Engineering Your Future: A Brief Introduction to Engineering

Engineering--a field that is both academically rigorous and creatively demanding. Faced with endless career opportunities, today's students matriculate without a clear idea about the study and practice of engineering. With a unique modular approach, Engineering Your Future is an authoritative guide to the academic expectations and professional opportunities in the engineering field.Engineering Your Future: A Brief Introduction to Engineering, Fourth Edition, is a concise, inexpensive version of Engineering Your Future: A Comprehensive Introduction to Engineering, Seventh Edition. Containing the twelve most popular chapters from the comprehensive version, the Brief offers the best option for instructors looking for a solid base to work from while they incorporate outside projects or assignments.Features* Introduces students to the broad spectrum of engineering disciplines, with up-to-date data on degrees granted, employment opportunities, and salaries * Highlights the ethical responsibilities of engineers* Focuses on developing all-important problem-solving and communication skills that are critical to success both in the classroom and in the working world * Offers guidance both for leading teams and, just as importantly, for being an effective member of a team* Introduces a design methodology that can be used immediately and in subsequent design courses

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Preface 1. The History of Engineering 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Getting Started 1.3 The Beginnings of Engineering 1.4 An Overview of Ancient Engineering 1.5 Traveling Through the Ages Exercises and Activities 2. Engineering Majors 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Engineering Functions 2.3 Engineering Majors 2.4 Emerging Fields 2.5 Closing Thoughts References Exercises and Activities 3. Profiles of Engineers 4. A Statistical Profile of the Engineering Profession 4.1 Statistical Overview 4.2 College Enrollment Trends of Engineering Students 4.3 College Majors of Recent Engineering Students 4.4 Degrees in Engineering 4.5 Job Placement Trends 4.6 Salaries of Engineers 4.7 The Diversity of the Profession 4.8 Distribution of Engineers by Field of Study Exercises and Activities 5. Succeeding in the Classroom 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Attitude 5.3 Goals 5.4 Keys to Effectiveness 5.5 Test-taking 5.6 Making the Most of Your Professors 5.7 Learning Styles 5.8 Well-Rounded Equals Effective 5.9 Your Effective Use of Time 5.10 Accountability 5.11 Overcoming Challenges References Exercises and Activities 6. Problem Solving 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Analytic and Creative Problem Solving 6.3 Analytic Problem Solving 6.4 Creative Problem Solving 6.5 Personal Problem Solving Styles 6.6 Brainstorming Strategies 6.7 Critical Thinking References Exercises and Activities 7. Computer Tools for Engineers 7.1 The Internet 7.2 Word Processing Programs 7.3 Spreadsheets 7.4 Mathematics Software 7.5 Presentation Software 7.6 Operating Systems Exercises and Activities 8. Teamwork Skills 8.1 Introduction 8.2 What Makes a Successful Team? 8.3 Growth Stages of a Team 8.4 Team Leadership Structures 8.5 How Effective Teams Work 8.6 The Character of a Leader 8.7 Team Grading and Reports References Exercises and Activities 9. Engineering Design 9.1 What Is Engineering Design 9.2 The Design Process Exercises and Activities 10. Communication Skills 10.1 Why Do We Communicate? 10.2 Oral Communication Skills 10.3 Written Communication Skills 10.4 Other Types of Communication Exercises and Activities 11. Ethics 11.1 Introduction 11.2 The Nature of Ethics 11.3 The Nature of Engineering Ethics 11.4 The Issues and Topics of Engineering Ethics Exercises 12. Engineering Work Experience 12.1 A Job and Experience 12.2 Summer Jobs 12.3 Volunteer 12.4 Supervised Independent Study 12.5 Internships 12.6 Cooperative Education 12.7 Which Is Best for You? Exercises and Activities Appendix A: The Basics of PowerPoint Index

About the Author :
William C. Oakes is Associate Professor of Freshman Engineering at Purdue University. Les L. Leone is former Director of Cooperative Engineering Education at Michigan State University. Craig J. Gunn is Director of Communications in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University.