Photo courtesy: MIT News

An engineering degree unlocks career options in various industry verticals. From ‘fixing things’ to understanding how and why things are the way they are, engineers are involved in almost all aspects of design and testing. As the world moves towards the integration of engineering with other disciplines, new engineering specializations have emerged, which can offer fantastic opportunities in work and study. Here are five that are becoming more and more popular:

1. Genetic Engineering
   Genetic engineering is the process of modifying genes. It uses techniques to manipulate genes through heredity and reproduction. Genetic engineering has led to famous biomedical innovations such as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization (e.g., “test-tube” babies), cloning, and gene manipulation.
   
   The universities of Glasgow, Greenwich, Sydney, and Cardiff offer courses on the subject which you can check out.
   
    
2. Nuclear Engineering
   Nuclear engineers work to harness the energy from nuclear reactions. Industries such as aerospace rely heavily on nuclear engineering for the design and analysis of complex systems too large and expensive to be tested. It is concerned with the intersection of nuclear reactions with other sub-atomic processes, based on the principles of nuclear physics. Nuclear Engineering has practical applications in medical imaging, radioactive waste disposal, clean energy etc.
   
   To explore degree options in nuclear engineering, check out courses at the UC Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Imperial College London and more.
   
    
3. Nanoengineering
   The prefix nano indicates one-billionth of a unit of measurement. Nanoengineering is revolutionising many industries such as information technology, medicine, energy and environmental science.
   
   To explore degree options in nanoengineering, check out courses at the UC Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National University of Singapore, University of Cambridge and more.
   
    
4. Control engineering (AR and VR engineering)
   AR stands for Augmented Reality, while VR stands for Virtual Reality. Both AR and VR are up and coming disciplines of Control Engineering that apply control theory principles to design systems. AR overlays digital content onto the real world while VR creates a simulated environment. Control engineering has applications across all sectors including defence, aerospace, IT, medicine, and transportation among others.
   
   Degree options in control engineering with specialisation in AR & VR can be explored at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, ETH Zurich and others.
   
    
5. Mechatronics Engineering
   Mechatronics is a branch of engineering that combines the studies of electronics with mechanical engineering. It involves designing smart machines that analyse the environment and make informed decisions. Interestingly, mechatronics engineers study many different aspects of engineering like computer engineering, telecommunications, system engineering and control engineering, enabling them to show expertise in different specialisations.
   
   To explore degree options in mechatronics engineering, check out courses at the UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, Auckland University of Technology, TU Chemnitz, TU Hamburg and more.