Ceramics Engineers

If you're interested in ceramics engineering, it's a good idea to take on special research assignments from teachers who can provide guidance on topics and methods. There are also summer academic programs where students with similar interests can spend a week or more in a special environment. Conduct an online search for colleges and universities that offer summer engineering programs for students. It's also a good idea to join science clubs that provide you with the opportunity to compete in academic events and explore engineering and science fields.

For hands-on experience with materials, take pottery or sculpture classes; this will allow you to become familiar with materials such as clay and glass. You can learn how the materials are obtained and how to shape and fire them. This will give you an opportunity to learn firsthand about stress and strain, tension and compression, heat resistance, and ideal production equipment. In pottery classes, you can also learn about glazes and how various chemicals affect different materials.

You should also check out the American Society for Engineering Education’s precollege Web site, https://sites.asee.org/precollege, for general information about careers in engineering, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about engineering.