3 Unique Types of Engineering You Might Not Have Known About

If you’re considering future careers you might enjoy and you love creating new products, solving problems and using your quantitative and analytical skills to think outside the box, you may have considered going into engineering. Engineering is generally a strong employment field with good job prospects, with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting an addition of 139,300 new jobs between 2016 and 2026 at a median annual wage of $91,010. However, even if you have a general sense that the interesting and lucrative profession of engineering might be for you, it can be hard to decide what specialty to focus in on. If you’re stuck, check out these three unique engineering specialties you might not have heard about.

1. Metallurgical Engineering

If you’ve never been to a metallurgical engineering firm, you might not even know that this field exists, despite its being essential to anything and everything involving metals. Metallurgical engineering essentially studies the properties and behavior of metals, including how they are mined, extracted, processed and used in designs. If you have a joint interest in both general engineering principles and materials science or chemistry, this could be an interesting route to go with.

2. Aerospace Engineering

If you used to stare up at the sky as a kid and marvel at how planes were able to fly, a career in aerospace engineering might just suit you well. This branch examines the history and function of all aircraft, as well as the nitty-gritty of how flight itself works. In this specialty, you could potentially create aerodynamic materials, design spacecraft or crate computer flight simulations.

3. Engineering Management

Finally, if you’re good with the hands-on, technical aspects of engineering but have a business mind and a leadership streak, you may want to look into engineering management programs. Due to the need for project managers with experience in engineering, many universities have recently started instituting engineering management degrees. In these courses, you’ll usually learn both engineering skills and business know-how, positioning you for an exciting career at the intersection of both.

If you’re a rational problem-solver who likes to use analytical skills to think creatively about new ideas, engineering could be the perfect career for you. This lucrative field has strong job prospects and is usually in high demand. However, choosing a specialty isn’t always easy. If you’re not sure where to start your search, consider these three unique subfields. You might just find the perfect career for you!