Unit 2: Introduction to the

Engineering Profession

Learning Module for CMP101

(Computer Engineering as a Discipline)

By
Engr. Roman M. Richard, MEng

Copyright © 2020, Columban College, Inc.

All rights Reserved

(No part of this module may be reproduced or copied without the permission from the author.)

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 UNIT 2
INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION

CONTENTS
2.0. Learning Objectives
2.1. Brief History of Engineering
2.1.1. Engineering in the Philippines
2.2. What is Engineering?
2.2.1. Science vs. Engineering
2.2.2. Misconceptions about Engineering
2.2.3. Engineering Majors
2.3. What Engineers Do
2.4. References for Further Readings

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2.0. Learning Objectives

After this lesson, the student must be able to:

2.1. Prove an understanding of important details about the history of engineering and,
more importantly, engineering in the Philippines.
2.2. Differentiate engineering from science and show a deep understanding of
engineering against common misconceptions.
2.3. Identify the relevance of computer engineering in the Philippine and Global IT
industry.
2.4. Discuss his/her profound understanding on the real nature of tasks performed by
engineers.

2.1. Brief History of Engineering

Engineering, when we consider the different branches that have emerged from different
ages, has such a broad scope. However, we can cite a brief history of engineering as given by
linkengineering.org which states:
The profession we know as engineering today emerged during the 1500’s when
specialists began using mathematics to design military fortifications. These special
military architects would generally let craftsmen do the actual construction, thus
becoming the first true engineers in the modern sense of the word.
As we will see later on, Engineering has by and far progressed so much throughout the years that
it has expanded far beyond the scope of “construction”, but instead making invention, creation,
and innovation possible.

2.1.2. Engineering in the Philippines

In the Philippines, engineering has a strong presence in community building, commercial

purposes, research, innovation, and other related instances. There are some engineering
professions which are formalized and regulated by the government through corresponding
republic acts and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). However, there are
professions that remain unregulated by the government but are instead regulated by their
respective accredited professional organizations (APO) or not at all. This formalization and
regulation of engineering professions (or lack thereof) have created two basic categories to
differentiate them as either a) Board or b) Non-board.
a) Board professions or programs is a blanket term for any profession which requires
passing a board exam to obtain a license to practice. These examinations and other
regulations are given by the PRC and managed by the respective APO. They may be

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 employed by the government after obtaining their license.

b) Non-board professions or programs are not generally regulated by any government

body. These professions are usually regulated by their professional organizations or
must undertake rigorous certifications from different manufacturers or organizations
to prove their skills or knowledge in their chosen field of specialization. They must
take the Civil Service Exam (or exhaust other options) to obtain jobs within the
government.

Is the presence (or lack) of a board exam prove advantageous for future career possibilities in the
Philippines? Let us look at some figures below.

1 Robotics Engineer 6 Full Stack Engineer

2 Cybersecurity Specialist 7 DevOps Engineer
3 Customer Success Specialist 8 Data Engineer
4 Data Scientist 9 Javascript Developer
5 Sales Development Representative 10 Cloud Engineer
Table 2.1. Top 10 Emerging Jobs in the Philippines in 2020 (Esquiremag, 2020)

Engineering plays a big role in the 4th Industrial Revolution. This industrial revolution focuses on
the smart aspect of technology – involving a lot of data, science, and engineering. Critical
problem solvers and the ability to solve complex and novel engineering problems will prove
useful. Looking at table 5, we can easily identify that majority of emerging jobs fit the career
paths of computer engineers when compared to the areas of knowledge shown last chapter.

Job Title Education Requirement Estimated Salary

BS Statistics
10 Statistician PHP 41,800.00
BS Mathematics

9 Production Supervisor & Foreman BS Industrial Engineering PHP 47,101.00

BS Accountancy
8 Accountants and Auditors BS Management PHP 47,756.00
Accounting

BS Computer
Engineering
7 Computer Engineers PHP 49,335.00
BS Information
Technology

BS Computer Science
6 System Analysts and Designers BS Information PHP 51,069.00
Technology

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 BS Computer Science
5 Computer Programmers BS Information PHP 52,331.0
Technology

BS Accountancy
4 Actuaries BS Mathematics PHP 60,447.00
BS Economics

3 Civil Engineers BS Civil Engineering PHP 68,957.00

BS Finance
BS Management
2 Securities and Finance Dealers and Brokers PHP 89,831.00
BS Administration
BS Economics

BS Aeronautics
BS Aeronautical
Engineering
1 Aircraft Pilots, Navigators, and Flight Engineers PHP 116,714.00
BS Air Transportation
BS Aircraft Maintenance
Technology
Table 2.2. Highest Paying Jobs in the Philippines 2019
Using data revealed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Bureau of
Local Employment (BLE) as the highest paying jobs as observed from market trends in 2019, it
is summarized in table 6.

Given this, we can easily see the presence of plenty of non-board professions within the
highest paying jobs in the Philippines. Additionally, many of those that fill in these roles are
professions from the IT sector – which is computer engineering and its other related professions.
On table 7, we can see a global perspective on highest paying engineering jobs.
Job Annual Salary
1 Big Data Engineer $155,500
2 Petroleum Engineer $132,280
3 Computer Hardware Engineer $115,120
4 Aerospace Engineer $113,030
5 Nuclear Engineer $105,810
6 Systems Engineer $103,800
7 Chemical Engineer $102,160
8 Electrical Engineer $97,970
9 Biomedical Engineer $88,040
10 Environmental Engineer $86,800
Table 2.3. Top 10 Highest Paying Engineering Jobs of 2019 (Source: https://online-
engineering.case.edu/blog/highest-paying-engineering-jobs)
So, to answer the question: does graduating from a board course directly affect your career path?
No, not necessarily. In the IT industry? Definitely not!

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 Check Your Progress 1

Person A graduated from a non-board engineering program in college. When thinking

about applying for a job, person A is anxious about competing with professionals who may have
government awarded licenses. How can person A bridge the gap between him and his
contemporaries to prove that he is not only at their skill level but maybe above?

2.2. What is Engineering?

Let us look at your understanding of engineering so far. What is an engineer? What kind of work
do engineers do? In the image below, encircle the kinds of work you think engineers do. We will
look at your answers at the end of this unit.

Source: http://www.mos.org/eie/pdf/research/Pipeline_EiE_evaluation_0405_final.pdf

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2.2.1. Science vs. Engineering

What is the difference between science and engineering? Now, while this topic may
prove to be quite controversial for some, there is an understanding that while science theorizes;
engineering solves. While scientists discover and try to answer big questions using the scientific
method, an engineering would employ their understanding of science (and other fundamental
principles) to provide real world solutions to novel problems.

Science Engineering

Uses laws of
nature for the
Laws of Nature
advancement of
humanity

Answers the Answers the

Question "Why" Question "How"

Uses building
Learns to build
tools to learn

Figure 2.1. Comparison of Engineering and Science

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2.2.2. Misconceptions about Engineering

Some common misconceptions about engineers revolve around the kind of jobs that they should
do. An engineer is a problem solver, a planner, a thinker, and a doer. However, many equate
engineer to more “doing” above all the others.

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Source: http://engineering.nyu.edu/gk12/amps-cbri/pdf/Intro2Eng.pdf

While all these jobs are essential trades, it is important to realize that engineering is not a trade
but a profession, and engineers are professionals.

Check Your Progress 2

a) Which of the following are jobs that engineers perform? (X on the blank if yes)

______ Maintenance
______ Analysis
______ Data Logging
______ Computer Repair
______ Web Design
______ Site Cleaning
______ Teaching

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b) What kind of work are computer engineers expected to perform? Please cite references for
both a Local and Global context.

1.1.1 Engineering Majors

Aerospace Agricultural Architectural Bioengineering

Biochemical Biomedical Ceramic Chemical
Civil Computer Construction Cryogenic
Electrical Electronic Environmental Industrial
Manufacturing Materials Mechanical Mechatronics
Metallurgical Mining Naval Nuclear
Petroleum Software Structural Systems
Textile Tissue

The world is vast, and as we progress, more and more different professions may branch
within the engineering profession. This list above may miss a few engineering majors, so please
feel free to look those up yourself.

2.3. What Engineers Do

Engineers perform a wide array of functions, including but not limited to:
a) Research
b) Development
c) Testing
d) Design
e) Analysis
f) Systems
g) Construction
h) Facility and Plant Operation
i) Maintenance
j) Technical Support
k) Customer Support
l) Sales
m) Consulting

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 n) Management
o) Others

Check Your Progress 3

Among the different jobs an engineer can do for work, choose 3 that you think would be
your preference for your job and contextualize the job you might perform as a computer
engineer.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
1. When did engineering begin? How much has engineering progressed? What are some of
the most notable innovations in modern engineering?

2. Explain the difference between science and engineering. How do their methodologies
differ in approaching a given problem?

3. Is the computer engineering profession still relevant in the Philippines?

Model Answers for Check Your Progress

CYP1
After choosing their field of specialization under computer engineering, person A must
take different certification levels to prove that he is both skilled and knowledgeable.

CYP2
a) Maintenance, Analysis, Web Design, Teaching
b) References cited may be websites that show the kind of job computer engineers have.
CYP3
- Research: About technological advancements.
- Consulting: Analyze and solve technological problems within a company.
- Management: Manage a group of engineers as project leader.

1.15. Further Readings

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1. Engineering, a Brief History. LinkEngineering. (2020). Retrieved from
https://www.linkengineering.org/Explore/what-is-engineering/engineering-brief-
history.aspx#:~:text=The%20profession%20we%20know%20as,modern%20sense%20of%20the
%20word.
2. Introduction to Engineering. Engineering.nyu.edu. (2020). Retrieved from
http://engineering.nyu.edu/gk12/amps-cbri/pdf/Intro2Eng.pdf.
3. Labor Market Trends 2019. Ble.dole.gov.ph. (2020). Retrieved from
http://www.ble.dole.gov.ph/downloads/Publications/LMT/LMI-LMT-Top%2010%20Highest
%20Paying%20Jobs-March%202019%20Issue.pdf.

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