Engineering, Robotics & Product Innovation

At the interface of engineering and medicine, bioengineering is an inherently interdisciplinary field with societal impact.  Bioengineering is engineering in a biological context, such as the human body, an ecosystem, or a bioreactor. The interface of engineering and medicine, as embodied in bioengineering, will be one of the most exciting endeavors and greatest adventures of the 21st century. Job opportunities are expected to expand dramatically with a focus on the development of entirely new classes of products, instrumentation, and implants. The impact on human health will be extraordinary.

Biomedical engineering careers sit at the intersection of engineering and healthcare, requiring both technical rigor and an understanding of clinical environments. Use Forage to explore related career paths in healthcare and life sciences, prepare for behavioral and technical interviews with Big Interview, and explore BMES and AAMI professional associations in our resources library. 

You can also utilize the Library’s Bioengineering guide for biomedical research, protocols, and regulatory standards, and more tools like Engineering Village for engineering and computer science literature, JoVE: Journal of Visualized Experiments for peer-reviewed video protocols in bioengineering and life sciences, and PubMed (NU customized) for biomedical and clinical research literature.

Resources: Forage | Big Interview | Library Guides

For more information on the Bioengineering concentration, please visit the department website.

Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry and engineering to solve problems involving the production or use of chemicals, building a bridge between science and manufacturing. They design equipment and develop processes for large-scale chemical manufacturing, plan and test methods of manufacturing, treat the by-products of manufacturing and supervise production. Chemical engineers create drug delivery systems, numerical models for atmospheric pollution problems, and magnetic and electronic materials. They also work in a variety of manufacturing industries such as those producing electronics, photographic equipment, clothing, and pulp and paper.

Chemical engineering careers span process design, pharmaceuticals, materials science, energy, and environmental remediation. Prepare for technical interviews with our Interview Type: Technical guide, use Jobscan to align your resume with chemical engineering job descriptions, and explore AIChE and ISPE professional associations in our resources library.

You can also utilize the Library’s Engineering guide for chemical and process engineering research, and more tools like Engineering Village for the latest academic and conference articles in chemical engineering, Knovel Library for engineering handbooks and datasets on chemicals and materials, and AccessEngineering (McGraw-Hill) for 530+ reference books, instructional videos, and calculation tools.

Resources: Interview Type: Technical | Jobscan | Big Interview | Library Guides

For more information on the Chemical Engineering concentration, please visit the department website.

The roads, dams, bridges, water treatment plants and all other public projects that affect society’s daily lives are developed by civil engineers. Civil engineers also perform the structural design and analysis of buildings, such as skyscrapers. Other areas of civil engineering include construction project management, construction automation, environmental engineering, traffic analysis, and mechanics of materials.

Environmental engineers are involved in water and air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, and public health issues. Environmental engineers conduct hazardous-waste management studies and evaluate the significance of the municipal sewage and industrial wastewater systems. They analyze scientific data, research controversial projects, and perform quality control checks.

Civil and environmental engineering careers span infrastructure design, water resources, environmental compliance, and sustainability consulting across public and private sectors. Prepare for technical interviews with our Interview Type: Technical guide, explore ASCE and ASHRAE professional associations in our resources library, and use Forage to gain exposure to engineering environments virtually.

You can also utilize the Library’s Civil & Environmental Engineering guide for technical standards, building codes, and sustainable design resources, and more tools like the Civil Engineering Database (ASCE) for all publications of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineering Village for comprehensive engineering literature, and GreenFILE (EBSCOhost) for environmental and sustainable building research.

Resources: Interview Type: Technical | Forage | Library Guides

For more information on the Civil and Environmental Engineering concentration, please visit the department website.

Electrical engineers design, develop, test and supervise the manufacturing of electrical and electronic equipment. Some of this equipment includes power generating, controlling, and transmission devices used by electric utilities and electric motors, machinery controls, lighting and wiring in buildings, automobiles, aircraft, radar and navigation systems, and broadcast and communications systems. 

Computer engineers are involved with digital technologies such as computer hardware and the development of more efficient circuitry on silicon computer chips. They research, design, develop, and test computer hardware and supervise its manufacturing and installation. Computer software engineers often work as part of a team that designs new hardware, software, and systems.  As a computer engineering student at Northeastern, you will study computer architecture, software engineering, computer-aided design (VLSI), microprocessor-based design, and applied algorithms.

Electrical and computer engineering careers span hardware design, embedded systems, firmware, and cybersecurity. Prepare for technical interviews with our Interview Type: Technical guide, use Jobscan to align your resume with engineering job descriptions, and explore IEEE and ACM professional associations in our resources library. 

You can also utilize the Library’s Engineering guide for ECE research and reference, and more tools like IEEEXplore for IEEE journals, conferences, and standards in electrical engineering and electronics, ACM Digital Library for computer engineering and systems research, and Compendex & INSPEC for an interdisciplinary engineering database combined with physics and computer science research.

Resources: Interview Type: Technical | Jobscan | Library Guides

For more information on the Electrical and Computer Engineering concentration, please visit the department website.

Industrial Engineers determine the most effective ways for an organization to use the basic factors of production: people, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service. They are the bridge between management goals and operational performance. They are concerned with increasing productivity through the management of people, methods of business organization, and technology. Although most industrial engineers work in manufacturing industries, they also work in consulting services, healthcare, and communications.

Mechanical Engineers research, develop, design, manufacture, and test tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. They work on power-producing machines such as refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, machine tools, material handling systems, elevators and escalators, industrial production equipment, and robots used in manufacturing. The field of nanotechnology, which involves the creation of high-performance materials and components by integrating atoms and molecules, is introducing entirely new principles to the design process.

Mechanical engineering careers require technical problem-solving, design proficiency, and the ability to work collaboratively across teams. Use Forage virtual simulations to gain exposure to engineering environments, prepare for technical interview rounds with our Interview Type: Technical resource, and explore ASME and IEEE professional associations in our resources library. 

You can also utilize the Library’s Mechanical and Industrial Engineering guide for ME, IE, robotics, and manufacturing research, and more tools like ASME Online Journals for full-text mechanical engineering scholarship from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Knovel Library for mechanical engineering ebooks, handbooks, and datasets, and AccessEngineering (McGraw-Hill) for instructional videos and engineering reference tools.

Resources: Forage | Interview Type: Technical | Big Interview | Library Guides

For more information on the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering concentration, please visit the department website.

Physics examines the fundamental principles that govern natural phenomena, ranging in scale from subatomic particles through the behavior of solids, liquids, and biomolecules, to exploding stars and colliding galaxies. At Northeastern, physics students develop rigorous analytical and quantitative skills with applications across engineering, data science, energy, aerospace, and research. Programs in applied physics, biomedical physics, and combined majors with computer science, mathematics, and engineering allow students to build deep expertise at the intersection of physics and other fields. Graduates pursue careers in research, industry, and technology, and many go on to graduate study in physics or related disciplines.

Physics careers span research, engineering, defense, energy, and advanced manufacturing. Use Jobscan to align your resume with engineering and research job descriptions, practice communicating technical concepts and research experience with Big Interview, and explore the Interview Type: Technical guide to prepare for quantitative and problem-solving interview formats common in physics-adjacent roles.

You can also utilize the Library’s Science and Engineering guide for physics scholarship and research, and more tools like Web of Science for peer-reviewed physics and applied science literature, Compendex and INSPEC for an interdisciplinary engineering and physics research database, and SciFinder for chemical and physical sciences research across academic and industry sources.

Resources: Jobscan | Big Interview | Interview Type: Technical | Library Guides

For more information, visit the department website.