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[[Image:Windmills D1-D4 - Thornton Bank.jpg|thumb|Offshore [[wind turbines]] require technical input from engineers of different fields.]]
'''Engineering''' is the  [[discipline]] and [[profession]] of applying [[Technology|technical]], [[science|scientific]] and [[mathematical]] [[knowledge]] in order to utilize natural laws and physical resources to help design and implement [[material]]s, [[structure]]s, [[machine]]s, [[device]]s, [[system]]s, and [[process (engineering)|processes]] that safely realize a desired objective. The [[American Engineers' Council for Professional Development]] (ECPD, the predecessor of [[ABET]]<ref name="ABET History">[http://www.abet.org/history.shtml ABET History]</ref>) has defined engineering as follows:
<blockquote>“[T]he creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property.”<ref name="ECPD">[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1941Sci....94Q.456. Science, Volume 94, Issue 2446, pp. 456: Engineers' Council for Professional Development]</ref><ref name="ECPD Canons">[http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/oclc/26393909&referer=brief_results Engineers' Council for Professional Development. (1947). Canons of ethics for engineers]</ref><ref name="ECPD Definition on Britannica">[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9105842/engineering Engineers' Council for Professional Development definition on Encyclopaedia Britannica] (Includes Britannica article on Engineering)</ref></blockquote>
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One who practices engineering is called an '''[[engineer]]''', and those licensed to do so may have more formal designations such as [[European Engineer]], [[Professional Engineer]], [[Chartered Engineer]], or [[Incorporated Engineer]].  The broad discipline of engineering encompasses a range of more specialized [[fields of engineering|subdisciplines]], each with a more specific emphasis on certain fields of application and particular areas of [[technology]].

==History==
[[Image:Maquina vapor Watt ETSIIM.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Watt steam engine]], a major driver in the [[industrial revolution]], underscores the importance of engineering in modern history. This model is on display at the main building of the ETSIIM in Madrid, Spain]] 
The ''concept'' of engineering has existed since ancient times as humans devised fundamental inventions such as the [[pulley]], [[lever]], and [[wheel]].  Each of these inventions is consistent with the modern definition of engineering, exploiting basic mechanical principles to develop useful [[tools]] and objects.

The term ''engineering'' itself has a much more recent etymology, deriving from the word ''engineer'', which itself dates back to 1325,
when an ''engine’er'' (literally, one who operates an ''engine'') originally referred to “a constructor of military engines.”<ref>[[Oxford English Dictionary]]</ref>  In this context, now obsolete, an “engine” referred to a military machine, ''i.&nbsp;e.'', a mechanical contraption used in war (for example, a [[catapult]]).  The word “engine” itself is of even older origin, ultimately deriving from the [[Latin]] ''ingenium'' (c. 1250), meaning “innate quality, especially mental power, hence a clever invention.”<ref>Origin: 1250–1300; ME engin < AF, OF < L ingenium nature, innate quality, esp. mental power, hence a clever invention, equiv. to in- + -genium, equiv. to gen- begetting; Source: Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.</ref>

Later, as the design of civilian structures such as bridges and buildings matured as a technical discipline, the term [[civil engineering]]<ref name="ECPD Definition on Britannica"/> entered the lexicon as a way to distinguish between those specializing in the construction of such non-military projects and those involved in the older discipline of [[military engineering]] (the original meaning of the word “engineering,” now largely obsolete, with notable exceptions that have survived to the present day such as military engineering corps, ''e.&nbsp;g.'', the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|U.&nbsp;S. Army Corps of Engineers]]).

===Ancient Era===

The [[Acropolis of Athens|Acropolis]] and the [[Parthenon]] in [[Greece]], the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[aqueduct]]s, [[Via Appia]] and the [[Colosseum]], the [[Hanging Gardens of Babylon]], the [[Pharos of Alexandria]], the [[Egyptian pyramids|pyramid]]s in [[Egypt]], [[Teotihuacán]] and the cities and pyramids of the [[Maya civilization|Mayan]], [[Inca]] and [[Aztec]] Empires, the [[Great Wall of China]], among many others, stand as a testament to the ingenuity and skill of the ancient civil and military engineers. 

The earliest civil engineer known by name is [[Imhotep]].<ref name="ECPD Definition on Britannica"/> As one of the officials of the [[Pharaoh]], [[Djoser|Djosèr]], he probably designed and supervised the construction of the [[Pyramid of Djoser]] (the [[Step Pyramid]]) at [[Saqqara]] in [[History of ancient Egypt|Egypt]] around [[27th century BC|2630]]-[[27th century BC|2611 BC]]. <ref name="Barry">Barry J. Kemp, ''Ancient Egypt'', Routledge 2005, p.159</ref> He may also have been responsible for the first known use of [[column]]s in [[architecture]].{{Fact|date=November 2008}}

[[Ancient Greece]] developed machines in both in the civilian and military domains. The [[Antikythera mechanism]], the earliest known model of a [[mechanical computer]] in history<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/science/31computer.html?hp]</ref>, and the mechanical [[Archimedes#Discoveries_and_inventions|inventions]] of [[Archimedes]] are examples of early mechanical engineering. Some of Archimedes' inventions as well as the Antikythera mechanism required sophisticated knowledge of [[Differential (mechanical device)|differential gearing]] or [[epicyclic gearing]], two key principles in machine theory that helped design the [[gear train]]s of the Industrial revolution and are still widely used today in diverse fields such as [[robotics]] and [[automotive engineering]].<ref>{{cite journal
  | author = Wright, M T.
  | year = 2005
  | title = Epicyclic Gearing and the Antikythera Mechanism, part 2
  | journal = Antiquarian Horology
  | volume =  29
  | issue = 1  (September 2005)
  | pages = 54–60 }}</ref>

Chinese and Roman armies employed complex military machines including the [[Ballista]] and [[catapult]]. In the Middle Ages, the [[Trebuchet]] was developed.

===Middle Era===

An Iraqi by the name of [[al-Jazari]] helped influence the design of today's modern machines when sometime in between 1174 and 1200 he built five machines to pump water for the kings of the [[Turkey|Turkish]] [[Artuqid dynasty]] and their [[palace]]s{{Fact|24-04-2009|date=April 2009}}. The double-acting reciprocating piston pump was instrumental in the later development of engineering in general because it was the first machine to incorporate both the [[connecting rod]] and the [[crankshaft]], thus, converting [[rotational motion]] to [[reciprocation|reciprocating]] motion.<ref>[[Ahmad Y Hassan]]. [http://www.history-science-technology.com/Notes/Notes%203.htm The Crank-Connecting Rod System in a Continuously Rotating Machine].</ref>

British Charter Engineer [[Donald Routledge Hill]] once wrote: 

<blockquote>
It is impossible to over emphasize the importance of al-Jazari's work in the history of engineering, Until modern times there is no other document from any cultural area that provides a comparable wealth of instructions for the design, manufacture and assembly of machines...<ref>Hill, 1998: II, p. 231-2. Ashgate Publishing; ISBN 0860786064. Reference can also be found in [http://www.muslimheritage.com/uploads/Automation_Robotics_in_Muslim%20Heritage.pdf Here] and [http://www.banffcentre.ca/bnmi/programs/archives/2005/refresh/docs/conferences/Gunalan_Nadarajan.pdf Here] (PDF documents).</ref>
</blockquote>

Even today some toys still use the [[cam]]-[[lever]] mechanism found in [[al-Jazari]]'s [[combination lock]] and [[automaton]]. Besides over 50 ingenious mechanical devices, [[al-Jazari]] also developed and made innovations to segmental gears, mechanical controls, [[escapement]] mechanisms, clocks, robotics, and protocols for designing and manufacturing methods.

===Renaissance Era===

The first [[electrical engineer]] is considered to be [[William Gilbert]], with his 1600 publication of [[De Magnete]], who was the originator of the term "[[electricity]]".<ref>[[Merriam-Webster]] Collegiate Dictionary, 2000, CD-ROM, version 2.5.</ref>

The first [[steam engine]] was built in 1698 by [[mechanical engineer]] [[Thomas Savery]]<ref name=jenkins>{{cite book | last = Jenkins | first = Rhys | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Links in the History of Engineering and Technology from Tudor Times | publisher = Ayer Publishing | date = 1936 | location = | pages = 66 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0836921674}}</ref>. The development of this device gave rise to the [[industrial revolution]] in the coming decades, allowing for the beginnings of [[mass production]].

With the rise of engineering as a [[profession]] in the eighteenth century, the term became more narrowly applied to fields in which mathematics and science were applied to these ends. Similarly, in addition to military and civil engineering the fields then known as the [[mechanic arts]] became incorporated into engineering.

===Modern Era===

[[Electrical Engineering]] can trace its origins in the experiments of [[Alessandro Volta]] in the 1800s, the experiments of [[Michael Faraday]], [[Georg Ohm]] and others and the invention of the [[electric motor]] in 1872. The work of [[James Clerk Maxwell|James Maxwell]] and [[Heinrich Hertz]] in the late 19th century gave rise to the field of [[Electronics]]. The later inventions of the [[vacuum tube]] and the [[transistor]] further accelerated the development of Electronics to such an extent that electrical and electronics engineers currently outnumber their colleagues of any other Engineering specialty.<ref name="ECPD Definition on Britannica"/>

The inventions of Thomas Savery and the Scottish engineer [[James Watt]] gave rise to modern [[Mechanical Engineering]]. The development of specialized machines and their maintenance tools during the industrial revolution led to the rapid growth of Mechanical Engineering both in its birthplace [[Great Britain|Britain]] and abroad.<ref name="ECPD Definition on Britannica"/> 

[[Chemical Engineering]], like its counterpart Mechanical Engineering, developed in the nineteenth century during the [[Industrial Revolution]].<ref name="ECPD Definition on Britannica"/> Industrial scale manufacturing demanded new materials and new processes and by 1880 the need for large scale production of chemicals was such that a new industry was created, dedicated to the development and large scale manufacturing of chemicals in new industrial plants.<ref name="ECPD Definition on Britannica"/> The role of the chemical engineer was the design of these chemical plants and processes.<ref name="ECPD Definition on Britannica"/>

Aeronautical Engineering deals with [[aircraft]] design while [[Aerospace Engineering]] is a more modern term that expands the reach envelope of the discipline by including [[spacecraft]] design.<ref name="Imperial"/> Its origins can be traced back to the aviation pioneers around the turn of the century from the 19th century to the 20th although the work of [[Sir George Cayley]] has recently been dated as being from the last decade of the 18th century. Early knowledge of aeronautical engineering was largely empirical with some concepts and skills imported from other branches of engineering.<ref name="americana">{{cite encyclopedia
 | author = Van Every, Kermit E.
 | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia Americana
 | title = Aeronautical engineering
 | edition = 
 | year = 1986
 | publisher = Grolier Incorporated
 | volume =1
 | pages = 226 }}</ref> Only a decade after the successful flights by the [[Wright brothers]], the 1920s saw extensive development of aeronautical engineering through development of [[World War I]] military aircraft. Meanwhile, research to provide fundamental background science continued by combining [[theoretical physics]] with experiments. 

The first [[PhD]] in engineering (technically, ''applied science and engineering'') awarded in the United States went to [[Willard Gibbs]] at [[Yale University]] in 1863; it was also the second PhD awarded in science in the U.S.<ref>{{cite book | last = Wheeler | first = Lynde, Phelps | title = Josiah Willard Gibbs - the History of a Great Mind | publisher = Ox Bow Press | year = 1951 | isbn = 1-881987-11-6}}</ref>

In 1990, with the rise of [[computer]] technology, the first [[Search engine (computing)|search engine]] was built by [[computer engineer]] [[Alan Emtage]].

==Main branches of engineering==
{{Main|List of engineering branches}}
Engineering, much like science, is a broad discipline which is often broken down into several sub-disciplines. These disciplines concern themselves with differing areas of engineering work. Although initially an engineer will be trained in a specific discipline, throughout an engineer's career the engineer may become multi-disciplined, having worked in several of the outlined areas. Historically the main Branches of Engineering are categorized as follows:<ref name="Imperial">[http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/teaching/studying Imperial College London England]: ''Studying engineering at Imperial: Engineering courses are offered in five main branches of engineering: aeronautical, chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical. There are also courses in computing science, software engineering, information systems engineering, materials science and engineering, mining engineering and petroleum engineering.''</ref><ref name="Edinburgh">[http://www.chemeng.ed.ac.uk/ U of Edinburgh] ''Welcome to Chemical Engineering, which is celebrating 50 years this academic year, is part of the School of Engineering and Electronics (SEE), which includes the other three main engineering disciplines of electrical and electronic engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering.''</ref>

*[[Aerospace Engineering]] - The design of [[aircraft]], [[spacecraft]] and related topics.
*[[Chemical Engineering]] - The exploitation of chemical principles in order to carry out large scale chemical [[processing]], as well as designing new speciality [[materials]] and [[fuels]]. 
*[[Civil Engineering]] - The design and construction of public and private works, such as [[infrastructure]] ([[roads]], [[railways]], water supply and treatment etc.), [[bridge]]s and buildings. 
*[[Electrical Engineering]] - The design of electrical systems, such as [[transformer]]s, as well as electronic goods.
*[[Mechanical Engineering]] - The design of physical or mechanical systems, such as [[Internal combustion engine|engine]]s, [[powertrain]]s, [[kinematic chain]]s and [[vibration isolation]] equipment.

With the rapid advancement of [[High tech|Technology]] many new fields are gaining prominence and new branches are developing such as [[Computer Engineering]], [[Software Engineering]], [[Nanotechnology]], [[Molecular engineering]], [[Mechatronics]] etc. These new specialties sometimes combine with the traditional fields and form new branches such as Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics and Electrical and Computer Engineering. A new or emerging area of application will commonly be defined temporarily as a permutation or subset of existing disciplines; there is often gray area as to when a given sub-field becomes large and/or prominent enough to warrant classification as a new "branch." One key indicator of such emergence is when major universities start establishing departments and programs in the new field.

For each of these fields there exists considerable overlap, especially in the areas of the application of sciences to their disciplines such as physics, chemistry and mathematics.

==Methodology==
[[Image:Dampfturbine Montage01.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Design of a [[turbine]] requires collaboration from engineers from many fields]]
Engineers apply the sciences of physics and mathematics to find suitable solutions to problems or to make improvements to the status quo. More than ever, Engineers are now required to have knowledge of relevant sciences for their design projects, as a result, they keep on learning new material throughout their career. If multiple options exist, engineers weigh different design choices on their merits and choose the solution that best matches the requirements. The crucial and unique task of the engineer is to identify, understand, and interpret the constraints on a design in order to produce a successful result. It is usually not enough to build a technically successful product; it must also meet further requirements. Constraints may include available resources, physical, imaginative or technical limitations, flexibility for future modifications and additions, and other factors, such as requirements for cost, [[Safety engineering|safety]], marketability, productibility, and [[Serviceability (computer)|serviceability]]. By understanding the constraints, engineers derive [[specifications]] for the limits within which a viable object or system may be produced and operated. 

===Problem solving===
Engineers use their knowledge of [[science]], [[mathematics]], and [[empirical knowledge|appropriate experience]] to find suitable solutions to a problem. Engineering is considered a branch of applied mathematics and science. Creating an appropriate [[mathematical model]] of a problem allows them to analyze it (sometimes definitively), and to test potential solutions. Usually multiple reasonable solutions exist, so engineers must evaluate the different [[design choice]]s on their merits and choose the solution that best meets their requirements.  [[Genrich Altshuller]], after gathering statistics on a large number of [[patent]]s, suggested that [[compromise]]s are at the heart of "[[level of invention|low-level]]" engineering designs, while at a higher level the best design is one which eliminates the core contradiction causing the problem. 

Engineers typically attempt to predict how well their designs will perform to their specifications prior to full-scale production. They use, among other things: [[prototype]]s, [[scale model]]s, [[simulation]]s, [[destructive testing|destructive test]]s, [[nondestructive testing|nondestructive tests]], and [[stress test]]s. Testing ensures that products will perform as expected. Engineers as professionals take seriously their responsibility to produce designs that will perform as expected and will not cause unintended harm to the public at large. Engineers typically include a [[factor of safety]] in their designs to reduce the risk of unexpected failure. However, the greater the safety factor, the less efficient the design may be. The study of failed products is known as [[forensic engineering]], and can help the [[product design]]er in evaluating his or her design in the light of real conditions. The discipline is of greatest value after disasters, such as [[bridge collapse]]s, when careful analysis is needed to establish the cause or causes of the failure.

===Computer use===
[[Image:CFD Shuttle.jpg|thumb|left|225px|A computer simulation of high velocity air flow around the [[Space Shuttle]] during re-entry.]] 
As with all modern scientific and technological endeavors, computers and software play an increasingly important role. As well as the typical business [[application software]] there are a number of computer aided applications ([[CAx]]) specifically for engineering. Computers can be used to generate models of fundamental physical processes, which can be solved using [[numerical method]]s.

One of the most widely used tools in the profession is [[computer-aided design]] (CAD) software which enables engineers to create 3D models, 2D drawings, and schematics of their designs. CAD together with [[Digital mockup]] (DMU) and [[Computer-aided engineering|CAE]] software such as [[Finite element method|finite element method analysis]] or [[analytic element method]] allows engineers to create models of designs that can be analyzed without having to make expensive and time-consuming physical prototypes. These allow products and components to be checked for flaws; assess fit and assembly; study ergonomics; and to analyze static and dynamic characteristics of systems such as stresses, temperatures, electromagnetic emissions, electrical currents and voltages, digital logic levels, fluid flows, and kinematics. Access and distribution of all this information is generally organized with the use of [[Product Data Management]] software.<ref>{{cite web
  | last = Arbe
  | first = Katrina
  | title = PDM: Not Just for the Big Boys Anymore
  | publisher = ThomasNet
  | date = 2001.05.07
  | url = http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2001/05/pdm_not_just_fo.html
}} </ref>

There are also many tools to support specific engineering tasks such as [[Computer-aided manufacture]] (CAM) software to generate [[CNC]] machining instructions; [[Manufacturing Process Management]] software for production engineering; [[Electronic design automation|EDA]] for [[printed circuit board]] (PCB) and circuit [[schematic]]s for electronic engineers; [[Maintenance, repair and operations|MRO]] applications for maintenance management; and [[Architecture, engineering and construction|AEC]] software for civil engineering.

In recent years the use of computer software to aid the development of goods has collectively come to be known as [[Product Lifecycle Management]] (PLM).<ref>{{cite web
  | last = Arbe
  | first = Katrina
  | title = The Latest Chapter in CAD Software Evaluation
  | publisher = ThomasNet
  | date = 2003.05.22
  | url = http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2003/05/the_latest_chap.html
}} </ref>

==Engineering in a social context==
Engineering is a subject that ranges from large collaborations to small individual projects.  Almost all engineering projects are beholden to some sort of financing agency: a company, a set of investors, or a government. The few types of engineering that are minimally constrained by such issues are [[pro bono]] engineering and [[open design]] engineering.

By its very nature engineering is bound up with society and human behavior. Every product or construction used by modern society will have been influenced by engineering design. Engineering design is a very powerful tool to make changes to environment, society and economies, and its application brings with it a great responsibility, as represented by many of the [[Engineering society|Engineering Institutions]] codes of practice and [[ethics]].  Whereas medical ethics is a well-established field with considerable consensus, engineering ethics is far less developed, and engineering projects can be subject to considerable controversy. Just a few examples of this from different engineering disciplines are the development of [[nuclear weapon]]s, the [[Three Gorges Dam]], the design and use of [[Sports Utility Vehicles]] and the extraction of [[Fuel oil|oil]]. There is a growing trend amongst western engineering companies to enact serious [[Corporate responsibility|Corporate and Social Responsibility]] policies, but many companies do not have these.

Engineering is a key driver of human development.<ref name="Human Dev">[http://www.ewb-uk.org/system/files?file=Hinton%20lecture%20text%20FINAL.pdf PDF on Human Development]</ref> Sub-Saharan Africa in particular has a very small engineering capacity which results in many African nations being unable to develop crucial infrastructure without outside aid. The attainment of many of the [[Millennium Development Goals]] requires the achievement of sufficient engineering capacity to develop infrastructure and sustainable technological development.<ref name="MDG">[http://www.sistech.co.uk/media/ICEBrunelLecture2006.pdf?Docu_id=1420&faculty=14 MDG info pdf]</ref>   
All overseas development and relief NGOs make considerable use of engineers to apply solutions in disaster and development scenarios. A number of charitable organizations aim to use engineering directly for the good of mankind:

*[[Engineers Without Borders]]
*Engineers Against Poverty
*Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief
*[[Engineers for a Sustainable World]]

==Cultural presence==

Engineering is a well respected profession. For example, in Canada it ranks as one of the public's most trusted professions.<ref>{{cite paper|author=Leger Marketing|year=2006|url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=b7647f97-f370-451e-9506-2f116da2c6a1&k=38584&p=2|title=Sponsorship effect seen in survey of most-trusted professions: pollster}}, pg. 2, ''The occupations most-trusted by Canadians, according to a poll by Leger Marketing... Engineering 88 per cent of respondents...''</ref>

Sometimes engineering has been seen as a somewhat dry, uninteresting field in [[popular culture]], and has also been thought to be the domain of [[nerd]]s. For example, the cartoon character [[Dilbert]] is an engineer.  One difficulty in increasing public awareness of the profession is that average people, in the typical run of ordinary life, do not ever have any personal dealings with engineers, even though they benefit from their work every day.  By contrast, it is common to visit a doctor at least once a year, the chartered accountant at tax time, and, occasionally, even a lawyer.

This has not always been so - most British school children in the 1950s were brought up with stirring tales of 'the Victorian Engineers', chief amongst whom were the [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel|Brunels]], the [[George Stephenson|Stephensons]], [[Thomas Telford|Telford]] and their contemporaries.

In [[science fiction]] engineers are often portrayed as highly knowledgeable and respectable individuals who understand the overwhelming future technologies often portrayed in the genre. The ''[[Star Trek]]'' characters [[Montgomery Scott]], [[Geordi La Forge]], [[Miles O'Brien (Star Trek)|Miles O'Brien]], [[B'Elanna Torres]], and [[Charles Tucker III]] are famous examples.

Occasionally, engineers may be recognized by the "[[Iron Ring]]"--a stainless steel or iron ring worn on the little finger of the dominant hand.  This tradition began in 1925 in Canada for [[the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer]] as a symbol of pride and obligation for the engineering profession.  Some years later in 1972 this practice was adopted by several colleges in the United States.  Members of the US [[Order of the Engineer]] accept this ring as a pledge to uphold the proud history of engineering.

A [[Professional Engineer]]'s name may be followed by the [[post-nominal letters]] PE or P.Eng in North America. In much of Europe a professional engineer is denoted by the letters IR, while in the UK and much of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] the term [[Chartered Engineer]] applies and is denoted by the letters CEng.

==Legislation==
{{Citations missing|date=April 2007}}
In most Western countries, certain engineering tasks, such as the design of bridges, electric power plants, and chemical plants, must be approved by a licensed [[Professional Engineer]] or a [[Chartered Engineer]] or an [[Incorporated Engineer]].  

Engineering licensure in the United States remains largely optional for the vast majority of practicing engineers not directly working on projects deemed to implicate "public health and safety" (this typically covers civil engineers and government contractors). This is known as the "industry exemption." And even for such public-safety projects, it is often sufficient for only the supervising engineer to have a license. Consequently, a relatively small minority of engineers in the United States are actually licensed; this is of growing concern to some engineering organizations who believe licensure is important for maintaining the status of engineering as an elite and learned profession like medicine and law. However, becoming a "Registered Professional Engineer" or "P.E." is still often pursued as a professional credential for prestige, even when not actually required for particular employment.

Licensure in most states is generally attainable through combination of [[education]], pre-examination (Fundamentals of Engineering Exam), examination (Professional Engineering Exam), and engineering experience (typically in the area of 5+ years). In the United States, each state tests and licenses [[Professional Engineer]]s. Currently most states do not license by specific engineering discipline, but rather provide generalized licensure, and trust engineers to use professional judgment regarding their individual competencies; this is the favored approach of the professional societies. Despite this, however, at least one of the examinations required by most states is actually focused on a particular discipline; candidates for licensure typically choose the catgeory of examination which comes closest to their respective expertise.

In much of Europe and the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] professional accreditation is provided by [[Engineering society|Engineering Institutions]], such as the [[Institution of Civil Engineers]] from the UK. The engineering institutions of the UK are some of the oldest in the world, and provide accreditation to many engineers around the world. In Canada the profession in each province is governed by its own engineering association. For instance, in the Province of British Columbia an engineering graduate with 4 or more years of experience in an engineering-related field will need to be registered by the Association for Professional Engineers and Geoscientists ([[APEGBC]]) <ref>[http://www.apeg.bc.ca APEGBC - Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> in order to become a Professional Engineer and be granted the professional designation of P.Eng.

The federal US government, however, supervises aviation through the Federal Aviation Regulations administrated by the Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration. Designated Engineering Representatives approve data for aircraft design and repairs on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Even with strict testing and licensure, engineering disasters still occur. Therefore, the [[Professional Engineer]], [[Chartered Engineer]], or [[Incorporated Engineer]] adheres to a strict code of [[ethics]]. Each engineering discipline and professional society maintains a code of ethics, which the members pledge to uphold.

Refer also to the [[Washington accord]] for international accreditation details of professional engineering degrees.

==Relationships with other disciplines==
===Science===
{{quote|''Scientists study the world as it is; engineers create the world that has never been.'' |[[Theodore von Kármán]]}}

[[Image:Nrc-bri-bioprocess-lr.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Bioreactors for producing proteins, NRC Biotechnology Research Institute, Montréal, Canada]]

There exists an overlap between the sciences and engineering practice; in engineering, one applies science. Both areas of endeavor rely on accurate observation of [[materials]] and phenomena.  Both use mathematics and classification criteria to analyze and communicate observations.  Scientists are expected to interpret their observations and to make expert recommendations for practical action based on those interpretations.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Scientists may also have to complete engineering tasks, such as designing experimental apparatus or building prototypes. Conversely, in the process of developing technology engineers sometimes find themselves exploring new phenomena, thus becoming, for the moment, scientists. 

In the book ''What Engineers Know and How They Know It'',<ref name="vincenti">{{cite book|last=Vincenti|first=Walter G. |title=What Engineers Know and How They Know It: Analytical Studies from Aeronautical History|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|year=1993}}</ref> [[Walter Vincenti]] asserts that engineering research has a character different from that of scientific research. First, it often deals with areas in which the basic [[physics]] and/or [[chemistry]] are well understood, but the problems themselves are too complex to solve in an exact manner. Examples are the use of numerical approximations to the [[Navier-Stokes equations]] to describe aerodynamic flow over an aircraft, or the use of [[metal fatigue|Miner's rule]] to calculate fatigue damage. Second, engineering research employs many semi-empirical methods that are foreign to pure scientific research, one example being the [[Method of variation of parameters|method of parameter variation]].

As stated by Fung et al. in the revision to the classic engineering text, Foundations of Solid Mechanics, <ref name="Fung">{{cite book|title=Classical and Computational Solid Mechanics, YC Fung and P. Tong|publisher=World Scientific|year=2001}}</ref> 

"Engineering is quite different from science. Scientists try to understand
nature. Engineers try to make things that do not exist in nature. Engineers
stress invention. To embody an invention the engineer must put his idea in
concrete terms, and design something that people can use. That something
can be a device, a gadget, a material, a method, a computing program, an
innovative experiment, a new solution to a problem, or an improvement on
what is existing. Since a design has to be concrete, it must have its geometry,
dimensions, and characteristic numbers. Almost all engineers working
on new designs find that they do not have all the needed information. Most
often, they are limited by insufficient scientific knowledge. Thus they study
mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and mechanics. Often they have
to add to the sciences relevant to their profession. Thus engineering sciences
are born."

Scientists and engineers make up less than 5% of the population but create up to 50% of the [[GDP]].<ref>[[Reader's Digest]], December 2005, p. 110</ref>

===Medicine and biology===
[[Image:Leonardo self.jpg|thumb|225px|right|[[Leonardo DaVinci]], seen here in a self-portrait, has been described as the epitome of the artist/engineer.<ref name="Bjerklie, David"/> He is also known for his studies on [[human anatomy]] and [[physiognomy]]]]

The study of the human body, albeit from different directions and for different purposes, is an important common link between medicine and some engineering disciplines. [[Medicine]] aims to sustain, enhance and even replace functions of the [[human body]], if necessary, through the use of [[technology]]. Modern  medicine can replace several of the body's functions through the use of artificial organs and can significantly alter the function of the human body through artificial devices such as, for example, [[brain implant]]s and [[Artificial pacemaker|pacemaker]]s.<ref name="Boston U"> [http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Bioe/BioeMcGe.htm Ethical Assessment of Implantable Brain Chips. Ellen M. McGee and G. Q. Maguire, Jr. from Boston University]</ref><ref name="IEEE foreign parts"> [http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/iel5/2188/27125/01204814.pdf?arnumber=1204814 IEEE technical paper: Foreign parts (electronic body implants).by Evans-Pughe, C. quote from summary:Feeling threatened by cyborgs?]</ref> The fields of [[Bionics]] and medical Bionics are dedicated to the study of synthetic implants pertaining to natural systems. Conversely, some engineering disciplines view the human body as a biological machine worth studying, and are dedicated to emulating many of its functions by replacing [[biology]] with technology. This has led to fields such as [[artificial intelligence]], [[neural networks]], [[fuzzy logic]], and [[robot]]ics.  There are also substantial interdisciplinary interactions between engineering and medicine.<ref name="IME">[http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/ime/mission.html Institute of Medicine and Engineering: Mission statement The mission of the Institute for Medicine and Engineering (IME) is to stimulate fundamental research at the interface between biomedicine and engineering/physical/computational sciences leading to innovative applications in biomedical research and clinical practice.]</ref><ref name="IEEE">[http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=51 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology: Both general and technical articles on current technologies and methods used in biomedical and clinical engineering...]</ref> 

Both fields provide solutions to real world problems. This often requires moving forward before phenomena are completely understood in a more rigorous scientific sense and therefore experimentation and [[empirical]] knowledge is an integral part of both. Medicine, in part, studies the function of the human body. The human body, as a biological machine, has many functions that can be modeled using Engineering methods.<ref name="Royal Academy">[http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/images/pressRelease/1170256174.pdf Royal Academy of Engineering and Academy of Medical Sciences: Systems Biology: a vision for engineering and medicine in pdf: quote1: Systems Biology is an emerging methodology that has yet to be defined quote2: It applies the concepts of systems engineering to the study of complex biological systems through iteration between computational and/or mathematical modelling and experimentation.]</ref> The heart for example functions much like a pump,<ref name="Science Museum of Minnesota">[http://www.smm.org/heart/lessons/lesson5a.htm Science Museum of Minnesota: Online Lesson 5a; The heart as a pump]</ref> the skeleton is like a linked structure with levers,<ref name="Minnesota State University emuseum">[http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/biology/humananatomy/skeletal/skeletalsystem.html Minnesota State University emuseum: Bones act as levers]</ref> the brain produces [[Signal (electrical engineering)|electrical signal]]s etc.<ref name="UC Berkeley News">[http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/02/23_brainwaves.shtml UC Berkeley News: UC researchers create model of brain's electrical storm during a seizure] </ref> These similarities as well as the increasing importance and application of Engineering principles in Medicine, led to the development of the field of [[biomedical engineering]] that utilizes concepts developed in both disciplines. 

Newly emerging branches of science, such as [[Systems biology]], are adapting analytical tools traditionally used for engineering, such as systems modeling and computational analysis, to the description of biological systems.<ref name="Royal Academy"/>

===Art===
There are connections between engineering and art;<ref name="Lehigh University project">[http://www3.lehigh.edu/News/news_story.asp?iNewsID=1781&strBack=%2Fcampushome%2FDefault.asp Lehigh University project: We wanted to use this project to demonstrate the relationship between art and architecture and engineering] </ref> 
they are direct in some fields, for example, [[architecture]], [[landscape architecture]] and [[industrial design]] (even to the extent that these disciplines may sometimes be included in a University's [[Faculty (university)|Faculty]] of Engineering); and indirect in others.<ref name="Lehigh University project"/><ref name="National Science Foundation:The Art of Engineering">[http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=107990&org=NSF National Science Foundation:The Art of Engineering: Professor uses the fine arts to broaden students' engineering perspectives]</ref><ref name="MIT World:The Art of Engineering">[http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/362/ MIT World:The Art of Engineering: Inventor James Dyson on the Art of Engineering: quote: A member of the British Design Council, James Dyson has been designing products since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1970.]</ref><ref name="University of Texas at Dallas">[http://iiae.utdallas.edu/ University of Texas at Dallas:The Institute for Interactive Arts and Engineering]</ref> The [[Art Institute of Chicago]], for instance, held an exhibition about the art of [[NASA]]'s aerospace design.<ref name="NASA">[http://www.artic.edu/aic/exhibitions/nasa/overview.html Aerospace Design: The Art of Engineering from NASA’s Aeronautical Research]</ref> [[Robert Maillart]]'s bridge design is perceived by some to have been deliberately artistic.<ref name="Princeton U">[http://press.princeton.edu/titles/137.html Princeton U: Robert Maillart's Bridges: The Art of Engineering: quote:no doubt that Maillart was fully conscious of the aesthetic implications...]</ref> At the [[University of South Florida]], an engineering professor, through a grant with the [[National Science Foundation]], has developed a course that connects art and engineering.<ref name="National Science Foundation:The Art of Engineering"/><ref name="Chief engineer">[http://www.chiefengineer.org/content/content_display.cfm/seqnumber_content/2697.htm quote:..the tools of artists and the perspective of engineers..]</ref> Among famous historical figures [[Leonardo Da Vinci]] is a well known [[Renaissance]] artist and engineer, and a prime example of the [[nexus]] between [[art]] and engineering.<ref name="Bjerklie, David">Bjerklie, David.  “The Art of Renaissance Engineering.”  MIT’s Technology Review Jan./Feb.1998: 54-9.  Article explores the concept of the “artist-engineer”, an individual who used his artistic talent in engineering. Quote from article: Da Vinci reached the pinnacle of “artist-engineer”-dom,  Quote2: “It was Leonardo da Vinci who initiated the most ambitious expansion in the role of artist-engineer, progressing from astute observer to inventor to theoretician.” (Bjerklie 58) </ref><ref name="Drew U">[http://www.users.drew.edu/~ejustin/leonardo.htm Drew U: user website: cites Bjerklie paper]</ref>

===Other fields===
In [[Political science]] the term ''engineering'' has been borrowed for the study of the subjects of [[Social engineering]] and [[Political engineering]], which deal with forming [[political structure|political]] and [[social structure]]s using engineering methodology coupled with [[political science]] principles.

==See also==
{{multicol}}
;Lists
*[[List of basic engineering topics]] 
*[[List of engineering topics]]
*[[List of engineers]]
*[[Engineering society]]
*[[List of aerospace engineering topics]]
*[[List of basic chemical engineering topics]]
*[[List of electrical engineering topics]]
*[[List of genetic engineering topics]]
*[[List of mechanical engineering topics]]
*[[List of nanoengineering topics]] 
*[[List of software engineering topics]]
{{multicol-break}}
{{Portal | Engineering | Nuvola apps kcmsystem.svg | 35}}
;Related subjects
*[[Design]]
*[[Earthquake engineering]]
*[[Engineering economics]]
*[[Engineers Without Borders]]
*[[Forensic engineering]]
*[[Global Engineering Education]]
*[[Industrial design]]
*[[Open hardware]]
*[[Reverse engineering]]
*[[Science and technology]]
*[[Sustainable engineering]]
*[[Women in engineering]]
{{multicol-end}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Billington |first=David P. |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=The Innovators: The Engineering Pioneers Who Made America Modern |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date=1996-06-05 |year= |month= |publisher=Wiley; New Ed edition |location= |language= |isbn=0-471-14026-0 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}
*{{cite book |last=Petroski |first=Henry |authorlink=Henry Petroski |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date=1992-03-31 |year= |month= |publisher=Vintage |location= |language= |isbn=0-679-73416-3 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}
*{{cite book |last=Petroski |first=Henry |authorlink=Henry Petroski |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=The Evolution of Useful Things: How Everyday Artifacts-From Forks and Pins to Paper Clips and Zippers-Came to be as They are |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date=1994-02-01 |year= |month= |publisher=Vintage |location= |language= |isbn=0-679-74039-2 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}
*{{cite book |last=Lord |first=Charles R. |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=Guide to Information Sources in Engineering |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date=2000-08-15 |year= |month= |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |location= |language= |isbn=1-563-08699-9 |oclc= |doi=10.1336/1563086999 |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}
*{{cite book |last=Vincenti |first=Walter G. |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=What Engineers Know and How They Know It: Analytical Studies from Aeronautical History |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1993-02-01 |month= |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press |location= |language= |isbn=0-80184588-2 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}
*{{cite book |last=Hill |first=Donald R. |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices: Kitáb fí ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya |origdate= |origyear=1206 |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1973-12-31 |month= |publisher=Pakistan Hijara Council |location= |language= |isbn=969-8016-25-2 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}

{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionarypar|engineering}}
{{Wikiversity|Engineering}}

*National Society of Professional Engineers article on [http://www.nspe.org/govrel/gr2-ps1737.asp  Licensure and Qualifications for the Practice of Engineering]
*[http://www.nae.edu/ National Academy of Engineering (NAE)]
*[http://www.asee.org/ American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)]
*The US Library of Congress [http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/eng-history.html ''Engineering in History'' bibliography]
*[http://www.ices.cmu.edu ICES: Institute for Complex Engineered Systems, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA]
* [http://www.tc.umn.edu/~tmisa/biblios/hist_engineering.html History of engineering bibliography] at [[University of Minnesota]]

{{Technology}}

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