The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics includes 17 engineering disciplines in the federal government's Standard Occupational Classification system. There are additional subfields within these 17 disciplines as well as other smaller specialties. Most students choose an engineering education program in their desired specialty. For example, an aspiring civil engineer can enroll in a civil engineering program. Other specialties, however, may not have corresponding education programs. A food science engineer may need to enroll in an agricultural engineering or chemical engineering program to receive the proper training.
Typical bachelor's degree programs in engineering take four to five years to complete. Students spend the first two years taking prerequisite courses in mathematics and basic sciences. Some schools enter students as pre-engineering majors and students must apply to the engineering program after completing the prerequisites. The final years of the program concentrate on the engineering specialty. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology is the main accrediting agency for engineering education programs.
After completing an accredited degree program, graduates can begin the licensing process by taking the Fundamentals of Engineering examination and becoming engineers in training, or EITs. Then they need to complete four years of training before they are eligible for the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. Those who pass the exam become licensed professional engineers, or PEs, and can offer their services directly to the public. In addition to professional licensing, engineers may seek voluntary certification. Numerous organizations offer certification, usually within a specific engineering discipline, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Some states require continuing education in order to maintain licensure. Other engineers may pursue further education to enhance job skills and keep on top of changing technologies. Many engineers choose to pursue a graduate degree for this reason. A graduate degree is also typically necessary for academic and research positions and may be desirable for many other upper-level positions.
Job growth varies by discipline. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, growth is expected to be good overall during the decade from 2008 to 2018. Emerging fields, such as biomedical engineering, could see explosive growth (72 percent, according to the BLS). Environmental and civil engineering are two other disciplines expecting high job growth rates. Other branches, including electronics engineering and computer hardware engineering, will see much slower rates of growth.