The word “engineer” is synonymous with the words inventor, designer, and researcher. Engineers are builders, innovators, and critical thinkers. They are responsible for building bridges and roads, developing fuel-cell technology for our vehicles, researching cures for types of cancer, and everything in between. Engineering is a high demand field with many specializations including Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Materials Science, Mechanical, Paper Science, and Software Engineering.
Engineering vs. Engineering Technology
While a degree in engineering may be appealing, the theoretical nature of the math and science courses required for an engineering degree can be intimidating to some students. These students could consider a degree in engineering technology instead. An engineering technologist is a specialist dedicated to implementation. Engineers typically use theoretical knowledge to innovate, design, research, and plan. Engineering technologists then apply the innovation, design, research, or plan to build machines or do the hands-on work to create the product.
Why a Degree in Engineering?
A degree in Engineering opens the door to numerous career possibilities:
Why Bay College?
- Onetonline.org shows around 350 related occupations for engineers, including jobs like robotics engineer, automotive engineer, full-cell engineer, and software developer
- Michigan’s Hot 50 Jobs List, which provides insight into high-demand, high-wage careers for the next several years, ranked Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering in their top 50, with an average hourly wage around $40 per hour
- In 2017, Careercast.com ranked Software Engineering the #8 best job and Biomedical Engineer was ranked #12
Bay College provides a solid foundation for a degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology. Students can take their Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and, in some cases, the Statistics course required for their engineering degree at Bay College. Depending on one’s engineering specialty (for example, Chemical or Mechanical Engineering), students can take their General Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I and II, Elements of Physics I and II, Engineering Physics I and II, Statics, Dynamics, Biology I and II, and/or Anatomy & Physiology I and II courses at Bay College. Students can also take their General Education (English, Humanities, and Social Sciences) courses at Bay College. Instead of being in a classroom lecture with 100 or 200 students, as is typical at some universities, students get much more one-on-one attention with class sizes averaging 15-25 students. Our classes transfer with ease, and our instructors are passionate about teaching.
Jobs in Engineering require a Bachelor degree or higher. Our Associate Degrees are an excellent start.
Associate in Science in Pre-Engineering
Engineering students will benefit from pursuing an Associate in Science in Pre-Engineering. They will be able to take the math and science courses and get an excellent start toward an engineering degree right at Bay College. Check out our Pre-Engineering Degree brochure
Associate in Arts
or Associate in Science
Many engineering technology students pursue an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science since they do not need as many math or science courses as students seeking straight-up engineering degrees. Check with your transfer institution to see what's best.
This is just a sample of the careers available in engineering:
You can learn more about the expected job growth and types of positions in this field and further information by going to the link below:
Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Aerospace engineer
- Agricultural engineer
- Biomedical engineer
- Chemical engineer
- Civil engineering technician
- Civil engineer
- Computer engineer
- Electrical engineering technician
- Electrical engineer
- Environmental engineer
- Health and safety engineer
- Industrial engineer
- Marine engineer
- Materials engineer
- Mechanical engineering technician
- Mechanical engineer
- Mining and geological engineer
- Nuclear engineer
- Paper engineer
- Petroleum engineer
Employers in our local area that typically hire engineers include Systems Control, Coleman Engineering, M.J. Electric, CCI Systems (all in Iron Mountain, MI), EMP (Escanaba, MI), and Verso (Quinnesec and Escanaba, MI).