Types of Engineering

Engineering is an extremely large field which necessitates specialization even at the undergraduate level. Although many incoming engineering students are still undecided which engineering major to pursue, four-year engineering schools normally require the engineering major to be declared during the application process. 
One of the beautiful aspects of Covenant's dual degree program is the opportunity to sample and consider the options for several years before selecting a specific major when applying as a transfer student to Georgia Tech, UTC, or another approved institution.  Experiences that help in this exploration include the Introduction to Engineering course taken by our students during the first semester, exploring the subjects introduced in physics and chemistry, and internships with technical companies during the summers.

Which Type of Engineering is Right for Me?

Listed below are the different engineering degrees offered at Georgia Tech with descriptions of each. Also included are the links to each of the individual department homepage.

Keep in mind that Georgia Tech focuses on engineering. Other engineering institutions will have many, but not all, of these majors.  Many engineering schools are known for particular areas of engineering, and also for providing engineers to leading industries in their region.  The years at Covenant allow students time to explore their transfer school options.

Aerospace Engineering (AE)

The people who find themselves in this field are typically interested in working with aircraft or spacecraft. AE can be thought of as mechanical engineering specifically geared towards those objectives. This field emphasizes the flow of fluids, propulsion systems, and controls.

Georgia Tech's Aerospace Engineering Department

Biomedical Engineering (BME)

If you are more interested in the life sciences like biology than the more mathematically rigorous sciences like physics, then biomedical engineering may be a fit for you. This field takes the principles of the other branches of engineering and applies them to the medical industry to create products such as patient monitoring equipment, medical imagers, prosthetics, surgical tools, and artificial organs.

Georgia Tech's Biomedical Engineering Department

Chemical Engineering (ChemE)

If you love chemistry and also want to go into engineering, then this is the type of engineering for you. ChemE is the synthesis of chemistry and engineering, and some of the typical industrial products designed by chemical engineers include pharmaceuticals,  cosmetics, food, paints, and fuels.

Georgia Tech's Chemical Engineering Department

Civil Engineering (CE)

This is the type of engineering that many non-engineers think of when they hear the term "engineering." As the name suggests, civil engineers design to fulfill public needs. This can range from building bridges to laying out roadways to timing traffic lights, water and sewage treatment, or the construction of buildings and park facilities.

Georgia Tech's Civil Engineering Department

Computer Engineering (CmpE)

Computer engineering is very similar to electrical engineering. The major difference is that it focuses on designing the electronics for computers. This field also involves computer programming.

Georgia Tech's Computer Engineering Department

Electrical Engineering (EE)

If you found yourself taking apart and then putting back together radios or other electronic devices when you were a kid, then electrical engineering may be the one for you. EE is a very broad field which deals with topics like designing electronics, working on telecommunications problems, dealing with electrical power issues and electromagnetics, or processing signals that can be either audio or visual. This is a mathematically oriented branch of engineering.

Georgia Tech's Electrical Engineering Department

Industrial Engineering (IE)

Industrial engineers work to solve problems that ultimately involve the analysis and improvement of performance in how things are done - with regard to essentially any system or environment where relevant performance can be measured. Modern ISyE’s concentrate, in large measure, on designing processes and strategies. ISyE's are employed in a variety of settings including large utility companies, financial institutions, consulting groups, manufacturing enterprises, the government, hospitals, and even the courts.

Georgia Tech's Industrial Engineering Department

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

This is the field that develops and characterizes the materials needed for engineered systems and devices. MSE’s are often employed to test and fabricate new materials for a specific purpose, which can open the door to innovative approaches to meeting engineering needs.

Georgia Tech's Materials Engineering Department

Mechanical Engineering (ME)

This field is the most popular with our students and is often the largest major at engineering schools. This means lots of opportunities in a broad range of subjects, applications, and industries. Subjects of interest here are mechanics of materials, machine design, thermal-fluids, and system control.  ME’s are often involved in the design, manufacture, and testing of the devices that assist us, transport us, and provide power for us.  Many get to do “hands-on” projects.

Georgia Tech's Mechanical Engineering Department