The National Academy of Engineering is organized in twelve sections representing broad engineering categories; the names and scopes of these sections are below. Members are required to select a primary section affiliation, and may also choose a secondary affiliation.
01 - Aerospace Engineering
Engineering of aeronautical, astronautical, and space systems. Includes disciplines of vehicle design/manufacturing, system engineering, propulsion, aerodynamics, astrodynamics, aeroelasticity, aeroacoustics, structural dynamics, guidance, navigation, controls, avionics, air-traffic control, human interaction, and also education, management, and the use of aerospace engineering techniques in other environments.
02 - Bioengineering
Engineering applied to biological or medical systems.
03 - Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering is a field dedicated to the engineering of chemical systems applying principles from underlying sciences (e.g., chemistry, biology, materials science, and applied physics) and systems engineering (e.g., applied mathematics, operations research, computer science). Its scale ranges from molecules and microsystems through macroscopic systems, such as industrial plants, to the scale of ecosystems. Its scope involves education, research, development, design, scale-up, and manufacturing of chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, bio-based materials, and the design and operation of energy conversion systems.
04 - Civil Engineering
Planning, research, design, construction, operation, management, and education related to facilities and systems that require environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, construction materials, water resources, coastal, or ocean engineering.
05 - Computer Science & Engineering
Computer, computational, communication, and information science and engineering, including related interdisciplinary and emerging fields.
06 - Electric Power/Energy Systems Engineering
Electric power and energy systems engineering and related applied sciences, including the safety, efficiency, reliability, environmental interaction, education, infrastructure, and management associated with the effective utilization of energy and energy resources for the generation, storage, transmission, distribution, and conversion of electric energy and power.
07 - Electronics, Communication and Information Systems Engineering
Devices (electronic and photonic); electronic materials and processing; magnetics; applied physics; circuit theory; control systems and theory; communication systems and theory; signal processing systems and theory; radiation, propagation, and antennas.
08 - Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems Engineering
Development and use of engineering and analytical methods to describe, analyze, plan, design, manage, and integrate the operations of systems and enterprises that provide services or produce goods for society.
09 - Materials Engineering
The production, processing, structure and property relationships, and life-cycle performance of materials of engineering significance.
10 - Mechanical Engineering
Design, analysis, manufacturing and control of solid, thermal and fluid mechanical systems (including optoelectrical-mechanical machines, materials, structures, and micro and nano scale devices); heat transfer, combustion and other energy conversion processes; solid mechanics (including fracture mechanics); fluid mechanics, biomechanics and tribology; and management and education associated with the above areas.
11 - Earth Resources Engineering
Engineering applied to the discovery, development and environmentally responsible production of subsurface earth resources.
12 - Special Fields & Interdisciplinary Engineering
Special fields, including acoustics, agricultural engineering, atmospheric sciences, hydrology, military engineering, ocean engineering, systems engineering and economics, education, law, management, and newly emerging areas related to engineering; interdisciplinary engineering representing substantial work cutting across several fields.