ENGR 107 – Introduction to Engineering

ENGR 107 - Introduction to Engineering 1

ENGR 107 – Introduction to Engineering

Education and Careersin Engineering


Engineering Disciplines


Engineering Disciplines

Aerospace Chemical Civil Electrical / Computer Environmental Industrial Mechanical


Aerospace

Aerospace engineers study the motion and control of all types of vehicles including aircraft,

spacecraft and submersibles.


Chemical

Chemical engineers deal with the chemical and physical principles that allow us to maintain a suitable environment, and develop processes

that produce useful materials (e.g. fuel, plastics).


Civil

Civil engineering involves application of the laws, forces, and materials of nature to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities that serve our needs in an efficient,

economical manner.


Electrical / Computer

Electrical and Computer engineers are involved in projects ranging from the development of the

21st Century Power Grid to the design and fabrication of ever-shrinking integrated circuits. Areas of specialization include communications,

power systems, analog / digital electronics, controls, signal processing, semiconductor

devices, etc.


Environmental

Environmental engineering deals with the appropriate use of our natural resources and the

protection of our environment.


Industrial

Industrial engineers are primarily involved in the design of production systems for goods and

services.


Mechanical

Mechanical engineers are involved with all forms of energy generation, distribution, utilization and

conversion, the design and development of machines, the control of automated systems,

manufacturing and processing of materials, and the creative solutions to environmental

problems.


But how do you know which discipline is the right one for you?


What do you need to know to make an educated decision?


Questions you should Ask

What is engineering? What are the career opportunities for engineers? What have engineers done in the past? What are engineers doing now? What will engineers do in the future? Which engineering discipline matches my career interests? Can I “see myself” performing the tasks associated with the

engineering discipline of my choice.


Departments, Degree Programs and Certificatesat the Volgenau School of IT and Engineering


The Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering

Departments in the Volgenau School: Applied Information Technology Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering Computer Science Electrical and Computer Engineering Statistics Systems Engineering and Operations Research

Each department offers a degree program, a certificate, or both.


Dept. of Applied Information Technology

Information Technology, as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.” [1]

The Dept. of Applied Information Technology offers: B.S. Degree in Information Technology

The degree program prepares students to creatively apply network, security, web, and database technologies to real-world business needs.

Certificate in Information Technology


Dept. of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works such as bridges, roads, canals, dams and buildings. [2][3][4]

Civil Engineering was formerly known as Urban Systems Engineering at GMU.

Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the environment (air, water, and/or land resources), to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites. [14][15]


Dept. of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering

The Dept. of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering offers:

B.S. Degree in Civil & Infrastructure Engineering The degree program prepares the student for solving complex

engineering problems, and finding novel solutions while satisfying the economic, social, security, and political needs of the community.

Applies to public and private infrastructure projects in transportation, environmental, water, energy, communications, structural, and land systems.


Dept. of Computer Science

Computer Science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation, and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems. [5][6][7]


Dept. of Computer Science

The Dept. of Computer Science offers: B.S. Degree in Computer Science

This degree program provides the student with the problem-solving skills needed to develop the next generation of computer software.

B.S. Degree in Applied Computer Science This degree program provides the student with a strong

background in computing with various focus areas, allowing students to choose specific concentrations

Concentrations in Biology and Geography


Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. Where a distinction is made, electrical engineering deals with the problems associated with large-scale electrical systems such as power transmission and motor control, whereas electronic engineering deals with the study of small-scale electronic systems including computers and integrated circuits.

[8]

Computer Engineering is a discipline that combines both Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. It involves many aspects of computing, from the design of individual microprocessors, personal computers, and supercomputers, to circuit design, and focuses not only on how computer systems themselves work, but also on how they integrate into the larger picture.

[9][10]


Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers: B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering

This degree program provides the student with the fundamentals of electrical engineering and offers them the opportunity to focus in one of the major fields of electronics, communications, networks, signal processing, computer engineering, controls, or robotics.

B.S. Degree in Computer Engineering This degree program provides the student with expertise in the

hardware and software aspects of computers, and prepares them for involvement in IC chip design, computer hardware design, engineering of large computer and data networks, and advances in cryptography and computer security.


Dept. of Systems Engineering and Operations Research

Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering that focuses on how complex engineering projects should be designed and managed. It deals with work-processes and tools to handle such projects, and overlaps with both technical and human-centered disciplines such as control engineering and project management. [11]

Operations research is an interdisciplinary branch of applied mathematics and formal science that uses methods such as mathematical modeling, statistics, and algorithms to arrive at optimal or near optimal solutions to complex problems. [12]


Dept. of Systems Engineering and Operations Research

The Dept. of Systems Engineering and Operations Research offers:

B.S. Degree in Systems Engineering The degree program prepares the student on how to look at the

big picture, integrate all the individual aspects into a coherent and effective system, and make the system user-friendly. It also provides the student with the knowledge to define the behavior of the system, analyze its cost and performance, and manage the development and deployment of the system.

Certificate in Operations Research


Department of Statistics

Statistics is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. It is applicable to a wide variety of academic disciplines, including natural and social sciences, government, and business. [13]

The Department of Statistics offers: Certificate in Applied Statistics


Proposed Bioengineering Degree

The traditional definition of Bioengineering, here used synonymously with Biomedical Engineering, is the use of engineering techniques to solve problems in biology and medicine.

Bioengineers design instruments that are used in the diagnosis of disease, develop equipment to aid individuals with disabilities, develop techniques to monitor the infirm either at home or at a health care facility, and conduct research – often in collaboration with life scientists – to learn about the causes of illness.


Proposed Bioengineering Degree

Bachelor of Science degree The new undergraduate program in Bioengineering

is expected to be offered starting in the Fall of 2010. The Bioengineering program is to be offered

through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.


References

[1] http://www.itaa.org/es/docs/Information%20Technology%20Definitions.pdf, p.30

[2] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

[3] "History and Heritage of Civil Engineering". ASCE.

[4] "Institution of Civil Engineers What is Civil Engineering". ICE.

[5] "Computer science is the study of information" New Jersey Institute of Technology, Gutenberg Information Technologies

[6] "Computer science is the study of computation." Computer Science Department, College of Saint Benedict, Saint John's University

[7] "Computer Science is the study of all aspects of computer systems, from the theoretical foundations to the very practical aspects of managing large software projects." Massey University

[8] "What is the difference between electrical and electronic engineering?". FAQs - Studying Electrical Engineering.

[9] IEEE Computer Society; ACM (12 December 2004). Computer Engineering 2004: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering. pp. pg. iii.

[10] Trinity College Dublin. "What is Computer Engineering


References

[11] Schlager, J. (July 1956). "Systems engineering: key to modern development". IRE Transactions EM-3: 64–66.

[12] Stafford Beer (1959). Cybernetic and Management. English Universities Press.

[13] Moses, Lincoln E. Think and Explain with statistics, pp. 1 - 3. Addison-Wesley, 1986.

[14] Danny D. Reible (1998). Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering. CRC Publishers. ISBN 1-56670-047-7.

[15] James R. Mihelcic, Martin T. Auer, and others (1999). Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering. John Wiley. ISBN 0-471-24313-2.

Disclaimer: the definitions provided for the various engineering disciplines offered at George Mason University are general definitions that are often modified by schools and organizations to suit their specific preferences and needs.

Documents

ENGR 107 – Introduction to Engineering