What to Expect

Students of metallurgical engineering study metal. They learn how to design and shape metals into whatever form is needed.

"Visualization is very important in this discipline," says Donnie Fiander, who studied metallurgical engineering. "You need to be able to read about a metal's processing and see it in your mind's eye. Otherwise the text becomes elusive, confusing and sort of abstract."

There are practical aspects to the program. "There is a lot of opportunity to do laboratory demonstrations and exercises," says Fiander. "I would definitely recommend this degree for anybody who likes to 'do' things."

"I could get my hands on parts, examine airplanes and conduct investigations," says Jessica Taylor, who has a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering from Iowa State University. "It was extremely satisfying."

Fiander says that the amount of homework varied from semester to semester, teacher to teacher, course to course and so on. "Between reading notes and textbooks, writing labs and reports and doing assignments, you can spend at least two to three hours a day," he says.

Degree programs in metallurgical engineering often take five years, but can be completed in as little as four years if students bulk up on courses or take summer school.

"Sometimes taking an engineering degree can seem like it's taking forever to complete, but you just have to stick in it for the long run. Five years is a lot of time to do anything," says Fiander.

How to Prepare

Fiander recommends that students take chemistr coursesy. "It's kind of funny, but they say that metallurgical engineering has more of a chemical aspect than chemical engineering does," he says.