the study of physics

    I’m 35 and I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and has worked some ten years as an embedded software/firmware engineer. I’m already in a senior position in charge of the whole product for a small electronics manufacturer. Everything seems fine to me, and I’m happy with...
  45. SteveeGeorge

    (Introduction) Steven George - Optical Engineer

    Hi all, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Steven George, 22 years of age and from London, UK. I am a recent masters graduate of physics (July 2016), achieving a 1st class honors. Quickly after graduating, I found employment as an optical engineer for a company that specializes in laser...
  46. Parsifal1

    Engineering What type of engineer works in the most interesting places?

    I'm trying to decide which sort of engineering I want to do. I am leaning towards mechanical, what are examples of environments where mechanical engineers can work? Thanks.
  47. H

    Other Want to be an engineer, but do research on the side?

    So, I really want to be an Aerospace Engineer, but I also love chemistry, physics, math, and etcetera. Most of what I love tends to be application focused, rather than pure. Regarding chemistry, I really like synthetic physical organic stuff; especially geometrically strained compounds and...
  48. TheQuietOne

    Engineering Thinking of working towards being a Navy ME

    I am thinking of (working towards) being a GSM in the Navy, I'm only starting high school and love engineering. Any thoughts?
  49. S

    Engineering Physicist, Electrical Engineer, or physician

    Hi, I am a rising junior in high school. I have always wanted to be an engineer. I eventually found out that I loved electrical engineering, ever since then my career path was focused on engineering. I discovered that I love physics as well. Every time I learn about a new physics topic I get...
  50. P

    Other Can my wrists handle being an engineer?

    Due to an accident that tore up both my TFCCs and other damage, both my wrists are shot. They got cleaned up, but are just all frayed now and not much to do about it. Extended computer time causes me pain, especially when it includes a lot of shift/alt/ctrl with other key combos, such as for...
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