Types of Engineering
Around the world, all types of engineers work together every day to help make communities and people healthy, happy and safe!
From biomedical to agricultural engineers, all are creative problem solvers innovating solutions that shape our futures. Kids can take a closer look at the types of engineers below to learn what kind of work they do, and explore the featured hands-on activities that showcase each engineering type—for elementary, middle and high school students. And, check out our ‘What is Engineering?’ video.
Making farms more efficient!
By integrating technological principles into food growing and processing agricultural engineers help farmers produce larger crop yields while improving sustainability. Agricultural engineering is involved with the food production chain, from developing seeds to designing and testing farm equipment. They also optimize transportation and storage.
Agricultural engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken into a few subfields: soil science, plant biology, organic chemistry, climatology and atmospheric science, along with engineering practices around equipment design, molecular optimization, and waste management.
Where do Agricultural Engineers Work?
Agricultural engineers work in a variety of organizations, including:
- State agriculture extension programs
- Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA)
- Farm equipment manufacturers
- Engineering consulting firms
- Food processing companies
Explore our Agricultural Engineering Curriculum
Grades 3-5:
- Cutting Through Soil
- Lab Experiments in Rebuilding Soil with Biochar
- Plant Cycles: Photosynthesis & Transpiration
Grades 6-8:
The sky's the limit!
For those who enjoy putting things in motion, aerospace engineering strikes a chord. Be it a satellite observing the Martian atmosphere, a turbine engine of a commercial airliner, a fixture for testing performance of a defensive missile, or an active ballast for reducing sway in an ocean liner, aerospace engineers are on the job.
Aerospace engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken into a few subfields: astrodynamics, flight structures and materials, propulsion and fluid dynamics, instrumentation, control systems, and navigation.
Where do aerospace engineers work?
Aerospace engineers work in a variety of organizations, including:
- NASA Flight and Research Centers
- Robotics Companies
- Automotive Facilities
- Department of Defense
- Private/Commercial Space Firms
Explore our Aerospace Engineering Resources
Grades 3-5:
Grades 6-8:
- Action-Reaction! Rocket
- Solar Sails: The Future of Space Travel
- Paper Airplanes: Building, Testing, & Improving. Heads Up!
Grades 9-12:
Promoting health, happiness and safety!
Globally, biomedical engineers contribute to improving access to safe, effective and affordable medicines, medical technologies and devices through the development of new innovative solutions. Biomedical engineers apply their knowledge of analytical and design principles to the development, testing and analysis of novel and improved medical treatments and devices.
Biomedical engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken into a few subfields: math, physics, chemistry, design, human biology, anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, neuroscience and bioethics.
Where do biomedical engineers work?
Biomedical engineers work in a variety of roles, including:
- Medical research facilities
- Medical device and instrument companies
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Biotechnology firms
Explore our Biomedical Engineering Curriculum
Grades 3-5:
Grades 6-8:
- Saving a Life: Heart Valve Replacement
- Prosthetic Party: Build and Test Replacement Legs
- Designing Medical Devices to Extract Foreign Bodies from Ears
Grades 9-12:
Harnessing organic and inorganic matter to improve the world!
Whether it’s optimizing the composition of a particular substance or developing new products that are stronger and more reliable, chemical and biological engineers develop exciting new technologies for a variety of industries, including energy, agriculture, and environmental science.
Chemical and biological engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken into a few subfields: chemistry, chemical process engineering, petrochemical engineering, polymers, anotechnology, plastics, materials engineering biology, biomedical engineering, biochemical engineering, environmental health engineering, bioinformatics.
Where do chemical and biological engineers work?
Chemical and biological engineers may work in a wide variety of organizations, including:
- National research labs
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Alternative energy production
- Industrial manufacturing
- Food engineering research
- Materials engineering firms
Explore our Chemical & Biological Engineering Curriculum
Grades 3-5:
Grades 6-8:
Grades 9-12:
If you can dream it, civil engineers can build it!
Almost every piece of infrastructure you see (and lots you don’t) were designed by civil engineers: buildings, bridges, tunnels, dams, highways, airports, water and sewer systems. Civil engineers meet the needs of the future by balancing human demands with the requirements for healthy, natural environments.
Civil engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken into a few subfields: built environments, architectural, construction, geotechnical and earthquakes, transportation and water resources.
Where do civil engineers work?
Civil engineers often split their time between the office and outdoor field sites. They work in a variety of organizations, including:
- Structural Design Firms
- Geotechnical Consulting Firms
- Commercial Construction Firms
- Residential Development Firms
- Local, State and National Departments of Transportation
Explore our Civil Engineering Curriculum
Grades 3-5:
Grades 6-8:
- Protecting Our City with Levees
- Breaking Beams
- Construction Technologies: Create the Strongest Bridge
Grades 9-12:
Harnessing the power of electricity!
Electrical engineers contribute to a wide variety of projects. With an understanding of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism, they design systems with process information and transmit energy. Electrical engineers also work with engineers from other disciplines to design, build and test products for virtually every industry.
Electrical engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken into a few subfields: energy systems, power engineering, microelectronics, systems and control, telecommunications and signal processing, digital and analog electronics.
Where do Electrical Engineers Work?
Electrical engineers work in a variety of organizations, including:
- Power Generation and Distribution
- Electronics Manufacturers
- Construction Building Systems Companies
- Automotive and Aerospace Industries
Explore our Electrical Engineering Curriculum
Grades 3-5:
Grades 6-8:
Grades 9-12:
Finding solutions to the world’s pervasive and global problems!
With rapid population growth, urbanization, and climate change impacts, our world is facing new challenges to ensure that both environmental and human systems can thrive. Environmental engineers work at the nexus of environmental and public health to provide clean drinking water, ensure safe sanitation, improve air quality, and remediate polluted sites.
Environmental engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken into a few subfields: math, physics, chemistry, design, along with a deep understanding of environmental sciences such as biology, water chemistry, hydrology and atmospheric science.
Where do environmental engineers work?
Environmental engineers may work in a variety of organizations, including:
- Public utilities such as drinking water or wastewater treatment plants
- Oil and Gas Production Firms
- Construction Companies
- Consulting firms working on an array of public and private sector projects
- Local, federal or international governing bodies
- Environmental non-profit organizations
Explore our Environmental Engineering Curriculum
Grades 3-5:
- Modeling Oil on the Ocean: Testing & Improving Oil Booms
- Biodomes Engineering Design Project: Lessons 2-6
- Clean Enough to Drink: Making Devices to Filter Dirty Water
Grades 6-8:
- Small-Scale Modeling of Oil Spill Cleanup Methods
- Microbes Know How to Work!
- Just Breathe Green: Measuring Transpiration Rates
Grades 9-12:
Dealing with everything that moves or flows—from nano-devices to roller coasters!
Mechanical engineers use their knowledge of materials to design and manufacture products and systems that advance the world around us. Mechanical engineers not only design these innovations, they also design the machines that produce and test these innovations.
Mechanical engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken into a few subfields: properties of materials, solid and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, control, instrumentation, design, and manufacturing to understand mechanical systems.
Where do mechanical engineers work?
Mechanical engineers work in a wide variety of industries, including:
- Aerospace Industry
- Amusement Park Design
- Automotive Industry
- Medical Device Industry
- Power and Energy Generation and Storage
- Consumer Product Design
Explore our Mechanical Engineering Curriculum
Grades 3-5:
- The Claw: Gear Ratios & Power Using LEGO Cranes
- Get Your Motor Running
- The Power of Mechanical Advantage
Grades 6-8:
Grades 9-12:
Architects of the digital age and information economy!
From smartphones and gaming equipment to wearable technologies and smart home devices, computer systems are ingrained into daily lives. Software and computer science engineers develop applications and programs that can accomplish a range of functions.
Software engineering spans many disciplines, but is generally broken down into a few subfields: mathematical foundations, algorithms, data structures, artificial intelligence, communication and security, databases, and programming languages.
Where do Software Engineers Work?
Software engineers work in a variety of organizations, including:
- Computer System Design Firms
- Electronics Manufacturers
- Universities
- Start-Ups
Explore our Software Engineering Curriculum
Grades 3-5:
Grades 6-8:
Grades 9-12: