An engineer's degree is an advanced academic degree in engineering which is conferred in Europe, some countries of Asia and Latin America, North Africa and a few institutions in the United States. The degree may require a thesis but always requires a non-abstract project. The duration of study typically ranges from 4 to 5 years, depending on the country and university. Additionally, there may be further requirements for certifications or licenses to practice engineering after graduation.
North America
United States In the United States, the engineer's degree requires a year of study beyond a master's degree or two years from a bachelor's degree and often includes a requirement for a research thesis.
At the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School the thesis is required to be "more extensive and complete in problem scope and solution than a master's thesis", although "not necessarily meeting the test of original research and contribution to fundamental knowledge that is applied to PhD dissertations." At UCLA, the engineer degree is explicitly set at the level of the preliminary PhD examination, i.e. not including the contribution to fundamental knowledge.
The engineer's degree was originally a first degree at the same level as a bachelor's degree. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was empowered by its 1824 charter to award Civil Engineer and Topographical Engineer degrees alongside the Bachelor in Science, and awarded the first Civil Engineer degrees in 1835. Civil Engineer degrees were also awarded by Dartmouth College (from 1845), the University of Michigan (from 1855) and by Yale University (from 1860), while Columbia University awarded Engineer of Mines degrees from 1867. By the early 20th-century engineer's degrees were commonly at graduate level – a survey by a committee of the Association of American Universities in 1916 found that this was the case in over two-thirds of the universities surveyed. The committee recommended that engineer's degrees be reserved for study beyond master's level. Mexico
The engineer's degree in Mexico is typically a long-cycle program that extends beyond the level of a master’s degree and serves as a professional qualification for licensure. It is generally considered a terminal professional degree within the Mexican higher education system.
In international contexts, the equivalence of this qualification varies and is not uniformly defined. Some sources note differences in translation and professional titles; for example, bilingual dictionaries such as Collins may render “ingeniero” as “engineer” or, in certain contexts, associate it with advanced professional status. The international Engineering alliance graduate attributes and professional competencies gives the qualifications and credentials of the professional engineer in all the signatory countries Mexico and Chile included. The Unirank system can be used to determine the level of a five-year engineering program from an accredited and reputable school. For example, the engineering program at the University of Quintana Roo goes from bachelor's to doctoral level according to the degree matrix level.
Latin America In Latin America, a degree or title of "Ingeniero" is awarded after completing five years of college. This may be translated as "Engineer", however, its international academic equivalence depends on each country's educational system and can be compared to a six-year post-master's degree. Its award may imply obtaining a state licence to legally practice in the field or a professional certification outside the academic environment.
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay Argentina, Chile and Uruguay's higher education systems differ from the US model, with a six-year "Título Profesional en Ingeniería" granting the title of engineer. This professional title encompasses a bachelor's degree in science, allowing graduates to enter a master's or doctoral program. Alternatively, graduates can proceed directly to a doctorate after the six-year program. Therefore, this professional title in engineering is academically equivalent to a six-year post-master's degree.
Europe Prior to the Bologna Process, In most countries of continental Europe, universities specializing in technical fields traditionally awarded their students an engineer's degree after five years. This degree was typically the first university-awarded degree after finishing secondary education and completing it granted qualifications to further pursue a doctorate.
Following German custom in higher education, the engineer's degree was called the Diplom. In addition to Germany itself, this system was common in states like Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland.
Following the introduction of the Bologna process, universities divide higher-education studies in three cycles, corresponding to a three to four-year bachelor's degree, a one to two-year master's degree and a doctoral degree. Accordingly, engineering studies are now divided in two parts: first, the bachelor's degree (baccalaureus, three to four years) and the second optional part (one to two years), after which either the traditional engineer's degree or a master's degree (e.g. MEng or MSc) is awarded. These can often, however, still be combined into a single 'integrated' degree programme in many countries, normally lasting five or six years (although only four years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland). But in the UK when one considers the whole formation of a fully qualified Chartered Engineer or Incorporated Engineer it is a minimum of eight years. Countries have varied in the implementation of the Bologna process, meaning the combination of first (bachelor's) and second (master's) cycles, even when taken as a single degree, can last from four to six years, although many countries have set five years as the minimum.
Most traditional universities continue to have a primary academic degree program, for example, a five-year Civilingenjör in Sweden, that is distinct from the 3+2 scheme that awards the bachelor's and master's degrees but a student who has done both at a Swedish technical university will in most cases also fulfill the requirements for the civilingenjör degree.
In France, an important part of engineering is taught in écoles d’ingénieurs, which are part of the French grandes écoles system. Since the Bologna Process, the Diplôme d’ingénieur is officially considered to be at the level of a master's degree, equivalent to an integrated bachelor's and master's degree.
In German, the traditional engineer's degree is called Diplom-Ingenieur (Dipl. -Ing.; in Austria DI is also used). This degree is generally equivalent to a combined bachelor's and Master's degree, which is not to be confused with the old Magister degree.
Europe has the international professional engineering qualification and title of European Engineer (EUR ING) which is obtained through peer review after seven years of education, training and professional experience.
Belarus and Ukraine
In Belarus and Ukraine, the degree is спеціаліст інженер (specialist engineer), a first degree after five years of education.
Belgium In Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia, somebody holding an engineer's degree is an ingenieur/ingénieur. There are two types of engineers with different abbreviations: ir. is obtained at university (faculty of engineering or faculty of bioscience engineering). It is at academic level and the highest engineer qualification. Five years study (3 B.Sc. + 2 M.Sc.). ing. is also obtained at university (faculty of engineering or faculty of bioscience engineering). Four years study (3 B. Sc. + 1 M. Sc.).
Names are traditionally prefixed with the ir. or ing. titles. Use of these titles is regulated and protected by law.
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia (former Yugoslavia) In Croatia, the old system included the engineer's degrees diplomirani inženjer (abbr. dipl.ing.) which was awarded by university faculties and a lower ranked engineer's degree inženjer (abbr. ing.) which was awarded by polytechnics, in a similar vein to the situation in the Netherlands. The old dipl.ing. degree could later be upgraded to a magistar (abbr. mr., Magister degree) and then a doktor (abbr. dr., Doctorate). The situation was the same in other countries previously part of Yugoslavia. In Serbian, the abbreviation is dipl.inž.Ivan Klajn, Rečnik jezičkih nedoumica (NOLIT, Beograd) Serbian titles of magistar (abbr. mr, Magister degree) and doktor (abbr. dr, Doctorate) in abbreviated versions are used without full stop as a punctuation mark at the end.
Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia
In the western Slavic-speaking countries, the engineer's degree is called inżynier (Polish), inžinier (Slovak) or inženýr (Czech) and the abbreviation is inż. in Poland and Ing. in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which may be written before the person's name.
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the degree of Ing. is given for complete university studies in technical (like engineering), economic or agricultural fields. In one of these cases it can be equivalent to a Master of Science in Engineering.
In Poland, the degree of inżynier is available after 3.5 or 4 years of studies (like the licencjat in non-engineering science) after a final thesis is completed. A magister inżynier (abbreviated mgr inż.) refers to a Master of Science in Engineering, after completing five years of study and a written thesis. Originally there were "inżynier" studies that lasted for four years and afterward one could obtain the "magister" title in two years of studies—the total of six years resulted in two degrees, "magister" and "inżynier". In the early 1960s a new track of studies was developed to speed up education and the "magister inżynier" five-year track was created. Whichever way one obtained the education the "magister inżynier" (mgr inż. before the name) was the equivalent degree with "inżynier" designating the professional level and "magister" designating the academic level. After the Bologna process the first level is "inżynier," obtainable after nominally three years of studies (although some are longer) with the same professional privileges as before and "masters" after one or two years gives the same academic and professional designation as before. But the ultimate shortening of the period of studies resulted in some professional groups (e.g. architects) demanding that "magister inżynier" be made a basis for professional rights.
Finland
In Finnish, the engineer's degree is called diplomi-insinööri and abbreviated dipl.ins., DI or M.Sc.(Tech.). It is possible to obtain after five years of studying or even faster, but the average is around six years. Under the Bologna process, this is split into two parts, the first being one where the students can get the intermediate tekniikan kandidaatti (B.Sc.(Tech.)) degree.
The degree of insinööri (AMK) is a bachelor's degree from a Finnish University of Applied Sciences (ammattikorkeakoulu), similar to a German Fachhochschule, but it is not interchangeable with the academic tekniikan kandidaatti.
Due to the Bologna process, a new master's degree called Insinööri (ylempi AMK) or Master of Engineering has been introduced. It carries a requirement of two years of work experience after the degree of insinööri (AMK) and further studies.
France
In France, the main way to become an engineer is :
Have a Diplôme d'Ingénieur, delivered by the grandes écoles (or some technical universities), or have a Master's degree in Engineering from a University.