Major Categories:
* Aerospace Engineering: Deals with the design, development, and testing of aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and related systems. Often splits into aeronautical (aircraft) and astronautical (spacecraft) specializations.
* Agricultural Engineering: Applies engineering principles to agricultural production and food systems. Focuses on machinery, irrigation, soil and water management, and more.
* Biomedical Engineering: Combines engineering principles with biology and medicine to solve problems in healthcare. Areas include biomechanics, biomaterials, medical imaging, and bioinstrumentation.
* Chemical Engineering: Deals with the design, construction, and operation of chemical plants and processes. Involves chemical reactions, separations, and process optimization.
* Civil Engineering: Focuses on the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure, including roads, bridges, buildings, dams, and water systems. Often includes specializations like structural, environmental, geotechnical, and transportation engineering.
* Computer Engineering: Combines electrical engineering and computer science to design and develop computer hardware and software systems.
* Electrical Engineering: Deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. Includes specializations like power systems, control systems, signal processing, and telecommunications.
* Environmental Engineering: Applies engineering principles to protect and improve the environment. Focuses on areas such as water treatment, air pollution control, waste management, and environmental remediation.
* Industrial Engineering: Focuses on optimizing complex systems, processes, and organizations to improve efficiency and productivity. Includes areas like operations research, supply chain management, and ergonomics.
* Materials Science and Engineering: Studies the properties and applications of materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites.
* Mechanical Engineering: Deals with the design, manufacture, and operation of mechanical systems. Includes areas like thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and solid mechanics. A very broad field with many specializations.
* Mining and Minerals Engineering: Focuses on the extraction and processing of minerals and metals. Involves exploration, mining operations, and mineral processing.
* Nuclear Engineering: Deals with the design, operation, and safety of nuclear reactors and related systems. Involves radiation protection, nuclear fuel cycles, and nuclear waste management.
* Petroleum Engineering: Focuses on the exploration, extraction, and production of oil and natural gas. Involves reservoir engineering, drilling engineering, and production engineering.
Sub-disciplines and Interdisciplinary Fields:
Many of these major fields have numerous sub-disciplines. For example, within mechanical engineering you might find specializations in robotics, mechatronics, automotive engineering, or nanotechnology. Further, there are increasingly common interdisciplinary fields, combining aspects of multiple engineering disciplines, such as:
* Robotics Engineering
* Nanotechnology Engineering
* Software Engineering (often considered a computer science field, but has strong engineering aspects)
This list isn't exhaustive, but it covers the major types of engineering degrees. The specific options available will vary depending on the university or college.