What is the difference between engineering and engineering technology?
An Engineering Technology degree is usually for people who probably won’t go further with their education, i.e. get an associate only and not go on to a bachelors or masters. Engineering Technology tends to be more hands on. For example at Arizona State University the Mechanical Engineering Technology degree has three courses that are different than the Mechanical Engineering degree. In MET you don’t take Differential Equations and Calculus III, but you take an additional materials course and two machine shop courses. So for the most part, they’re the same, but how the information is taught. There’s also a bias in the industry and in higher education against Engineering Technology degrees. A lot of people feel that some one with a MET degree is not as good at engineering then someone with a ME degree. So you might not earn as much money or get a prestigous job.
Sometimes the distinction between a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology (like the ones we offer here at K-State Salina) and the traditional bachelor’s degree in engineering (like the ones offered on the K-State Manhattan campus) is not very obvious. Similar math, science, and communications courses appear in both types of degree programs. Also, even though the technical specialty courses in engineering technology may seem similar to engineering courses, engineering technology courses usually emphasize application of the technical concepts rather than theoretical development of those concepts. Although the technical courses in engineering technology are often less math-intensive, they also include a much higher concentration of laboratory work. Graduates of engineering programs apply scientific concepts to develop solutions to real world problems. Their jobs are more theoretical, involving the design of new products or concepts.
Engineering technology deals with the same topics as engineering, but in a more applied fashion rather than a purely theoretical fashion. The mathematics and basic sciences as well as the technical courses in technology programs are taught with more applications and less theory than the related engineering courses. Engineering courses also typically require a higher level of mathematics and basic sciences and prepare a student to continue studies and perform research at the graduate levels. Technical courses generally have labs associated with the courses that require “hands-on” applications or projects for the topics being studied. Graduates from the Civil Engineering Technology bachelor-degree program who desire to continue their studies at the graduate level may be required to take “bridge” course work at some colleges and universities to transition to the higher levels of mathematics and basic sciences required for research and advanced study.
Engineering is an innovative field that involves designing, manufacturing and testing new technology through the use of mathematical and scientific applications. There is a wide range of career opportunities available in this field. Though there are similarities between both fields, there are differences in the career opportunities. Some job functions of an engineer might include the following: • Design • Development • Testing • Research • Technical Support • Production • Analysis For instance, a design engineer (with the aid of computer design software) might be responsible for designing a part or component for a product. This would involve creating very detailed specifications of the component. The design engineer would also be responsible for testing the component for reliability and safety, making any adjustments or corrections that are needed. The design engineer not only designs products, but in many instances they recreate designs of products that have not performed according to
