Resolving the dilemma of branch selection: Which engineering branch is best?

Introduction

Engineering disciplines have become extremely competitive in the present times. Each engineering discipline has its own significance as well as scope and prospects. We can say that there is both collaboration as well as competition among different branches of engineering.

As new entrants usher into the domain of engineering, the first question that they face is related to branch selection. This is one of the most critical decisions that determines one’s engineering career. The question of branch selection also varies from college to college. There are some colleges that are particularly popular for a specific branch due to a high level of expertise, infrastructure and experienced faculty. For instance, BTech in mechanical engineering colleges in Delhi NCR is extremely popular due to an ecosystem of automation sector that is developing on the outskirts of the city. That said, it becomes important to look into various branches of engineering so that students can make a perfect choice.

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest branches of engineering science. It traditionally developed as a branch of engineering that could take care of mechanical prospects of machines. For years altogether, it remained a static branch of science. Of late, the advancements in Mechanical Engineering were seen in the form of self-driving cars, robotics and other applications. These advancements led to developments in the field of mechanical engineering and made it much more dynamic in nature than ever before. So, if students want to understand the traditional principles of mechanics, in addition to developing and understanding the commercial significance of machines, this branch should be the perfect choice.

Civil engineering

Civil engineering is specially known for development of modern infrastructure in the form of housing, buildings, bridges and roads. Modern developments in the domain of civil engineering can be seen in the form of skyscrapers and super highways. As civil engineering remains one of the oldest branches of engineering, it continues to evolve rapidly in the present times.

It has a great commercial significance as its scope is increasing due to rapid urbanization and industrialisation. This is the branch of engineering that is particularly important from a socio-economic perspective. If students are zealous towards bringing about a socio-economic change in the form of modern infrastructure and network of roadways, this should be the branch of choice.

Electrical engineering

Electrical engineering is also considered one of the core branches of engineering. The application prospects of electrical engineering include the transmission and distribution of electricity as well as the minimization of losses. Energy is becoming an important resource in the present times and the role of electrical engineering is becoming even more important in harnessing this resource. The generation of electricity has become more challenging than before because of our thrust on renewable energy resources. It is in this context that green corridors are being developed and focus is on generation of electricity from solar and wind energy. These are some of the ongoing research areas in electrical engineering which would gain momentum in the coming times. This should give an idea to the students about the future outlook of this branch if they want to make their career in it.

Electronics and communication engineering

Electronics and communication engineering is a branch of engineering that can be considered as a bridge between electrical engineering and computer science engineering. From the perspective of electronics, the focus areas of this engineering include silicon chips, very large scale integration(VLSI), MOSFET, integrated circuits and the like. From the perspective of communication, the focus areas of this branch of engineering include mobile application and satellite communication to name a few. This is one of the most important branches of engineering because the application domains are very vast. It is for this reason that a large number of students are attracted to it.

Computer Science engineering

Computer science engineering is a branch that has undergone a high level of transformation due to its wide range of applications. It would not be an exaggeration if one is to rate computer science engineering as one of the best branches in the age of digital convergence. The rise of artificial intelligence can be particularly attributed to the advancements made in this branch. Other areas of research include machine learning, data science, cloud computing, internet of things and the like. There is hardly any engineering college that does not have a dedicated department towards computer science engineering. The proportion of students that choose computer science engineering exceeds the overall ratio when compared to other branches.

Concluding remarks

Other branches of engineering like chemical engineering and metallurgical engineering are also becoming increasingly popular among the students due to their lucrative job prospects in Middle East.