does having a degree in Engineering mean you are a Engineer

Llama77

does having a degree in Physics mean you are a Physicist?

does having a degree in Math mean you are a Mathematician?

does having a degree in Engineering mean you are a Engineer?


I personally don't think a degree gives you a title. I think your position at a company and the work you do gives you a title.

JasonRox

That's wrong also. You can work at a grocery store and still be an engineer, physicists or mathematician.

I plan on becoming a mathematician, but I don't plan on working in academia. Does that mean I'll never become a mathematician? No.

To be an engineer in my opinion, you need the accredidation.

To be a mathematician in my opinion, need atleast a Master's but preferably a Ph.D.

To be a physicists, I have no idea. Is there accredidations for this? I would be more flexible in this field.

cristo

I think if you have formal training in a discipline, and undertake work (paid or unpaid) in that discipline, then you are justified in using the title.

Llama77

what makes a engineer need accreditation, I have 3 relatives whom are now in there late 50's and never went to college, 2 didn't graduate from high school. Started out all in different companies GM, Cisco and Eaton at lower end entry level jobs. Now after many promotions after many years all 3 of them are titled as Engineers by those respected companies and they have no college degree. They all deal with the specific design and development that a usually engineer would. They taught themselves all the math, physics, statics and everything, or they picked it up along the way. my uncle who works for cisco, is even in charge of HR for new engineers for there Wireless sensor network research department.

So are they not engineers?, even though they have been working as one for more than 15 years each, with the title of engineer.

and they are not technologists either, they all do developmental and research work for there companies

dan.crouthamel

I have a MS degree in Physics, but I do software development work. I don't think it would be fair to call me a physicist :)

Physics_wiz

Law prohibits engineers to sign on engineering documents if they don't pass the PE (Professional Engineer) test. The PE test is the second of two tests engineers have to take. Anything has to be signed by a PE in the end and if anything fails, the PE who signed it is responsible for it by law. So, legally you are not an "Engineer" unless you pass that test. The qualifications for the test include a degree in engineering.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Engineer

As far as I know, there's nothing that will legally qualify you to be a mathematician or a physicist and I really think you can be either of these or even an engineer without a degree. However, the PE test is needed for anyone to be viewed as an engineer by law.

Llama77

yeah but the majority of EE, CSE students will never get the license. are they all not engineers.

Hurkyl

I beg to differ.

Physics_wiz

Yep, by law they aren't. They might still be called engineers by people but they can't, for example, go out on their own and offer their engineering services to others.

http://www.jobweb.com/resources/libr...ring_41_01.htm

Werg22

It is completely fallacious to think that a degree makes you anything. A degree is just a means of acquiring knowledge; there are many others. It's also completely false to think the only way to acquire a professional title is to be well... a professional. The prime example is the title of philosopher. Does a philosopher need a degree or a job (some say that a philosopher needs to not have job, but I won't go there)?

nealh149

A degree is a title, nothing more. Einstein did not have PhD when he came up with his Relativity theory, but he's more of a physicist than some people who do have that PhD.

leright

Einstein did have a PhD when he came up with SR.

Ivan Seeking

As I was finishing up my BS, the head of the physics department asked me what I'm going to do now that I'm a physicist. However, whenever I mention my degree in a professional setting, I always specify that I am a graduate physicist since that's the term preferred by my insurance company.

The definition of physicist usually goes as: A specialist or expert in physics. I think any physics grad qualifies as a specialist in physics.

There are engineers, professional engineers, and certified professional engineers who can use a PE stamp. And considering that the language has become loose to the point of absurdity - even garbage collectors are called sanitation engineers - I would think that every engineering grad certainly qualifies for the title of "Engineer"; or even "Real Engineer"!

radou

It's the way of thinking which makes you an engineer, nothing else.

But, of course, without a diploma, noone will take you seriously.

J77

In the UK, you can join a professional body; such as, the IEEE (http://www.ieee.org.uk/) for EE&E.

There are similar ones for Chem Eng (IChemE) etc.

These require the taking of degree courses at accredited universities.

See you for more general professional bodies: http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/reference_a...dies3790.cfm#E

marlon

WOW, are you like an actuary or somethin' ?

I KNEW IT ! You have always struck me as someone who could be rich. Don't ask me why, though.

marlon

FredGarvin

IMO, it is the combination of education and the position/work one is in/doing. If I left my current job and went into baking cakes, I would not consider myself an engineer any longer. I would say that I had an engineering education though.