Project Design Process

Engineers concern themselves with projects. A project may be public infrastructure, such as bridge, or a product, such as an automobile. These graphics show the focus area for each of the courses and activities available through the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department at UMKC.

The project lifecycle, represented in these graphics, usually follows the sequence from concept and planning through replacement. At the end of each phase of the project lifecycle, the engineer produces a deliverable. For example, the deliverable of the Planning Phase may be a report that thoroughly analyzes alternative solutions and recommends a course of action; the deliverable for the Design Phase may be a set of construction or manufacturing drawings and specifications.

Civil Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

An engineer may choose to specialize in one phase of the project lifecycle, resulting in a career as a technical specialist. Alternatively, an engineer may choose to develop a broader understanding of several (or all) of the lifecycle phases, leading to a career as a project or program manager.

Whichever path an engineer may choose, engineering is a career-long commitment to gaining greater understanding and improved problem solving.