What Do Engineering Professors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Engineering Professors teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. They also conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.

Other tasks include:

• Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Evaluate and grade students’ class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
• Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
• Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as mechanics, hydraulics, and robotics.

We asked Engineering Professors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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83% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 83% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Engineering Professors conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. They supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.

A typical day for a Postsecondary Engineering Teacher will also include:

• Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
• Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
• Supervise students’ laboratory work.
• Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as mechanics, hydraulics, and robotics.

We asked some Engineering Professors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	49% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	50% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	89% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	40% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	29% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Engineering Professors also initiate, facilitate, and moderate class discussions. They may also prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as mechanics, hydraulics, and robotics.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Engineering Professors Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. They might also Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.

In addition, they Review manuscripts for professional journals.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.

To some Engineering Professors, it is also their responsibility to Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Postsecondary Engineering Teacher, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm

http://www.cgsnet.org/

https://www.acteonline.org/

http://www.teach.org/