What is Agricultural Engineering?
Agricultural Engineering is the area of engineering concerned with the design, construction and improvement of farming equipment and machinery.
What Do Agricultural Engineers Do?
Agricultural engineers use science, technology and math to improve the agricultural industry.
Agricultural engineers integrate technology with farming. For example, they design new and improved farming equipment that may work more efficiently, or perform new tasks.
They design and build agricultural infrastructure such as dams, water reservoirs, warehouses, and other structures. They may also help engineer solutions for pollution control at large farms.
While agricultural engineers may develop specialties, most are involved in certain core activities. For example, most professionals design and test agricultural machinery, equipment, and parts.
They may also design food storage structures and food processing plants. Some may design housing and environments for livestock.
Those interested in sustainability may provide advice on water quality and water pollution control issues.
They can be found working in many facets of this field, such as designing agricultural equipment, tackling conservation issues, particularly those involving water and soil and the production of fruit and vegetables.
There are also areas in the industry where agricultural engineers are needed to do research or serve in an agricultural consulting position.
Education
Prepare for your degree in agricultural engineering in high school
It is compulsory to have passed subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Agriculture, Biology and Mathematics at your level in order to study Agricultural engineering.
To become an agricultural engineer you will need at least a bachelor’s degree and enjoy hands-on kind of work in outdoor and indoor environments
Take math courses such as Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus.
Get a good foundation in various sciences such as biology, physics and geology.
Receive your bachelor’s degree.
It’s important to earn a degree accredited by any university of your choice
In this kind of a degree program your coursework may include topics like biology, physics, calculus, soil mechanics, hydrology, geology, environmental climatology and ocean and atmospheric dynamics.
Focus your education on a particular area of agriculture engineering.
Specialization will make you more competitive in the job market and many degree programs will allow you to concentrate your studies into a certain area.
Areas of specialization can include management of natural resources, agricultural research, mechanical and electronic systems, processing management, agricultural equipment design and building design and management.
Obtain the proper licensing.
Typically, agricultural engineers must be licensed by the professional body where they are working.
Get any other helpful certifications.
While certification is not always required, it can be helpful in giving you more options in the job market.
The National Engineering bodies provide certifications in general engineering as well as a number of specialized engineering fields.
Basic requirements for certification usually include an engineering degree, professional recommendations and work experience.
