Sometimes referred to as bioengineering, students in biomedical engineering develop skills to research, design procedures and apply the necessary technology to enhance healthcare. In many cases, a bachelor's degree in engineering is required prior to obtaining a biomedical engineering degree. Illinois institutions, such as Northwestern University's Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, provide students with the skills necessary to create medical advances such as artificial joints, pacemakers, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, angioplasty, kidney dialysis and heart-lung devices.
Air, water and land are the focus of an environmental engineer's work. Engineering courses in this field involve developing techniques combining science and math to protect the environment. The processes of recycling such things as plastics, glass and paper goods are developed and refined by environmental engineering. The methods of treating sewage and turning sewer water back into safe drinking water involve environmental engineering. Recently, the role of environmental law has become a featured portion of environmental engineering programs, like the undergraduate course offered through Bradley University's engineering department.
Civil engineers plan, design and monitor the construction of structures and systems vital to the infrastructure: including bridges, roads, airports, seaports and water systems. This branch of engineering requires such a broad knowledge of subjects that many civil engineers choose to specialize in a specific area. These areas include structural, construction, hydraulics, transportation, environmental and soil engineering. Civil engineers are found at all levels of government, construction companies, architectural firms and utilities. Because of the highly technical nature of civil engineering, many employers require the minimum of a bachelor's degree from schools such as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school provides undergraduate, graduate and master's of science degrees for both Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Petroleum engineers are involved in each stage of extracting crude oil and natural gas from reservoirs beneath the earth. This field of engineering is divided into three sub-categories. Reservoir engineers scan rock formations beneath the surface to determine the location of petroleum and design a plan for the most effective method of extraction. Drilling engineers create safe and efficient systems to draw the product from the ground. A drilling engineer will often utilize computer models to determine the best strategy to extract petroleum. Managing the interaction between the drilling and extraction process is the responsibility of a production engineer. The Illinois Institute of Technology provides a petroleum-engineering program that covers all aspects of the field including prospecting, drilling, refining, storage and transportation.