The Engineer's Degree

The term engineer's degree may be used to represent a graduate academic degree intermediate in rank between a master's degree and a doctorate (U.S.), or it may also represent a higher (in total, 6-year) degree equivalent to or slightly more extensive than a master's degree (Europe).

The Engineer's Degree In The United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom the highest award for non-postgraduate studies is the Master of Engineering (MEng), which is a four year course or a 'sandwich' five year course (with a year out working in industry in year 3). The Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) is usually a three year course, or can also include a year in industry. Many universities offer the MEng, and may then allow a transfer onto the BEng (this is because the MEng is the quickest route to chartership).

The Engineer's Degree In The United States

In the United States, the bachelor's degree is the standard undergraduate degree awarded to engineering students and is generally the only degree required for licensure. There are, however, several degree options available to graduate students, with the master's degree being most common, followed by the doctorate, and the Degree of Engineer or Engineer's Degree a distant third. The master's degree is typically the first graduate degree earned and may be followed by either an engineer's or doctoral degree, although some universities allow direct entry into the higher programs. The availability of degrees and the specific requirements differ considerably between institutions and between specialties within an institution. Officially, both undergraduate programs and graduate programs at the master's-level may receive ABET-accreditation. In practice, although undergraduate accreditation is common, master's-level accreditation is rare unless an undergraduate program is not available.

In many other fields, the master's degree would naturally be followed by a traditional research doctorate (Ph.D.). But in this case, the engineer's degree provides an alternative that has been tailored for professionals rather than academicians. Some schools require a thesis. But, the requirements are generally less than those of Ph.D. candidates and more comparable to those of most Master of Science students. Many consider an engineer's degree to be on a level between a master's degree and a doctorate. Nonetheless, it is in fact a terminal degree. In the past, it was not uncommon for a would-be engineer to earn an engineer's degree as their first and only college degree. But since World War II this has fallen out of favor, and it becomes continually more difficult to find a school that offers this option.

A degree with some form of "engineer" in the title is not necessarily an engineer's degree in this sense. Particularly, a "Master of Engineering" (M.Eng.) or "Engineering Doctorate" (Eng.D) degree is not an Engineer's degree, nor is any other master's or doctoral degree. Rather, the engineer's degree is in a category of its own.

Gideon M. Adogbo
Chemical Engineering Department
Ahmadu Bello University
Zaria, Nigeria