So exactly what is “commercial engineering?”

Commercial engineering sounds straightforward enough, but if you try to search this term, you will come up surprisingly empty handed. This is probably because commercial engineering is a broad area of practice for engineers and requires a diverse knowledge set, not only of the math and science necessary for all engineering but also of the needs and concerns of businesses and potential customers.

Commercial engineers apply the scientific knowledge they use in other engineering capacities to commercial or for-profit business, projects. The projects range in size and complexity, but they are different than those tackled by industrial engineers. In general, industrial engineers work primarily with manufacturing processes, designing and streamlining these processes.

Commercial engineers work on projects including hotels, office buildings, land development for commercial purposes, banks, shopping centers, and restaurants. Some of the tasks that comprise the work of these engineers include surveying, conducting feasibility assessments, designing road and parking layout, and addressing grading and drainage issues.

Careers in Commercial Engineering

For those who are considering a career in commercial engineering, it may come as a surprise that very few schools offer a degree specifically in commercial engineering while many offer degrees in specialties such as mechanical, chemical, automotive, or computer engineering.

Perhaps this is also related to the broadness of this type of engineering, as it goes beyond a single area of study. However, this can be a very rewarding and exciting area to work in as commercial engineers influence and shape communities nearly everywhere in the world!