Possible Majors in Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineers work in many different industries. A general (but incomplete) description of what chemical engineers do is that they use chemicals or chemical processes to produce useful products. Here are several links with much more information about chemical engineering:

Science Careers: Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineer: Job Profile and Career Information

American Chemical Society on Chemical Engineering

Try Engineering: Chemical Engineering

World Wide Learn: What is Chemical Engineering?

American Institute of Chemical Engineers: What does a ChemE do?

If you choose to major in chemical engineering, while at BBCC you would want to take all three-quarters of the following three subjects: Calculus, Engineering Physics, and General Chemistry. In addition, mathematics courses above Calculus, such as Differential Equations or Multivariable Calculus are often required for this major. You should investigate the requirements for this degree at your intended transfer institution, contact them as early as possible, and plan your courses at BBCC with the transfer institution’s requirements in mind.

Washington State University and the University of Washington both have programs in Chemical Engineering. Here are links to their programs:

Chemical Engineering at WSU

Chemical Engineering at UW

Civil Engineering

Civil engineers can work in a very broad range of fields. It was originally called “civil” engineering to distinguish it from “military” engineering, and it originally included all types of non-military engineering. Civil engineers might be concerned with the design and construction of projects as diverse as buildings, bridges, and roads, and many other projects as well. Often, Civil Engineering majors might have a particular emphasis in a field such as Environmental Engineering.

Here are several links with much more information about civil engineering:

Science Careers: Civil Engineers

Wikipedia article on Civil Engineering

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics site on Civil Engineering

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Civil Engineering

World Wide Learn: Civil Engineering

If you choose to major in civil engineering, while at BBCC you would want to take  all three quarters of Calculus, at least two quarters of Engineering Physics, and at least two quarters of General Chemistry. In addition, mathematics courses above Calculus, such as Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, or Multivariable Calculus are often required for this major. You should investigate the requirements for this degree at your intended transfer institution, contact them as early as possible, and plan your courses at BBCC with the transfer institution’s requirements in mind.

Washington State University and the University of Washington both have programs in Civil Engineering. Here are links to their programs:

Civil Engineering at WSU 

Civil and Environmental Engineering at UW

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Electrical engineers design, build, and work with devices that use electricity and magnetism. This is a very broad statement, but it is just about the most concise way of stating what an electrical engineer does.  (Computer engineers work with the application of electrical engineering to computers.) The applications that electrical engineers work with range from the very small, in the case of electronics and microprocessors, to the very large, in the case of power transmission and generation.

Here are several links with much more information about electrical and computer engineering:

Science Careers: Electrical & Electronics Engineer

Your Career in Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Engineering

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Electrical Engineering

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Electrical Engineering

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Computer Engineering

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Computer Hardware Engineering

What is Electrical Engineering?

If you choose to major in electrical engineering, while at BBCC you would want to take  all three quarters of Calculus and all three quarters of Engineering Physics. If you are going to pursue the Associate in Science degree, you should also take the first quarter of General Chemistry. In addition, mathematics courses above Calculus—Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and Multivariable Calculus—are usually required for this major. Courses in Electronics and Computer Science are also usually taken in the first two or three years of college, and these are being added to BBCC’s available courses in the near future. You should investigate the requirements for this degree at your intended transfer institution, contact them as early as possible, and plan your courses at BBCC with the transfer institution’s requirements in mind.

Eastern Washington University, Washington State University, and the University of Washington all have programs in electrical engineering. Here are links to their programs, as well as links to computer engineering programs:

Electrical Engineering at EWU

Electrical Engineering at WSU

Electrical Engineering at UW

Computer Engineering at WSU

Computer Science and Engineering at UW

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineers use physical principles to research, design, develop, and manufacture machines and devices of all types. Mechanical engineering is a very broad field, and mechanical engineers will be involved in everything from designing machinery for harvesting potatoes to machinery for processing those potatoes to building a Mars rover.

Here are several links with much more information about mechanical engineering:

Science Careers: Mechanical Engineer

Wikipedia: Mechanical_engineering

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Mechanical Engineering

About.com Mechanical Engineer Career Profile

American Society of Mechanical Engineers: What is a Mechanical Engineer?

Mechanical Engineering Career Center

If you choose to major in mechanical engineering, while at BBCC you would want to take  all three quarters of Calculus and Engineering Physics, and at least two quarters of General Chemistry. In addition, mathematics courses above Calculus, such as Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and Multivariable Calculus are often required for this major. You would also need to take Engineering Statics, Dynamics, and Strengths of Materials. (Some of the courses mentioned—the mathematics beyond Calculus and the Engineering courses—are not yet being offered at BBCC.) You should investigate the requirements for this degree at your intended transfer institution, contact them as early as possible, and plan your courses at BBCC with the transfer institution’s requirements in mind.

Eastern Washington University, Washington State University and the University of Washington all have programs in Mechanical Engineering. Here are links to their programs:

Mechanical Engineering at EWU

Mechanical Engineering at WSU

Mechanical Engineering at UW


Engineering Technology

 

If you have an interest in engineering but prefer hands-on and application-oriented work, you may be interested in a degree in Engineering Technology. Many of the courses in the Industrial Systems Technology program at BBCC will transfer for Central Washington University for this degree, so if you have been in that program and have decided to earn a bachelor’s degree you will already be partway to your goal. For these degrees you will need to take mathematics up through the second quarter of Calculus (MATH& 152), and three quarters of either calculus-based physics or algebra-based physics. The Calculus and Physics courses can be taken at BBCC.

If you would like to see some information about Engineering Technology, the links below will take you to external web sites that discuss this degree option.

Try Engineering: Mechanical Engineering Technology

Try Engineering: Electrical Engineering Technology

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Engineering Technology Overview

Mechanical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Technology Comparison

In Washington state, you can earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology at either Central Washington University or Eastern Washington University, and you can earn a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology at Central Washington University. Here are links to their programs. (Note: at this time, courses in Industrial Systems Technology at BBCC do not transfer for this degree at Eastern Washington University; Calculus and Physics courses taken at BBCC will transfer to EWU.)

Mechanical Engineering Technology at CWU

Electronics Engineering Technology at CWU

Mechanical Engineering Technology at EWU

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