Degree Overview: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Engineering
Majors Overview August 7, 2014Receive information about a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program in Engineering and its educational requirements, coursework, and job and wage outlook.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Programs in Engineering
Schools offer bachelor’s degrees in engineering in numerous fields, such as petroleum, chemical, biomedical, mechanical, and automotive engineering. In some schools, students enrolled in a general engineering program may be allowed to choose these concentrations. Skills useful to all specializations must be learned by engineering students; these include advanced mathematics, materials chemistry, mechanical movement, thermodynamics, and physics. Capstone projects mark the culmination of most degree programs that are often collaborative and aim for the identification, resolution and presentation of design problems. Engineers use a 10-step process during the development of a machine or product aimed at meeting a particular need. Students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in engineering learn these steps: identifying a need, defining the problem, conducting research and narrowing it, analyzing the criteria, finding alternative solutions, analyzing solution choices, making a decision, and presenting and selling the product.
Educational Requirements
Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a GED certificate or high school diploma. Prospective students are required to have aptitudes in the physical sciences, computer science, and math.
In many schools, incoming students are also required to submit a personal statement, letters of recommendation and standardized test scores.
Coursework
Coursework in engineering programs is a combination of classroom lectures and lab experiences leading to design solutions. Core coursework may include topic areas such as:
•Applied physics
•Innovation, technology and society
•Applied statistics
•Calculus
•Professional collaboration and reporting
•Engineering trends
Job and Wage Outlook
A job growth rate of 6% has been predicted for industrial engineers, over the 2010 – 2020 decade. Petroleum engineers are expected to see 17% growth, over the same period (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In May 2012, industrial and petroleum engineers brought home respective average annual wages of $78,860 and $130,280 (BLS).