Major Engineering

Modern engineering is the application of scientific knowledge and mathematics to design and improve devices and processes. Whether creating the world’s smallest surgical robot, designing an enormous industrial complex, making molecular-level changes to increase efficiency in agriculture, or optimizing air traffic control, engineers use STEM principles to solve complex and interesting problems. Engineering is part science, part art, and part creativity. Engineers create while understanding the fundamental science that constrains their creations. A good engineer thinks critically and problem-solves, overcoming challenges with a combination of science and imagination. At RMC, the engineering degree is a 120-credit bachelor of science program.  This ABET-accredited program includes over 45 hours of engineering courses and over 30 hours of math and science courses beginning in fall of the freshman year. Students gain a comprehensive understanding of engineering mechanics before advancing to hands-on, project-based design and analysis courses that require the application of technical principles to real-world problems.

While many engineering students are initially drawn to the field due to a love of math or technology, engineers must also be able to write and communicate effectively, consider ethics and social responsibilities, understand business, and live and work in teams. Students at a liberal arts college like RMC are subject to a well-rounded curriculum, as well as a school community with varied interests and outlooks. Exposure to varying viewpoints and academic subjects, including the social sciences, humanities, critical reading and writing, and foreign cultures and languages, helps prepare graduates for the real-life demands of a career in engineering.

At Randolph-Macon in particular, students benefit from small classes and personalized attention. Faculty take the time to get to know students and work with them to achieve their goals, whether that’s preparing for graduate school or balancing coursework with one of our intercollegiate athletics teams.

ABET (previously known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) is the internationally recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. ABET is a federation of 32 professional and technical member societies.

More than 3,000 programs at 600+ institutions in the United States are accredited by ABET, including RMC’s engineering program. The voluntary accreditation process takes more than a year and ensures that the program requires its graduates to meet certain discipline-specific criteria that members of the profession have deemed important.

Much like nursing, chemistry, or accounting, discipline-specific accreditation is critical for ensuring that engineers have the requisite qualifications. More specifically:

1. many engineering jobs require that the graduate hold a degree from an ABET-accredited program, and
2. engineers wishing to obtain a Professional Engineer, or PE, certification must often start with a degree from an ABET-accredited institution. Continue reading for more information about the PE designation.

PE stands for Professional Engineer, a professional certification granted at the state level to engineers who have achieved specific professional milestones:

• Earn a four-year degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program.*
• Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to gain your “engineer in training” (EIT) designation.
• Complete four years of progressive EIT experience under the supervision of a Professional Engineer.
• Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.

A PE must additionally complete state-specific continuing education requirements to maintain their certification.

While a PE designation isn’t required for all engineering paths, those who achieve it earn more than just an elevated status and reputation; they also enable themselves to submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, own or run an engineering firm, and more practical benefits.

*To gain the EIT certification with a bachelor’s degree, the Commonwealth of Virginia requires that the degree be from an ABET-accredited school. Otherwise, the candidate must complete at least two years of engineering employment before becoming an EIT.

Much like PE certification isn’t required for engineering, neither is a master’s. In fact, many get started in the engineering field (or even spend their entire careers) without an advanced degree. However, a master’s degree can qualify candidates for higher pay, more advanced roles, or increased specialization. Many engineers ultimately pursue a master’s or doctoral degree to increase their career opportunities.

There are five primary disciplines within engineering–civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and industrial–with numerous secondary and sub-specializations. Since many engineering roles require specific expertise, most engineering jobs are designated within a specialty. What’s more, engineers pursuing the PE certification are required to select from a number of specifications on the PE exam.

Specialization allows for a deeper level of understanding within an (often narrowly targeted) area of interest and, therefore, the ability to explore and solve more complex and unique problems therein. RMC’s engineering major is particularly recommended for students interested in civil and mechanical engineering or related sub-fields such as aeronautical, biomedical, or environmental engineering.

Although specialization is the most common route for engineers, it is possible to pursue an engineering generalist role, especially in smaller companies or industries that require a broad range of skills. Engineers who take a generalist approach report benefits such as flexibility (across projects, departments, evolving/emerging technologies, and career paths, for example) and the ability to step into leadership roles that require big-picture thinking.

The list of places that engineers work is as broad and varied as the discipline itself, and the nature and location of an engineer’s work are heavily related to their chosen specialty: Where an agricultural engineer may work in a lab examining ways to create biodegradable packing, a petroleum engineer may work out in the field supervising and drilling wells, and a software engineer may work in an office performing quality analysis.

Excluding employment at schools and hospitals, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that just over 6% of all American architecture and engineering jobs are in the public sector, with the remainder in the private sector. A vast majority of the engineers employed by the federal government work within the various branches of the military and by NASA. Private-sector engineering jobs span almost every industry, including but not limited to the following:

• Manufacturing: Mechanical engineers design engines, machines, and consumer products for companies in automotive, aerospace, or electronics manufacturing.
• Construction and Infrastructure: Civil engineers in private firms plan and design roads, bridges, buildings, and water systems.
• Technology/R&D: Electrical and electronics engineers work in telecommunications, robotics, and computer hardware companies.
• Energy Sector: Chemical engineers and petroleum engineers develop extraction processes, renewable energy technologies, and fuels for private energy companies.

Consulting and Engineering Services: Industrial engineers and environmental engineers often work for private consulting firms that serve manufacturing, logistics, and sustainability needs.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly one-third of individuals with an engineering degree work as engineers or architects, including roles like aerospace, biomedical, chemical, electrical, environmental, industrial, mechanical, and nuclear engineers, plus many more. Some examples are listed above.

Some other popular jobs for engineering degree holders include:

• Management occupations, especially in areas such as engineering management, computer and information systems, and industrial production.
• Computer and mathematical occupations that leverage an engineer’s STEM expertise.
• Sales occupations, especially sales engineer roles that require technical knowledge, plus other business and financial roles.

As mentioned above, the broad skillset acquired through an engineering degree is applicable to a large number of careers and industries. In fact, nearly a quarter of engineers pursue other occupations beyond those listed above.