We’ll be honest – an engineering degree isn’t all fun and games. Chances are you’ll have more teaching time than your fellow students and you might find some aspects of your course hard going. The work at university will be well worth it though, and the effort you’ve put in will surely be repaid – your degree has the potential  to grant you entry to some truly exciting careers.

Engineers have designed and created much of the world in which we live, and professional engineering job prospects are extremely diverse. What’s more, the demand for qualified engineering professionals is only set to increase, so technically minded individuals with the right qualifications will be in a win-win situation.

The engineering and manufacturing sectors are key economic and social drivers for the UK. They contribute £799 billion to the economy and must be well-placed to meet global technological challenges that lie ahead, such as climate change and population growth. The green economy is currently worth £3 trillion a year and has the potential to generate considerable wealth for the UK economy. It is estimated, for example, that a new build of nuclear power stations in the UK could be worth £30 billion.

Whatever the project, the fundamental premise of engineering remains the same: engineers take scientific advances and apply them to human activities. Engineers, therefore, need to have a thorough understanding of many different areas, including scientific principles and technical design skills – not to mention an understanding and awareness of the practicalities of construction. As an engineering graduate, your range of skills will make you highly sought-after in the employment market. In the IT and electronics sectors in particular, there are world shortages of chartered and incorporated engineers

The Engineering UK Report 2009/10 looked positive for engineering graduates, identifying tremendous new opportunities for UK manufacturing in green technologies, reducing waste and manufacturing. It also highlighted the need for skills training to replenish an ageing skills base, which, if left unchecked, will put significant pressure on further education where lecturers are in short supply. By 2017, 587,000 new workers will need to be recruited into the manufacturing sector. In addition, the public attitude towards engineers is encouraging, creating a platform for potential public policy changes. The sector looks set to benefit from Government support for power generation, low carbon technologies and other advanced engineering projects.

Out of 102,005 higher education engineering students in 2008-09, only 15,540 were female and analysis of registered engineers and technicians shows that only 11.6 per cent of registrants in 2008 were female (source: HESA). Organisations such as Women Into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE) are working to encourage more women into engineering, so girls shouldn’t be put off by the traditional perception of the industry as a male-dominated environment. Female professional engineers between 30–44 years old earn an average of 9.2 per cent more than their male counterparts, which is a good incentive if we ever heard one.

What can I study?
There are many specialisms that fall under the general heading ‘engineering’, including marine, nautical and coastal engineering, and civil and structural engineering. Many universities offer general engineering programmes for the first two years of a bachelor’s degree, allowing students an initial opportunity  to experience the different areas.

Studying Engineering
Engineering courses usually last for three years (BEng) or four years (MEng), the latter involving a greater depth and breadth of study. An MEng course is more likely to be accredited by professional engineering bodies, although you need  to make sure of this before applying.  Two-year HNDs and Foundation Degrees are also available.
Teaching methods combine lectures, tutorials, studio, laboratory and project work, with scheduled lectures and practicals accounting for about 30 hours a week. A huge bonus is that engineering is one of the few subjects for which companies are actively looking to sponsor students through their degree, so make sure you investigate before starting.

Fieldwork and Industrial Placements
Some courses may involve fieldwork or an industrial placement lasting up to a year. Sandwich courses, one year of which is spent on a work placement, are also common. Students are usually assessed through a combination of written exams, laboratory practicals, design projects and presentations. Work placements may also count towards the final degree class.

After University
A degree is only the beginning of the formation of a professional engineer.  In order to qualify for membership of  a professional engineering institution or  to qualify for Chartered Engineering status, graduates will often have a minimum of two years industrial training and  two years career development in  a responsible position.

Career Paths
Career options will depend a great deal on which area of engineering a graduate has studied. There are many fields available, and within each of these there is a wide variety of career pathways, each concerned with different parts of the engineering process.

• Aeronautical Engineer

Aeronautical engineers are at the forefront of technology, applying scientific and technological principles to design and develop aircraft, weapons systems, satellites, ships’ hulls, cars and space vehicles. Aeronautical engineering offers a wide range of roles, such as research, design, testing, manufacture and maintenance, with most engineers specialising in a particular area.  

Salary guide
Starting salaries are typically in the range of £20,000-£26,000. With two to three years’ experience, this increases to £30,000-£45,000, rising to over £50,000 for more senior roles. Self-employment opportunities are very limited but freelance consultants are usually employed from agencies.  See Defence Engineering  and Science group, www.desg.mod.uk  and Royal Aeronautical Society www.raes.org.uk

• Civil/Structural Engineer

Civil engineering is about the design, construction and management of physical structures and systems, covering everything from dams to airports. The necessary skills are based less on scientific knowledge than on technical knowledge in areas such as building materials.

Salary guide
Starting salaries are around £20,000 and can rise to £60,000. Rewards increase once you become Chartered (CEng); some courses exempt graduates from some stages of the professional exams. See Women into Science, Engineering and Construction www.wisecampaign.org.uk
 

• Electrical/Electronic Engineer

Electrical and electronic engineering deals with building electronic networks and systems, and can include fibre optics and electrical power systems, often requiring knowledge of both chemistry and electronics. The discipline can cross over with computer engineering in  areas such as artificial intelligence and software engineering.

Salary guide
A graduate can expect to start on around £20,000-£23,000, rising to around £45,000 with experience. Salaries can vary hugely, depending on the location and nature of the company. Although the computer industry has been a huge growth area in recent years, this growth is now beginning to flatten out and long-term contracts can be hard to come by. See Institution of Engineering  and Technology, www.theiet.org

• Marine Engineer

The field of marine engineering is  a broad one, covering the design and building of boats, ships, underwater craft; the design and build of offshore platforms and drilling equipment; and marine surveying. There are also employment opportunities for marine engineers within the Merchant and Royal Navy (who both offer training programmes to get into the industry). Marine engineers need a detailed technical knowledge of naval construction and mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering systems.

Your job could be shore-based, or  you might be away from home for long periods of time if you find yourself working on ships, submarines or  offshore installations.

Salary guide
Graduates can earn around £20,000 a year, with salaries for experienced marine engineers rising to between £28,000 and £55,000 a year.