Anengineer's degree is an advancedacademic degree inengineering which is conferred inEurope, some countries ofAsia andLatin America, North Africa and a few institutions in theUnited States. The degree may require a thesis but always requires a non-abstract project.[1] The duration of study typically ranges from 4 to 5 years, depending on the country and university. Additionally, there may be further requirements for certifications or licenses to practice engineering after graduation.
In theUnited States, the engineer's degree requires a year of study beyond a master's degree or two years from a bachelor's degree and often includes a requirement for a research thesis.[2][3][4]
At the U.S.Naval Postgraduate School the thesis is required to be "more extensive and complete in problem scope and solution than a master's thesis", although "not necessarily meeting the test of original research and contribution to fundamental knowledge that is applied to PhD dissertations."[5] AtUCLA, the engineer degree is explicitly set at the level of the preliminary PhD examination, i.e. not including the contribution to fundamental knowledge.[6]
The engineer's degree was originally a first degree at the same level as a bachelor's degree.Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was empowered by its 1824 charter to award Civil Engineer and Topographical Engineer degrees alongside the Bachelor in Science, and awarded the first Civil Engineer degrees in 1835. Civil Engineer degrees were also awarded byDartmouth College (from 1845), theUniversity of Michigan (from 1855) and byYale University (from 1860), whileColumbia University awarded Engineer of Mines degrees from 1867. By the early 20th-century engineer's degrees were commonly at graduate level – a survey by a committee of theAssociation of American Universities in 1916 found that this was the case in over two-thirds of the universities surveyed. The committee recommended that engineer's degrees be reserved for study beyond master's level.[7]
The engineer's degree in Mexico is a five to ten-year program that takes you beyond the master's degree level. It is a terminal degree that certifies you to practice with a license.[8] Internationally, that degree can be considered to be equivalent to a doctorate in engineering. This can be verified through reputable sources such as Collins online translation dictionary, that translates "ingeniero" to doctor for Mexico, it gives the example Ing. Quintanilla ~Dr.Quintanilla.[9].The international Engineering alliance graduate attributes and professional competencies gives the qualifications and credentials of the professional engineer in all the signatory countries Mexico and Chile included.[10] The Unirank system can be used to determine the level of a five-year engineering program from an accredited and reputable school. For example, the engineering program at the university of Quintana roo goes from bachelor's to doctoral level according to the degree matrix level.[11]
InLatin America, a degree or title of "Ingeniero" is awarded after completing five years of college.[12] This may be translated as "Engineer", however, its international academic equivalence depends on each country's educational system and can be compared to a six-year post-master's degree. Its award may imply obtaining a statelicence to legally practice in the field or aprofessional certification outside the academic environment.
Chile's higher education system differs from the US model, with a six-year "Título Profesional en Ingeniería" granting the title ofengineer. This professional title encompasses a bachelor's degree in science, allowing graduates to enter a master's or doctoral program. Alternatively, graduates can proceed directly to a doctorate after the six-year program. Therefore, a Chilean professional title in engineering is academically equivalent to a six-year post-master's degree.
Prior to theBologna Process, In most countries ofcontinental Europe, universities specializing in technical fields traditionally awarded their students an engineer's degree after five years. This degree was typically the first university-awarded degree after finishingsecondary education and completing it granted qualifications to further pursue adoctorate.
Following German custom in higher education, the engineer's degree was called theDiplom. In addition toGermany itself, this system was common in states likeAlbania,Austria,Belarus,Belgium,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,Czech Republic,Finland,Greece,Hungary,Montenegro, theNetherlands,Poland,Portugal,Romania,Russia,Serbia,Slovakia,Slovenia,Spain, andSwitzerland.
Following the introduction of theBologna process, universities divide higher-education studies in three cycles, corresponding to a three to four-yearbachelor's degree, a one to two-yearmaster's degree and adoctoral degree. Accordingly, engineering studies are now divided in two parts: first, thebachelor's degree (baccalaureus, three to four years) and the second optional part (one to two years), after which either the traditional engineer's degree or amaster's degree (e.g. MEng or MSc) is awarded. These can often, however, still be combined into a single 'integrated' degree programme in many countries, normally lasting five or six years (although only four years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland). But in the UK when one considers the whole formation of a fully qualified Chartered Engineer or Incorporated Engineer it is a minimum of eight years. Countries have varied in the implementation of the Bologna process, meaning the combination of first (bachelor's) and second (master's) cycles, even when taken as a single degree, can last from four to six years, although many countries have set five years as the minimum.[13]
Most traditional universities continue to have a primary academic degree program, for example, a five-yearCivilingenjör in Sweden, that is distinct from the 3+2 scheme that awards the bachelor's and master's degrees but a student who has done both at a Swedish technical university will in most cases also fulfill the requirements for thecivilingenjör degree.[14]
In France, an important part of engineering is taught inécoles d’ingénieurs, which are part of the Frenchgrandes écoles system. Since theBologna Process, theDiplôme d’ingénieur is officially considered to be at the level of a master's degree, equivalent to an integrated bachelor's and master's degree.
In German, the traditional engineer's degree is called Diplom-Ingenieur (Dipl. -Ing.; in Austria DI is also used). This degree is generally equivalent to a combined bachelor's and Master's degree, which is not to be confused with the old Magister degree.
Europe has the international professional engineering qualification and title ofEuropean Engineer (EUR ING) which is obtained through peer review after seven years of education, training and professional experience.
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InBelarus andUkraine, the degree isспеціаліст інженер (specialist engineer), a first degree after five years of education.
InFlanders,Brussels andWallonia, somebody holding an engineer's degree is aningenieur/ingénieur. There are two types of engineers with different abbreviations:
Names are traditionally prefixed with their. oring. titles. Use of these titles is regulated and protected by law.
InCroatia, the old system included the engineer's degreesdiplomirani inženjer (abbr.dipl.ing.) which was awarded by university faculties and a lower ranked engineer's degreeinženjer (abbr.ing.) which was awarded by polytechnics, in a similar vein to the situation in theNetherlands. The olddipl.ing. degree could later be upgraded to amagistar (abbr.mr.,Magister degree) and then adoktor (abbr.dr.,Doctorate). The situation was the same in other countries previously part ofYugoslavia. InSerbian, the abbreviation isdipl.inž.[16] Serbian titles ofmagistar (abbr.mr,Magister degree) anddoktor (abbr.dr,Doctorate) in abbreviated versions are used without full stop as a punctuation mark at the end.
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In the western Slavic-speaking countries, the engineer's degree is calledinżynier (Polish),inžinier (Slovak) orinženýr (Czech) and the abbreviation isinż. inPoland andIng. in theCzech Republic andSlovakia, which may be written before the person's name.
In theCzech Republic andSlovakia, the degree ofIng. is given for complete university studies in technical (like engineering), economic or agricultural fields. In one of these cases it can be equivalent to aMaster of Science in Engineering.
InPoland, the degree ofinżynier is available after 3.5 or 4 years of studies (like thelicencjat in non-engineering science) after a final thesis is completed. Amagister inżynier (abbreviatedmgr inż.) refers to aMaster of Science in Engineering, after completing five years of study and a written thesis. Originally there were "inżynier" studies that lasted for four years and afterward one could obtain the "magister" title in two years of studies—the total of six years resulted in two degrees, "magister" and "inżynier". In the early 1960s a new track of studies was developed to speed up education and the "magister inżynier" five-year track was created. Whichever way one obtained the education the "magister inżynier" (mgr inż. before the name) was the equivalent degree with "inżynier" designating the professional level and "magister" designating the academic level.After theBologna process the first level is "inżynier," obtainable after nominally three years of studies (although some are longer) with the same professional privileges as before and "masters" after one or two years gives the same academic and professional designation as before. But the ultimate shortening of the period of studies resulted in some professional groups (e.g. architects) demanding that "magister inżynier" be made a basis for professional rights.
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InFinnish, the engineer's degree is calleddiplomi-insinööri and abbreviateddipl.ins.,DI orM.Sc.(Tech.). It is possible to obtain after five 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 intermediatetekniikan kandidaatti (B.Sc.(Tech.)) degree.
The degree ofinsinööri (AMK) is a bachelor's degree from a Finnish University of Applied Sciences (ammattikorkeakoulu), similar to a GermanFachhochschule, but it is not interchangeable with the academictekniikan kandidaatti.
Due to the Bologna process, a new master's degree calledInsinööri (ylempi AMK) or Master of Engineering has been introduced. It carries a requirement of two years of work experience after the degree ofinsinööri (AMK) and further studies.
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In France, the main way to become an engineer is :
TheDiplôme d'Ingénieur is a postgraduate degree in engineering usually awarded by thegrandes écoles in engineering. It is generally obtained after five to seven years of studies after thebaccalauréat. It is considered more prestigious by recruiters than a Master's degree due to the electricity of the program.
InFrance, the "Diplôme d'Ingénieur" grants the title of "ingénieur diplômé," a distinction from the less regulated term "ingénieur." This diploma is equivalent to a combined Bachelor and Master of Science in Engineering, recognized in the US and EU. Graduates can pursue double degrees, doctoral studies, and careers in academia or industrial research. In France, any institution issuing theDiplôme d'Ingénieur must be accredited by the state. In France particularly, theDiplôme d'Ingénieur must be accredited by theCommission des Titres d'Ingénieur. Note that the best institutions are usually part of theConférence des Grandes écoles.
France[17] is unusual in that it is mainly thegrandes écoles in engineering that are accredited and are certified to issue theDiplôme d'Ingénieur, which is differentiated from bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering issued by public universities (universités).Universities in France are comprehensive institutions composed of several faculties covering various fields (natural sciences, engineering, law, economics, medicine, humanities, etc.) with a large student body. On the other hand,grandes écoles in engineering are much smaller and recruit their students through a more selective process (typically a few hundred students per year per institution, and a few thousand students per year country-wide).
InGerman, the traditional engineer's degree is calledDiplom-Ingenieur (Dipl.-Ing.; in AustriaDI is also used). This degree is generally equivalent to aMaster's degree, which is not to be confused with the oldMagister degree. The German "universities of applied sciences" (Fachhochschule) awarded the traditional engineering degreeDiplom-Ingenieur (FH) (Dipl.-Ing. (FH)). This superseded "Ing. (Grad)", which was previously awarded by universities of applied sciences and engineering schools after three years of study. A requirement for the degree was to write aDiplomthesis. Most programs that used to lead to aDipl.-Ing. degree lead to master's degrees today, as theDiplom-Ingenieur as an academic title is phased out because of theBologna Process. However, some universities continue to hand out so-called equivalence certificates that certify the equivalence of aDipl.-Ing. with the newly introduced MSc degrees. Since 2009, most universities in Germany offer bachelor's degree programmes (BSc, BEng and others) and master's programmes that lead to the academic degrees such as Master of Science, Master of Engineering, Master of Business Administration and others.
In Austria there also exists theIngenieur (abbreviated asIng.). This is not an academic degree as it is given to graduates ofHTLs (Höhere Technische Lehranstalt), secondary schools with technical focus. The Austrian engineers' law (Ingenieurgesetz 2017[18]) specifies the criteria for obtaining the title: graduation from a technical high school (HTL), verifiable practical experience of three years, and an oral examination with a certified committee to prove advanced skills and knowledge in their field. Since 2017,Ingenieur titles obtained under these criteria are included in theNational Qualifications Framework on level 6, the same level as that of the bachelor's degree. However, theIngenieur does not entitle holders to direct admission to university master's degree programmes.
In Greece, the title of "Engineer" is awarded byhigher education institutions. There are two types of engineer. The title "Diplomate Engineer" (Diplomate in Greek: Διπλωματούχος; Kάτοχος ενός Διπλώματος/Δίπλωμα/Diploma; Diploma holder) is awarded after completion of a five-year undergraduate engineering degree (diploma) programme at apolytechnic university. These degrees are 300ECTS credits, leading to a qualification atISCED level 7, equivalent to an integratedmaster's degree.
The title of "Graduate Engineer"(Greek translation: "Πτυχιούχος Μηχανικός", English explanation: "Bachelor of Engineering Degree Holder"), is awarded after completion of a four-year (three and a half years from 1983 to 1995) undergraduate engineering degree programme at atechnological educational institute (TEI). These are 240 (previously 210, 1983–1995) ECTS credits leading to an award at ISCED level 6, equivalent to abachelor's degree. TEIs existed from 1983 to 2019; they were reformed between 2013 and 2019 and their departments incorporated into existing higher education institutions.[19]
In Italy there was the engineering degree obtained after five years university and then one had to pass a state examination to be a professional engineer by law. Completion of an engineering degree has historically demanded much effort, so that, on average, the five-year course took eight years to finish and less than 5% of the students graduated within five years.[20]
Later, until 2001, there were two degrees: a three-yeardiploma in ingegneria (BEng level, title abbrev. "dipl. ing.") and a five-yearlaurea in ingegneria (MEng level, title abbrev. "ing."). However, the two degree courses were not in sequence but one as an alternative to the other (most students attended the traditional five-year degree). Since 2001 reform, the bachelor's level is calledlaurea (abbrev. "L") and master's degree level was calledlaurea specialistica (abbrev. "LS") and is now calledlaurea magistrale (abbrev. "LM"). Accordingly, today after three years of engineering studies, the degree calledlaurea in ingegneria (BEng level) and the title ofdottore in Ingegneria (abbrev. "dott.") can be obtained. After two additional years of engineering studies, the degree calledlaurea magistrale in ingegneria (MEng level) and the title ofdottore magistrale in Ingegneria (abbrev. "dott.") can be obtained. After a "state exam" one becomes "Ingegnere" (abbrev. Ing). In Italy the state accreditation system, degrees and titles are regulated by state law.[21]
In theNetherlands, somebody holding an engineer's degree is aningenieur. There are two types of engineers with different abbreviations:
Names are traditionally prefixed with their. oring. titles. Use of these titles is regulated and protected by Dutch law.[22] Under the Bologna agreement, the titles are increasingly interchanged with the English-language degrees (B.Sc. for ing., M.Sc. for ir.).
Completion of Dutch engineering qualifications has historically demanded much effort and talent. On average the four-year course takes 4.5 years to finish.[23]
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Romania andMoldova followed the French system. One needs a baccalaureate diploma to be accepted at the university. The engineering degree was calledDiploma de inginer and the graduate was called aInginer diplomat. These five years of study are equivalent to a Bologna Master (M.Sc/M.Eng/MCA). The five-year course concludes with a comprehensive set of specialising exams (examen de diploma). Marks nine and 10 are considered exceptional. Some universities had calledDiploma de Sub-inginer which was a three-year course equivalent with a college degree. Following theBologna process, the graduates obtain theInginer licentiat degree, after following a four-year program. In this case theInginer Master degree is obtained after an additional one- or two-year graduate program.
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As of 2012 inRussia, following degrees correspond to the "engineer's degree" in the sense of this article:
Anything but "bachelor" is considered "second-level" higher education and gives access to postgraduate education for "candidate of sciences" degree, "bachelor" is considered "first-level" higher education degree and gives access to study for master's (magister) degree.
Post-graduate scientific degrees in engineering areas includeкандидат технических наук - "candidate of technical sciences" andдоктор технических наук - "doctor of technical sciences". Sometimes in English translations "...of technical sciences" is exchanged for "...of engineering".
The situation inSpain is very similar to France but without thegrandes écoles and Germany-UK in relation to the Technical Engineering Degrees. Long cycle Engineer's degrees (Ingenieros) traditionally used to be (at least nominally) six-year programs but the tendency since the mid-1990s has been to reduce them to five years. The last step to get the degree is theProyecto 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 isIngeniero (Engineer) or other degree calledIngeniero Técnico (Technical Engineer), which is a three to four years degree (involving also a Final Degree Project) and is equivalent to a Bachelor of Engineering, the Technical Engineer in Spain has full competencies and legal authority in their field; however, certain engineering professions require by law a master's degree in their respective field, a degree called "master habilitante" or "habilitating master's degree".[24] A distinctive characteristic of Spanish engineering degrees is that the average duration of studies up to graduation is about 40 percent above the nominal duration and that the drop-out rate is considerable due to stricter examination standards.[25]
Durham University established the first school of engineering in the UK in 1837,[26] which awarded the academic rank of Civil Engineer between 1840 and 1852. After the school was re-established in Newcastle, the title of Civil Engineer was again awarded between 1887 and 1894.[27] The supplemental charter ofQueen's College, Birmingham in 1852 also specified that it could award the academic rank of Civil Engineer.[28] The Birmingham school of engineering was wound down when the institution was reconstituted in 1867.[29]
Most countries follow the French system of higher education, the engineer's degree was called theDiplôme d’ingénieur.
Similar to France, an important part of engineering is taught inécoles d’ingénieurs, which are part of thegrandes écoles system. Since theBologna Process, theDiplôme d’ingénieur is officially considered to be at the level of a master's degree, equivalent to an integrated bachelor's and master's degree.
In Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, the main way to become an engineer is to have aDiplôme d'Ingénieur, delivered by thegrandes écoles (or some technical universities), or have a master's degree in engineering from a University.
TheDiplôme d'Ingénieur is a postgraduate degree in engineering usually awarded by thegrandes écoles in engineering. It is generally obtained after five to seven years of studies after thebaccalauréat. It is considered more prestigious by recruiters than a master's degree due to the difficulty[clarification needed] of the program.
Each holder of theDiplôme d'Ingénieur is conferred the title ofingénieur diplômé (graduate engineer). This is distinguished from the termingénieur (engineer) which is less regulated. Thediplôme d'ingénieur is recognized as equivalent to a combined Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in engineering in the United States and in the countries of the European Union (also in France).
Mostgrandes écoles allow their students to join a double degree with a university (in France or abroad). Furthermore,Diplôme d'Ingénieur graduates can pursue a selective PhD after their engineering studies and later join academia or an industrial research and development department.
In Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, any institution issuing theDiplôme d'Ingénieur must be accredited by the state. The best institutions are usually part of theConférence des Grandes écoles.
Egypt and South Africa do not follow the French education system and offer the traditional bachelor's and master's programs, which can be taken separately. TheDiplôme d'Ingénieur is not offered.
Prior to 2014, Indonesia still uses the Dutch degree classification inherited fromcolonial administration. The term "engineer" (Indonesian:insinyur fromDutch:ingenieur) was used as an academic title, for a bachelor degree in engineering who graduated from a university in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and sometimes used in the field of applied science. However, after the academic title of Bachelor of Engineering (Sarjana Teknik) (S.T.) was conformed, the title of Engineer (Ir.) was no longer used by universities as an academic title but as a professional title stipulated in the Regulation of theMinistry of Education and Culture Number 154 of 2014 concerning Graduate Degree in Science and Technology.
The status of Engineer (Ir.) was thus raised to a professional title similar to the professional titles of Medical Doctor (dr.),Dentist (drg.),Midwife (Bd.),Nurse (Ns.),Pharmacist (Apt.),Accountant (Akt.), andPsychologist (Psi.). In other words, currently not all university graduates who hold an S.T. degree immediately have the right to be called engineers.
Names are traditionally prefixed with their. oring. titles orsuffixed with the S.T. degree. Use of these titles is regulated and protected by Indonesian law.[30]
The Engineer's Degree inVietnam is awarded to students who complete a specialized engineering program at the university level. The duration of these programs can vary depending on the specific program and institution.[31][32] TheMinistry of Education and Training (MOET) of Vietnam governs the naming and recognition of degrees.[33] Although Vietnam is moving towards alignment with international standards, there might be some variations innomenclature. The actual degree certificate may state "The Degree of Engineer" followed by the specific field of study.[34] As of December 30, 2019, the Vietnamese National Qualifications Framework places the Engineer's degree,Doctoral degree, andArchitecture degree at Level 7, making them equivalent to a Master's degree within this framework.[35][36] However, this does not necessarily mean that the Engineer's degree is recognized as equivalent to aMaster's degree in all other countries.