Engineering courses are the top draw among students who are completing their school education, even more than a course in medicine. The main reason for this is the belief that an engineering program is the fastest way to a respectable job and career at the end of 4 years. The expectation that it may also open the doors of a foreign land sometime, adds to the enchantment of an engineering education.
There are about 4,804 engineering colleges in India that offer a B.Tech. program, out of which, 3,982 colleges are privately owned and 822 colleges are owned by the government. There are 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) with 17,385 seats and 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) with 23,954 seats in India given the status of Institutes of National Importance. There are also 26 IIITs spread across the country out of which 5 are listed under the Institute of National Importance while others are set up under the Public-private Partnership model.
But getting admission to the engineering course in the college that you desire is no cakewalk. Students have to prepare themselves during 11th and 12th class and then take up state and national-level entrance exams, which are extremely competitive. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are considered to be the best in the country and graduates from these colleges on the average earn much more as compared to the graduates of other engineering colleges.
Coming back to engineering as a subject, it is quite different from science. Scientists try to understand nature. Engineers stress invention. For an invention, the idea needs to be put in concrete terms. Something like a device, a material, a method, a new solution to a problem, or an improvement on what exists needs to be designed and developed. Engineering is the profession in which knowledge of the mathematical, physical, and other sciences is applied with judgment, to design, build, and operate economic and safe structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes.
Choosing an Engineering Branch
So, if you have chosen to study engineering, the first thing you will need to do will be to decide on the engineering course you will study. This decision may not be easy for you because there are over 35 branches of engineering to choose from. But if you follow a structured approach, you will not have much difficulty choosing the right branch.
Typically, there are core branches of engineering, applications of which span across a large number of industries. An example of a core branch is mechanical engineering. Its applications range from aerospace to consumer goods. Therefore, it has better employability. Then there are other branches of engineering that are either a specialization of a core branch or a combination of two or more core branches. For example, automobile engineering is a specialization of mechanical engineering while mechatronics is a combination of computer science, electronics engineering, and mechanical engineering. So, you go for a specialized branch if you are sure you want to pursue it as a career. If not, then it makes sense to do the core branch, a couple of courses from the electives offered in the curriculum for that branch during your undergraduate studies, and a master’s in the specialization of your interest. This will help you keep your options open at the undergraduate level and do your masters in a program that you really want.
Planning for the Kind of Work You Would Like to Do
Typically, there are core branches of engineering, applications of which span across a large number of industries. An example of a core branch is mechanical engineering. Its applications range from aerospace to consumer goods. Therefore, it has better employability. Then there are other branches of engineering that are either a specialization of a core branch or a combination of two or more core branches. For example, automobile engineering is a specialization of mechanical engineering while mechatronics is a combination of computer science, electronics engineering, and mechanical engineering. So, you go for a specialized branch if you are sure you want to pursue it as a career. If not, then it makes sense to do the core branch, a couple of courses from the electives offered in the curriculum for that branch during your undergraduate studies, and a master’s in the specialization of your interest. This will help you keep your options open at the undergraduate level and do your masters in a program that you really want.
Deciding the Type of Employer
The third consideration that you need to have is the type of employment, that is whether you would want to work in the government, public sector, defence sector, or the private sector. If you are looking to work in the government then branches such as Computer Science and Engineering, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and IT are more suited. Branches such as Computer Science and Engineering, IT, Electrical, Mechanical, Electronics, Chemical, Telecom, Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum are more suited for getting a job in the public sector. Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical, Electronics, Electrical, Aerospace, Telecom, and Marine Engineering are more suited for jobs in the defence sector. And as far as the private sector is concerned any branch is all right.
Deciding the Working Environment
Finally, you need to evaluate the environmental conditions in which your workday will be spent. They could be tough involving having to brave a lot of heat and dust during the fieldwork as in the case of Mining, Petroleum, Civil, Metallurgical, and Marine engineering. Or it could be uncomfortable in a factory like in the case of Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Aerospace, Automobile, and Production engineering but not as tough as those branches that involve extensive fieldwork. Or it could be comfortable as it is for Computer, IT, Electronics and Telecom engineering.
Conclusion
Having considered all the above aspects, you can make a wise decision about the branch of engineering you would like to go for. That way you will ensure that you study the field you are interested in and will also enjoy working in after you complete your degree. With the decision regarding the branch of engineering to study behind you, you will now need to decide on the engineering college(s) to which you will seek admission. How will you do that will be the topic of discussion in a separate blog. Till then do go through the other articles we have lined up for you.
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