Pre-Engineering at North Iowa Area Community College involves the first two years toward an engineering degree.

Engineering is a somewhat hidden profession in our society; few people have more than a vague idea as to what an engineer does and few could name one that they know. Yet, there are close to 10,000 engineers in Iowa and over 100 in the North Iowa area.

Engineering is a problem-solving profession in which scientific information is used to solve the problems. Whereas the scientist discovers, verifies, and organizes facts and information, the engineer uses the scientific information to make materials, machines, structures and processes.

Engineering is a rewarding profession in terms of interest, service to humankind, and above average financial reward. It is a challenging and satisfying career with many opportunities for advancement to young men and women with the necessary abilities, education and eagerness to progress.

Employment Opportunities
Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows employment opportunities in engineering are expected to be good through 2008.  Overall engineering employment is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations, while the number of engineering degrees granted has remained fairly constant over the past several years.  Projected growth varies by specialty, ranging from a decline among mining engineers to faster-than-average growth among electrical and electronics engineers.  Some fields of specialization are more regional than others; for example, not many aerospace engineers work in the Midwest.

Salaries for engineers are dependent on both the particular engineering specialization and geographic location. The national average of starting salaries in 2005 was in the range of $44,000-$54,000. As in the past, engineering generally offers the highest starting salaries of any profession requiring a four-year degree. Average salaries with 10 years experience are about $75,000 a year; with 25 years of experience, more than $100,000. Trends indicate that demand and salaries will continue to be better for engineers than for other college graduates.

Pre-Engineering at NIACC is designed to:
1) Provide two years of a college engineering program, after which the student will transfer to a senior engineering college. In order to make this transfer as smooth as possible, our program is coordinated with senior engineering colleges, including those at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.

2) Allow students to take engineering courses which may be of interest to them in their general education, even though they do not plan to major in engineering.

Preparation
Although there is no minimum subject matter requirement for students to enter pre-engineering, high school preparation should include the following courses:

• 2 years of Algebra
  
• 1 year of Geometry
  
• 1/2 year of Trigonometry
  
• 1 year of Physics
  
• 1 year of Chemistry
  
• Communications Skills
  
• Social Studies
  
• Industrial Education courses desirable
  
  

Length of Program
Engineering programs are usually a minimum of four years in length for a B.S. degree. (The four years is total - for example, two years at NIACC and two years at a senior engineering college.) Most students, regardless of whether they enroll for all of their curriculum on the campus of a four-year engineering college or not, take longer than four years to graduate. This is especially true if they do not have the high school background suggested for engineering.

Areas of Specialization
The areas of Engineering are numerous. Some of these
include:

• Aeronautical
• Agricultural
• Biomedical
• Chemical
• Civil
• Electrical and Electronic
• Industrial
• Materials
• Mechanical
  

Pre-Engineering Curricula
Since all engineering curricula have a similar core, NIACC is able to provide most of the first two years of an engineering program.

NIACC core courses that satisfy equivalent required courses at senior schools, including Iowa State University or the University of Iowa are: