Q. What if engineering disappeared for a day?
A. Find out here ...

Q. How can my children prepare for an engineering career?
A. Find out here ...

Q. What is a Professional Engineer (PE)?
A. Professional Engineers (PEs) have fulfilled the rigorous education, examination, and experience requirements, which, under state licensure laws, permit them to offer engineering services to the public. Although engineering licensure laws vary from state to state, in general, to become a PE an individual must be a graduate of an engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, gain four years of experience as an intern, and then pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. PEs take legal responsibility for their engineering designs, being bound by a code of ethics to protect public health and safety.

Q. How many types of engineering specialties are there?
A. Listed below are the 19 major branches of engineering:
1. Aerospace
2. Agricultural
3. Biomedical
4. Chemical
5. Civil (General & Structural)
6. Computer
7. Control Systems
8. Electrical & Electronics
9. Environmental
10. Fire Protection
11. Geotechnical
12. Industrial
13. Manufacturing
14. Mechanical
15. Mining
16. Nuclear
17 Petroleum
18. Sanitary
19. Traffic

Q. What recent major breakthroughs are attributed to engineers in improving the quality of our everyday lives?
A. From the mass production of the automobile to space travel, from the telephone to the Internet, and from bioengineered foods to clean water, engineers have applied their expertise to improve the quality of our lives. For more information, go to www.GreatAchievements.org.

Q. Has there been an increase or decrease in student enrollment in engineering programs at colleges and universities across the country?
A. According to the Engineering Workforce Commission, between 1986 and 1998, the number of students receiving bachelor's of engineering degrees declined by 19.8 percent, while the number of students receiving bachelor's degrees overall increased by nearly 20 percent. Statistics published by the American Society for Engineering Education also show a general trend downwards in the number of engineering graduates. In addition, there is a lower percentage of engineers in both the female and minority segments of the population.

Q. What are some of the top U.S. undergraduate engineering schools?
A. All engineering programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) have met demanding standards and produce excellent engineers. The best school for a particular person is impossible to define on a ranking list. For more information about ABET-accredited engineering schools, go to www.abet.org or www.asee.org.