8 Exciting Careers You Can Have with an Engineering Degree

Sponsored by the University of Sharjah

From mechanical to chemical, aeronautical to civil – the engineering industry is expected to be worth a staggering $1515.66 billion by 2022.

As the industry continues to become more innovative and varied, it’s an exciting time to be an aspiring engineer as both novel and lucrative career opportunities emerge. Here are eight exciting career paths a degree in engineering can help prepare you for.

3D printing engineer

3D printing is no longer a novelty, having revolutionized sectors and industries such as education, healthcare, science and research. As 3D printing continues to boom, your roles and responsibilities as a 3D printing engineer will vary accordingly to your line of work.

From food production to dentistry, 3D printing allows for the advanced customization and prototype building of products and materials.

It’s likely that you’ll need a relevant engineering degree to pursue a career in 3D printing – namely so a mechanical engineering degree as you’ll need a broad scientific and technical understanding.

For example, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering students at the University of Sharjah will have the opportunity to study courses in thermodynamics, machine elements and design, advanced fluid mechanics, robotics and automation, as well as engineering graphics design and engineering economics.

Smart cities engineer

Smart city engineers are at the forefront of modern day outdoor space and infrastructure design. You’ll use big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) to gain insights into how local parks, high-rise buildings, transport, construction and manufacturing can be as energy efficient and sustainable as possible in order to reduce the town or city’s carbon footprint.

There are a number of engineering degrees that can be the ideal starting point and provide you with an excellent basis for a career in smart city engineering, such as architectural engineering, industrial engineering, sustainable and renewable engineering, as well as environmental science and engineering. These can all help you gain entry-level experience in smart city engineering as you develop your communication skills, build strong teamwork ethics, become an innovative thinker, as well as form and execute collaborative design project plans.

Sports engineer

Combine your passion for sport with engineering and technology and climb the sports engineering career ladder.

A degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Sharjah teaches students the foundations of mathematics, physics and chemistry while specializing in areas of mechanical engineering such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, as well as manufacturing – all of which can be applied to the rules of sports engineering.

Where sports scientists are concerned with the biomechanics of the human body in sport, sports engineers consider the technical application of engineering, math and science in regard to the design, development and use of sport equipment, arenas or coaching tools.

Motorsport engineer

Speaking of sports… are you a Formula One fan? What do you think about the idea of traveling around the world with one of the teams, from the Monaco Grand Prix to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? A mechanical engineering degree is the ideal starting point for anyone wanting to get their foot in the door of motorsport engineering.

Rollercoaster engineer

Yes, really. Who do you think makes them? It’s definitely not Mickey Mouse.

Some rollercoaster engineers have a bachelor’s or master’s in civil engineering as they go beyond the ordinary construction and maintenance of buildings and other infrastructure including bridges, roads, harbors, as well as underground water and sewage systems.

And the best part? With some rollercoaster engineer jobs you’ll even have the chance to road test and ride the rollercoasters yourself.

Pyrotechnic engineer

Usually pyrotechnic engineers will hold a chemical engineering degree, and a special certificate or license in order to work with pyrotechnics, explosives and reactive chemicals.

Definitely not an office-based job, pyrotechnic engineers are concerned with assessing the accuracy and control of explosives and fireworks for concerts, sports events, or even as special effects in television and movies.

This is a creative job role that entails an excellent eye for detail along with excellent project management, communication, logical thinking and teamwork skills.

While there is no fixed career path to becoming a pyrotechnic engineer, a degree in electrical engineering can be a great way to help get you started and lay the foundations.

Nuclear engineer

With great job security and opportunities to work with all of the state-of-the-art technology, it’s an exciting time to consider pursuing a career in nuclear engineering.

Nuclear engineers help design, plan, build, run and even decommission nuclear power stations. Within nuclear engineering you might want to specialize into a particular role such as a process engineer, or health and safety specialist, an instrumentation and control engineer or a quality manager.

Whatever roles and responsibilities you have, the safety of yourself and others will always need to be at the forefront of everything you do as you work with radioactive materials as well as hydraulic and electrical systems.

It goes without saying that if you fancy a career in nuclear engineering, then you’ll want to get yourself a nuclear engineering degree.

Aerospace engineer

From aircraft to spacecraft, missiles to satellites, and even space vehicles like NASA’s Curiosity Driver – these are all designed and developed by aerospace engineers. If being an astronaut was your childhood dream, a career as an aerospace engineer can get you pretty close!

There’s a growing skills gap in aerospace engineering despite an increase in the number of crafts needing to be redesigned and maintained.

An excellent working knowledge of the latest cutting-edge technologies is essential, as is the ability to use computer-aided-design software in order to design and assess the efficiency and safety of such machines.

A bachelor’s in electrical engineering is a great starting point. However, a master’s degree in a relevant field is also necessary, such as the Master of Science in Engineering Management at the University of Sharjah.

Where to get started…

If you’ve got your heart set on pursuing a career in engineering, there are plenty of engineering degrees out there that can help get you where you want to be.

The College of Engineering at the University of Sharjah boasts a successful history in providing its students with distinctive and clear pathways during their undergraduate degree studies and empowering them with the skills and knowledge demanded by industry to make them career ready.