<p>I've heard that a lot of civil engineers spend a lot of time in offices. I love being outside, traveling to new places and can't stand sitting still inside in an office (which is why I disregarded electrical and computer engineering almost immediately) staring at a computer/wall etc... </p>
<p>That being said, which engineering field do you think spends the most time outside? Also, while I'm at it, which engineering field gives you the most opportunity to travel?</p>
<p>i would think – don’t quote me on this – that petroleum engineers would have jobs overseas, etc.</p>
<p>Petroleum engineers are VERY often working outside and travel a ton (though sometimes it is only a couple hours drive or so). Environmental engineering is also a real possibility. I have a cousin who works for CH2M Hill as an environmental engineer and is on the road all the time and working outside a ton. There is office work too, but I would say she has an on-site job once every two to three weeks. She did just transfer within the company to a less travel-oriented job though.</p>
<p>Petroleum Engineers travel to various counters. My uncle is working in Kazakhstan for Exxon as a Petro Drilling engineer as we speak. They normally work out on the field with 3 week shifts so you work a few weeks and then get a few weeks vacation. For my uncle he works 28 days and then vacations for the other 28days. My uncle manages the operations and people on duty. You also get ample opurtunity to travel around the world from Africa to the Arctic. Petroleum engineers do not have to spend much time in the office.
btw Pete is a tough job. But good salary. You should only pursue it if you are interested in oil, geology, physics/maths and other topics related.
Also, my major is Petroleum Engineering</p>
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Really? No one on this forum could tell!</p>
<p>Hahah but yeah there’s a ton of traveling to random locations where oil is with petroleum engineering.</p>
<p>what about another major other than petroleum engineering?</p>
<p>to be honest, any field of engineering would (should) have some type of field work involved.</p>
<p>Geological Engineering or Metalurgical Engineering or Mining Engineering.</p>
<p>Your best bet is still Petroleum though. You should look into it.</p>
<p>@ alchemist, petro sounds cool. but i haven’t found too many universities that have that program! where do you attend?</p>
<p>This is a list of every single PETE accredited program in the USA.</p>
<p>I attend UAF.</p>
<p>University of Alaska Fairbanks ,AK, United States [College</a> of Engineering and Mines](<a href=“http://www.uaf.edu/cem]College”>College of Engineering and Mines | College of Engineering and Mines)
Colorado School of Mines ,CO, United States <a href=“http://www.mines.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.mines.edu</a>
The University of Kansas ,KS, United States [The</a> University of Kansas](<a href=“http://www.ku.edu%5DThe”>http://www.ku.edu)
University of Louisiana at Lafayette ,LA, United States [University</a> of Louisiana at Lafayette: Main Page](<a href=“http://www.louisiana.edu%5DUniversity”>http://www.louisiana.edu)
Louisiana State University and A&M College ,LA, United States [Louisiana</a> State University](<a href=“http://www.lsu.edu%5DLouisiana”>http://www.lsu.edu)
Marietta College ,OH, United States [Marietta</a> College](<a href=“http://www.marietta.edu%5DMarietta”>http://www.marietta.edu)
Missouri University of Science and Technology ,MO, United States [Missouri</a> University of Science and Technology](<a href=“http://www.mst.edu%5DMissouri”>http://www.mst.edu)
Montana Tech of the University of Montana ,MT, United States [Montana</a> Tech of The University of Montana](<a href=“http://www.mtech.edu%5DMontana”>http://www.mtech.edu)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology ,NM, United States [New</a> Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology: Science Engineering Research University](<a href=“http://www.nmt.edu%5DNew”>http://www.nmt.edu)
The University of Oklahoma ,OK, United States [The</a> University of Oklahoma](<a href=“http://www.ou.edu%5DThe”>http://www.ou.edu)
Pennsylvania State University ,PA, United States [Welcome</a> to Penn State’s Home on the Web](<a href=“http://www.psu.edu%5DWelcome”>http://www.psu.edu)
Texas A & M University ,TX, United States [Texas</a> A&M University - College Station, TX](<a href=“http://www.tamu.edu%5DTexas”>http://www.tamu.edu)
University of Texas at Austin ,TX, United States [The</a> University of Texas at Austin - Web Central](<a href=“http://www.utexas.edu%5DThe”>http://www.utexas.edu)
Texas Tech University ,TX, United States [Texas</a> Tech University System](<a href=“http://www.texastech.edu%5DTexas”>http://www.texastech.edu)
The University of Tulsa ,OK, United States [Home</a> - University of Tulsa](<a href=“http://www.utulsa.edu%5DHome”>http://www.utulsa.edu)
West Virginia University ,WV, United States</p>
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<p>Really? The most populous engineering discipline is electrical engineering, yet with the possible exception of power engineers, it’s not easy to identify many electrical engineers who do fieldwork. Unless you’re counting a microchip fab cleanroom or a computer assembly plant to be “fieldwork”.</p>
<p>@ Charlie
“to be honest, any field of engineering would (should) have some type of field work involved.”</p>
<p>That is an incorrect assumption.</p>
<p>edit:</p>
<p>btw Petroleum engineers have the opportunity to work in over 50 different oil producing countries and at least 25 oil producing US states.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm]Engineers[/url”>http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm]Engineers[/url</a>]
I’d expect that CivE would offer more outdoor opportunities than most other disciplines.</p>
<p>alchemist, stop recommending petroleum to this guy. He clearly said he isn’t interested.</p>
<p>I’m a computer engineer by degree but have worked as a systems engineer my entire career (6+ yrs). The programs I work on fall under FMS - Foreign Military Sales. Basically the U.S. government sells technologies to our allies. In my case it’s naval combat weapons systems. We have contracts with Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Canadian government. For U.S. travel i’ve been to California, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, and New Jersey (hoping to get on the Hawaii trip). For international travel i’ve been to Australia and South Korea. </p>
<p>This type of engineering (Systems engineering) tends to lend its hand to travel. We develop one aspect of the weapons systems while Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and AAI develop other parts. Once each group is ready to test we start in the U.S. and eventually make our way to the respective countries when final testing is ready.</p>
<p>Its the type of work you do rather than the engineering discipline that determines how much travelling you do.</p>
<p>Sales enegineer probably does the most, followed by marketing (very few). A research enginner probably travels the least, unless you become well know and go around giving lectures and consulting.</p>
<p>You want to work outdoor: Try consulting, field/customer support and construction.</p>
<p>Some design, start-up and construction engineers (and lead/project engineers) also spend a lot of time in the field on major projects, i.e. building a power plant or refinary can result in a temporary assignment of more than a year.</p>
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<p>I completely agree. That being said, there are some engineering majors that definitely give you a better opportunity to find that work.</p>
<p>Geotechnical Engineering involves a good deal of outside work.
Strucutral Engineering often involves travel and nonoffice work for inspection.
Engineering associated with ships (nuclear, mechanical) involve outside and travel.</p>
<p>Here is a list of all the oil producing states and countries you will have the opportunity to work in as a Petro. Engineer.</p>
<p>[List</a> of oil-producing states - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oil-producing_states]List”>List of countries by oil production - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>let’s say your undergraduate school doesn’t offer petro. e. would chem e. land the same caliber type of jobs?</p>