An
engineer's degree is an advanced
academic degreeAn academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in
engineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
that is conferred in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, some countries of
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, and a few institutions in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In Europe, the engineer degree is ranked at the same academic level as a
master's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and is often known literally as an "engineer diploma" (abbreviated
Dipl.-Ing. or
DI). In some countries of
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the engineer's degree can be studied after the completion of a master's degree and is usually considered higher than the master's degree but below the
doctorateA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in engineering (abbreviated
Dr. Ing.The Doctor of Engineering is an academic degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and research in engineering or applied sciences...
) in Europe. In other countries of Latin America, there is no proper engineer's degree, but the title of
Ingeniero(engineer, abbreviated
Ing.) is used for bachelor's graduates in the context of an undergraduate degree.
Europe, prior to the Bologna Process
At most countries of
continental EuropeContinental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
, universities specializing in technical fields have traditionally awarded their students an engineer's degree lasting 5 years. This degree was typically the first university-awarded degree after finishing
secondary educationSecondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
, and completing it granted qualifications to further pursue a
doctorateA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
.
Following German custom in higher education, the engineer's degree is called
DiplomA Diplom is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland , Greece, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine...
. In addition to
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
itself, this system was common in states like
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
,
BelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
,
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
,
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
,
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
,
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
,
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
,
HungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
,
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
,
RomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
,
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
,
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
,
SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
,
SloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
,
SwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, R. Macedonia and
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Germany
In
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, the traditional engineer's degree is called
Diplom-Ingenieur (
Dipl.-Ing., in Austria also
DI) . This degree is generally equivalent to a
Master's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, which is not to be confused with the old
MagisterMagister is an academic degree used in various systems of higher education.-Argentina:...
degree. Most programs that used to lead to a
Dipl.-Ing. degree lead to Master's degrees today, as the
Diplom-Ingenieur as an academical title is phased out because of the
Bologna processThe purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
. However some Universities continue to hand out so-called equivalence certificates that certify the equivalence of a
Dipl.-Ing. with the newly introduced M.Sc. Degrees.
The German "Universities of Applied Sciences" (
FachhochschuleA Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
) awarded the traditional engineering degree
Diplom-Ingenieur (FH) (
Dipl.-Ing (FH)). This degree also required to write a
DiplomA Diplom is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland , Greece, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine...
thesisA dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
. This is also being modified by the Bologna process, as bachelor and master degrees from a University of Applied Sciences are equal to the degrees from a
traditional university.
Universities of Applied Sciences are phased out and they are changed to universities with own faculties and research institutes. These universities are strongly focused on fields like computer science, engineering or business schools. Subjects like Law or Human Medicine etc. which requires a
Staatsexamen (state exam) can only be studied at
traditional universities. Since 2005, most Universities in Germany offer Bachelor degree programmes (B.Sc., B.Eng. and others) and Master programmes that lead to the academic degree Master of Science, Master of Engineering, Master of Business Administration and others.
Turkey
In
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
typical length of study for professional engineering degree is 4 years. Engineering degree is called
mühendis, from word
hendese(geometry), meaning "one who knows geometry and calculation". The title is limited by law to people with an engineering degree, and the use of the title by others (even persons with much more work experience) is illegal.
Finland
In
FinnishFinnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
, the engineer's degree is called
diplomi-insinööriDiplomi-insinööri is a Finnish Master's level academic degree with a nominal length of 300 ECTS credits. The official English translation of the degree is Master of Science in Engineering, Master of Science and Master of Science in Technology. The Finnish name derives from the old German degree...
and abbreviated
dipl.ins.,
DI or
M.Sc.(Tech.). It is possible to obtain after 4.5 years of studying, or even faster, but the average is around six years. Under the Bologna process, this is split into two parts, the first being one where the students can get the intermediate
tekniikan kandidaatti (
B.Sc.(Tech.)) degree.
The degree of
insinööri (AMK)Insinööri is a four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree, given by institutions called Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland . The Swedish language term is ingenjör , where "YH" is an abbreviation for "yrkeshögskola"...
is a vocational degree from a Finnish University of Applied Sciences (
ammattikorkeakouluAn ammattikorkeakoulu , abbreviated amk, is a Finnish institution of higher education.- Significance :...
), similar to a German
FachhochschuleA Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
, but it is not interchangeable with the academic
tekniikan kandidaatti.
Due to the Bologna process, a new degree called
insinööri (ylempi amk) or "engineer (higher amk)" has been introduced, but it carries a requirement of two years of work experience.
Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia
In the western Slavic-speaking countries, the engineer's degree is called
inżynier (
PolishPolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
),
inžinier (
SlovakSlovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
) or
inženýr (
CzechCzech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
), and the abbreviation is
inż. in
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and
Ing. in the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and
SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, which may be written before the person's name.
In Poland, the degree of
inżynier is available after 3, 3.5 or 4 years of studies (like the
licencjat in non-engineering science) after a final thesis is completed. A
magister inżynier (abbreviated
mgr inż.) refers to a
Master of Science in EngineeringA Master of Science in Engineering or Master of Science is an academic degree to be differentiated from a Master of Engineering....
, after completing 5 years of study and a written thesis.
Belgium
In Belgium, there are two types of engineering degrees:
- "Burgerlijk Ingenieur" /"Ingénieur civil" or "Master of Science in Engineering" (highest rank - abbrev. "ir.") - 5 years study (3 BSc. + 2 MSc.)
- "Industrieel Ingenieur" or "Master of Science in Industrial Sciences" (abbrev. "Ing.") - 4 years study (3 BSc. + 1 MSc.) (for the Flemish Region)
- "Ingénieur industriel" or "Master of Science in Industrial Sciences" (abbrev. "Ing.") - 5 years study (3 BSc. + 2 MSc.) (for the Walloon Region)
Belgium is particularly noteworthy as having a system under which demands made on students of engineering are particularly severe.
Portugal
In Portugal, the degree was
Licenciado (5 years) and although almost totally equal to a Bologna Master, it was considered a simple
Degree for foreign countries (the word engineer is
Engenheiro - abbrev.
Eng.). The Master also existed (
Mestrado) and was a 2 years course over the previous 5 of the
Licenciatura.
Greece
In Greece, the degree is
Διπλωματούχος Μηχανικός (diplomatouhos mihanikos) and the abbreviation is
Διπλ.-Μηχ.. The duration of engineering courses is 5 years. Although some institutions issue certificates of equivalence to a Master's degree, these are not officially recognized by the Greek legislation.
The Netherlands
In the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, somebody holding an engineer's degree is an
ingenieur. The abbreviation is
ing. for en engineer's degree at "hoger beroeps onderwijs" or
higher vocational education level and
ir. for an engineer's degree at the "Wetenschappelijk onderwijs" or
scientific educationlevel. Under the Bologna agreement these are being replaced by English-language abbreviations (B.Sc, BBE, M.Sc, etc.), however Dutch (WO) engineering qualifications are extremely demanding and are rarely for example completed in the nominal time. Note further, that an ing. engineer having completed a 4 year HBO or HTS
Higher technical school college course, may enter a nominally 5 year ir. (internationally 3+2 year B.Sc+M.Sc) course at the start of its 4th (1st M.Sc) year, only on completion of a demanding 1 year "schakelprogramma" or
crossover programme.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom the qualification which is minimum for gaining chartered status in engineering is the Master of Engineering (MEng). In England, Northern Ireland and Wales this is a four-year course or a 'sandwich' five-year course (with one year spent working in industry). In Scotland, it is a five year course. The Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) is usually a three year course (four in Scotland), or can also include a year in industry. Many universities offer the BEng, and may then allow a transfer onto the MEng.
The Engineering Council Graduate Diploma is set at the same level as the final year of a British BEng and its Postgraduate Diploma is set at the same level as the final year of a British MEng.
The Graduateship in engineering, awarded by the City & Guilds of London Institute (Institution Established in 1878 recognized by Royal Charter n.117 year 1900), is mapped to a British Bachelor of Engineering(Honours) -BEng(Honours)-degree. The Post Graduate Diploma is mapped to a British Master of Engineering (MEng) degree.
Engineers who have been awarded a BEng(Ordinary) or BEng(Honours) and have appropriate training and experience in the work place are able to apply to become an Incorporated Engineer (IEng), if the qualification has been accepted for this classification, by the engineering council. If an engineer has studied beyond the BEng for an MSc or has an MEng, they may apply to become a Chartered Engineer (CEng), once they have completed the required amount of post graduate work-based competency training and experience. Competency and training requirements are met over a period of 4-8 years in practice for a total of 8-12 years education, training and professional responsibility. Formal structured post graduate training schemes such as the monitored professional development programme administered by IMechE enables the Engineer in training to satisfy the requirements for Chartered Engineer faster.[5]
Chartered Engineer and Incorporated Engineer titles awarded by the Engineering Council UK, are broadly equivalent to North American Professional Engineer (PEng / PE) and Professional Technologist (PTech) designations, but with often a far greater geographical recognition.
MIET-Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology is recognised as regulated engineering profession by virtue of the Statutory Instruments n.2007/2781-The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulation 2007-Directive European Union 2005/36/EC. http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/regprof/index.cfm?fuseaction=profession.regProfs&profId=6361&mode=desc&cId=0&quid=3
This meaning retains the 19th century idea that "real" engineers were military personnel, while "other" engineers were civilians.
Belarus, Russia and Ukraine
In
BelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
,
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, the degree is
специалист инженер (specialist inzhenyer), a first degree after 5 years of study.
France
In
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the degree is
Diplôme d'Ingénieur, while the title is
Ingénieur diplômé (
ID) but is never used before the holder's name. The degree can be obtained after five years of engineering studies after the
BaccalauréatThe baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
. After the French "baccalaureat" (High School diploma), about 10% of students are accepted in "Classes preparatoires" (intensive classes), where physics, mathematics, or biology are taught. National Examinations, with restricted acceptances in the engineering schools, are realized after the first two years.
Italy
In
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
until 2001 there were two degrees: a 3-year "diploma in ingegneria" (BEng level, title abbrev. "dipl. ing.") and a 5-year "laurea in ingegneria" (MEng level, title abbrev. "ing."). Since 2001 reform, the bachelor level is called "laurea" (abbrev. "L") and master degree level is called "laurea specialistica" or "laurea magistrale" (abbrev. "LS"). Accordingly, today after 3 years of engineering studies can be obtained the degree called "laurea in ingegneria" (BEng level) and the title of "dottore in Ingegneria" (abbrev. "dott."). After five years of engineering studies can be obtained the degree called "laurea magistrale in ingegneria" (MEng level) and the title of "dottore magistrale in Ingegneria" (abbrev. "dott."). After a "state exam" you become "Ingegnere" (abbrv. Ing)
Romania
RomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
followed the German system until 2009. The engineering degree was called
Diploma de inginer, and the graduate was called a
Inginer diplomat. This 5 years of studies was equivalent to a Master/Bachelor's degree (BSc/B.Eng/M.Sc/M.Eng). The five year course concludes with a comprehensive set of specialising exams (
examen de diploma). Marks 9 or 10 are considered exceptional. The master degree, called
Inginer Master was obtained after following a one year post-graduate program. Some universities had called
Diploma de Sub-inginer which is was 3 year course equivalent with a college degree. Following the
Bologna processThe purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
the graduates obtain the
Inginer licentiat degree, after following a 4 years program. In this case the
Inginer Master degree is obtained after an additional 2 years graduate program.
Spain
The situation in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
is very similar to France but without the
Grandes ÉcolesThe grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system. The grandes écoles select students for admission based chiefly on national ranking in competitive written and oral exams...
. Engineer's degrees traditionally used to be (at least nominally) six-year programs but the tendency since the mid 90s has been to reduce them to five years. The last step to get the degree is the
Proyecto de Fin de Carrera (Degree Project), which involves a combination of application development and some research work. Students submit a dissertation that they have to defend. The Spanish official name for the degree is
Ingeniero (Engineer). There is also a shorter type of engineering degree called
Ingeniero Técnico (Technical Engineer), which is a three-year degree (involving also a Degree Project) and is roughly equivalent to a Bachelor of Engineering. A distinctive characteristic of Spanish engineering degrees is that the average duration of studies up to graduation is about 40% above the nominal duration and that the drop-out rate is considerable.
Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Ex-Yugoslavia
In
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, the old system included the engineer's degrees
diplomirani inženjer (abbr.
dipl.ing.) which was awarded by university faculties, and a lower ranked engineer's degrees
inženjer (abbr.
ing.) which was awarded by polytechnics, in a similar vein to the situation in the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The old
dipl.ing. degree could later be upgraded to a
magistar (abbr.
mr.,
Magister degreeMagister is an academic degree used in various systems of higher education.-Argentina:...
) and then a
doktor (abbr.
dr.,
DoctorateA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
). The situation was the same in other countries previously part of
YugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. In
SerbianSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
abbr. is
dipl.inž.
Europe, according to the Bologna Process
Following the introduction of the
Bologna processThe purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
, universities divide higher-education studies in three cycles, corresponding to a 3-year
bachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, a 2-year
master's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and a doctoral degree.
Accordingly, engineering studies which lasted 5 years are now divided in two parts: first, the
bachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
(
baccalaureus, three years), and the second optional part (two years), after which either the traditional engineer's degree or a
master's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
(MEng or MSc) is awarded. In this new scheme, the graduate must complete the master's degree before attempting to pursue doctoral education.
Countries have varied in the implementation of the Bologna process. Most traditional universities continue to have a primary academic degree program, for example, a 5-year
Civilingenjör in Sweden, that is distinct from the 3+2 scheme that awards the bachelor's and master's degrees.
In France, engineering is taught in
Ecoles d'Ingénieurs, which are part of the French
Grandes écolesThe grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system. The grandes écoles select students for admission based chiefly on national ranking in competitive written and oral exams...
system. Since the Bologna process, the
Diplôme d'Ingénieur is officially considered to be at the level of a European master's degree.
United States
In the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the
degree of engineer or
engineer's degree is the least commonly obtained advanced degree in engineering. It is usually preceded by a master's degree and is not a prerequisite to a doctoral degree, serving instead as a
terminal degreeA terminal degree is, in some countries, the highest academic degree in a given field of study. This phrase is in common use in the United States, but is not universal in an international context: the concept is not in general use in the United Kingdom, for example, and the exact definition varies...
. The availability of degrees and the specific requirements differ considerably between institutions and between specialties within an institution. In the past, it was not uncommon for a would-be engineer to earn an engineer's degree as their first and only college degree. But since
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
this has fallen out of favor, and it becomes continually more difficult to find a school that offers this option. It is worth noting that
Regulation and licensure in engineeringRegulation of the engineering profession is established by various jurisdictions of the world to protect the safety, well-being and other interests of the general public, and to define the licensure process through which an engineer becomes authorized to provide professional services to the...
in the U.S. usually requires an
Accreditation Board for Engineering and TechnologyABET, Inc., formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, is a non-profit organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology...
(ABET) engineering program accreditation, which is only granted to bachelor degrees and, rarely, master's degrees.
For graduate students in engineering, the two-year
master's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
is most commonly followed by a traditional research doctorate (
Ph.D.A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
). However, the engineer's degree provides an alternative to the doctorate for professional engineers rather than academicians. Some graduate programs such as those offered at Stanford, Caltech and the
Naval Postgraduate SchoolThe Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...
require a thesis for the engineer's degree but the research requirements are generally less than those of Ph.D. candidates and more comparable to those of
master of scienceA Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
students. Other universities such as
Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
do not have a specific research requirement. For this reason, some consider an engineer's degree to be on a level between a master's degree and a doctorate.
A degree with some form of the word
engineer or
engineering in the title is not necessarily an engineer's degree. Particularly, a "
Master of EngineeringA Master of Engineering or Master of Technology or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in Ingeniaria) (abbreviated M.Eng., ME or MEng) or Master of Technology (abbreviated M.Tech. or MTech) or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in...
" (M.Eng.) or "
Engineering DoctorateThe Engineering Doctorate scheme is a British postgraduate education programme promoted by the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council . The programme is undertaken over four years. Students conduct PhD-equivalent research and undertake taught business and technical courses whilst...
" (Eng. D) degree is
not an Engineer's degree, nor is any other bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree. Rather, the engineer's degree is in a category of its own. For example, a student with a B.S. and M.S. in
electrical engineeringElectrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
might next earn the degree
Electrical Engineer. The person would then have a B.S. in E.E., a M.S. in E.E., and an E.E. degree. The former two are degrees in engineering, and only the latter degree is actually an Engineer's degree.
Latin America
In
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
a degree or title of
Ingeniero is awarded that may be translated as "Engineer", however, its international academic equivalence depends on each country's educational system, and may be compared to a 4-year bachelor's degree or even a 6-year post-master's degree. Its award may imply obtaining a state licence to legally practice in the field, or a professional certification outside academic environments.
Mexico
In Mexico, the educational system follows closely that of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. University education is structured in three cycles, as
Licenciatura (bachelor's degree),
Maestría (master's degree), and
Doctorado (doctorate).
The "Engineer" degree is a general denomination for a
Licenciatura (first cycle) degree in a technical field, which implies obtaining a professional
credentialA credential is an attestation of qualification, competence, or authority issued to an individual by a third party with a relevant or de facto authority or assumed competence to do so....
(
cédula profesional). The graduate is technically and legally a
Licenciado (
Lic.), but commonly he or she will use the title of
Ingeniero and the abbreviation
Ing. before his or her name.
For engineering, completing all taught courses of a
Licenciatura does not automatically awards the graduate the title and licence of
Ingeniero, for this, a written thesis or very good qualifications are required. It is the case that many people finish all courses in an engineering program, but only formally obtain the
diplomaA diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
and title of Engineer, and the professional credential, after some years of work experience.
Degrees in engineering require 4 to 5 years to complete. After this, the graduate may enroll in a postgraduate program, such as a
master's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, or in exceptional cases, directly into a doctoral degree. Despite it's length, the degree of
Ingeniero is generally not equivalent to a European
Dipl.-Ing, as it doesn't include a strong research component.
Bachelor Of Studies(BS) This is a 4 year Engineering degree. Like Bachelor of Studies in Computer Engineering.
India
In India the Engineering Degree is referred as B E (Bachelors of Engineering) and B. Tech. (Bachelors of Technology) at undergraduate level. Whereas as Masters level it is M Tech (Masters of Technology) and M. E. (Bachelors of Engineering). At undergraduate level the duration of course can vary from 3 - 4 years with on additional year of training. Whereas at Master's level the duration is usually between 2 - 3 years. There are other courses like BCA (Bachelors in Computer Application), MCA (Masters in Computer Application), B.Sc. IT (bachelor of Science - Information Technology), M.Sc. IT (Master of Science - Information Technology), the graduates from these courses are also referred as Engineers in the Industry, specially the Software Industry, but the Engineer's degree is M. Tech, M.E., B.Tech and B.E.
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