About the Engineering Field

Agricultural engineers use science and math to meet challenges in agriculture – helping farms grow better and more food, conserving soil and water, and designing tools and equipment. If you have a passion for the outdoors, biology, math, and machinery, you can combine these interests to help meet the world’s needs in food, water energy, and clean natural resources.

At UNK you will focus on the basics of the first two years of your engineering education. At UNL, you will choose your focus from machine design, soil and water resources, or sensors and controls.

Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate, and maintain construction projects and systems in both the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment. As a civil engineer, you’ll design and maintain structures like roads, bridges, dams, buildings, water systems, and more. You’ll help protect and enhance our quality of life while sustaining our natural resources.

At UNK you will focus on the basics of the first two years of your engineering education. At UNL, you can specialize in areas of environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, or water resources. A specialization in civil engineering is offered at both the Lincoln and the Omaha campuses.

Electrical engineers develop and oversee electrical systems and equipment. They work with everything from power grids to computers, and telephones to cars. As an electrical engineer, you’ll be leading cutting-edge technologies and gaining high-demand skills in a wide variety of career areas, not only engineering, but in law, medicine, and business. Electrical engineers command how electricity works, how to use it to power our lives, and how to create innovations and ideas.

At UNK you will focus on the basics of the first two years of your engineering education. A specialization in electrical engineering is offered through UNL on both the Lincoln and the Omaha campuses.

Mechanical engineers develop, build, care for, and improve tools, machines, and systems. If your curiosity extends to developing, designing, and testing equipment or technology, power-producing devices, or using nanotechnology to create high-performing materials and components, consider becoming a mechanical engineer. You’ll be in demand in many types of complex operations, in research, design, production, sales, and management.

At UNK you will focus on the basics of the first two years of your engineering education before continuing your education at UNL.

Computer engineering integrates electronic engineering with computer sciences. Computer engineers design and develop computer systems and other technological devices. Most computer engineering jobs require at least a bachelor's degree in computer engineering. Many employers also require state certification to be a professional engineer. Students can focus on computer software engineering or computer hardware engineering.

Tasks involving computer engineers include writing software and firmware for embedded microcontrollers, designing VLSI chips, designing analog sensors, designing mixed-signal circuit boards, and operating systems. Computer engineers are also suited for robotics research, which relies heavily on digital systems to control and monitor systems like motors, communications, and sensors.