Science can be divided into the physical sciences, the earth sciences, and the life sciences. These are called pure sciences, which contrast to the applied, or engineering, sciences, i.e., technology, which is concerned with the practical application of the results of scientific activity.

Mathematics, is not a science, but is closely linked to the sciences because of their extensive use of it. There are also disciplines for the study of the history and philosophy of science, and areas concerning the society and the interactions of people, social science.

Physical Sciences
The physical sciences focus on the nature and behavior of matter and energy.. In physics, scientists study the relationships between energy, force, matter, and time in an attempt to explain how these shape the physical behavior of the universe.

  • Physics: The study of matter and energy and the interactions between them. Physicists study subjects such as gravity, light, and time.
  • Chemistry: Deals with the composition, properties, reactions, and the structure of matter.
  • Astronomy: The study of the universe beyond the Earth

The Earth Sciences
The Earth sciences examine the structure and composition of our planet, and the physical processes that have helped to shape it.

  • Geology: The science of the history, origin, and structure of the Earth. Includes the physical, chemical, and biological changes that it has experienced or is experiencing.
  • Oceanography: The exploration and study of the ocean.
  • Paleontology: The science of the forms of life that existed in geologic or prehistoric periods.
  • Meteorology: The science that deals with the atmosphere and its phenomena, such as weather and climate.

The Life Sciences (Biology)
The life sciences (also known as) Biology is the study of the development, distribution, evolution, function, origin, and structure, of living things.

  • Botany: The study of plants.
  • Genetics: The study of heredity.
  • Medicine: The science of diagnosing, preventing and treating illness, disease, and injury.
  • Zoology: The science that of animals and animal life.

Mathematical Sciences
The mathematical sciences investigate the relationships between things that can be measured or quantified in either a real or abstract form. Pure mathematics differs from other sciences because it deals solely with logic, rather than with nature’s underlying laws. However, because it can be used to solve so many scientific problems, mathematics is usually considered to be a science itself.

  • Arithmetic: The use of numbers for calculation. In arithmetic, mathematicians combine specific numbers (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) to produce a result.
  • Algebra: Works in a similar way, but uses general expressions and allows for “variables” that are place holders in complex problem solving.
  • Geometry: Describes objects and the spaces around them. In its simplest form, it deals with objects in two or three dimensions, such as lines, circles, cubes, and spheres. Geometry can be extended to cover abstractions, including objects in many dimensions.
  • Calculus: Deals with continuously changing quantities, such as the position of a point on a curve or the area that the curve bounds. Among the advances that calculus helped develop were the determination of Newton’s laws of motion and the theory of electromagnetism.

Social Sciences
The social sciences explore human society past and present, and the way human beings behave.

  • Sociology: Investigates the way society is structured and how it functions. Psychology: which is the study of individual behavior and the mind. Social psychology: draws on research in both sociology and psychology fields. It examines the way society influences people’s behavior and attitudes.
  • Anthropology: looks at humans as a species and examines all the characteristics that make us what we are. These include not only how people relate to each other but also how they interact with the world around them, both now and in the past. This adds knowledge to the nature-nurture debate.
  • Political science: a by-product of human society which may or may not be tied to the physical sciences, but studying them can lend clues to to the nature/nurture debate and can help us prepare for the future.
  • Law: Another uniquely human construct that tells us probably more about human nature in the law making process than do the laws themselves.
  • Economics: Economics has some surprisingly close parallels with ecology. This is because the laws that govern resource use, productivity, and efficiency do not operate only in the human world, with its stock markets and global corporations, but in the nonhuman world as well.

Technology
In technology, scientific knowledge is put to practical use. This knowledge comes primarily from mathematics and the physical sciences, and it is used in designing machinery, materials, and industrial processes. In general, this work is known as engineering, a word dating back to the early days of the Industrial Revolution, when an “engine” was any kind of machine.

Engineering has many branches, calling for a wide variety of different skills. According to engineering-colleges.info, these are distributed as follows:

Big Four Technologies
The “Big Four” Disciplines which account for approximately two-thirds (67%) of all engineering Bachelor’s degrees awarded annually are:

  • Civil “Public works”/infrastructure and buildings/structures. Sub disciplines include Construction Management, Environmental, Geo technical, Structural, Surveying, Transportation, and Water Resources to name a few.
  • Computer Utilize knowledge in both Computer Science and Electrical Engineering to design integrated computer systems (that is, integrating hardware and software components). Also includes the field of Artificial Intelligence.
  • Electrical All things electrical/electronic – electronic devices, electrical systems, electrical energy, robotics, etc. Given the number of potential applications, Electrical Engineering is a very broad discipline, especially with respect to its intersection with Computer Engineering.
  • Mechanical Machines, structures, devices, mechanical systems, and energy conversion systems. Mechanical Engineering is often considered the broadest of engineering disciplines, with overlap into many of the other existing engineering disciplines, including Civil, Electrical, and Chemical Engineering.

Medium Four Technologies
The “Medium Four” Disciplines which collectively account for approximately 20% of all engineering Bachelor’s degrees awarded annually are:

  • Aerospace Flight vehicles and systems, including both space flight (spacecraft, rockets, satellites, etc.) and sub-space flight (airplanes, helicopters, missiles, etc.). Many Aerospace Engineers also work on land-based vehicles as well (race cars, regular cars, etc.), typically focusing on aerodynamics (design of external surfaces). Astronautical Engineering programs focus on space flight/systems (spacecraft, satellites, etc.), while Aeronautical Engineering programs focus on sub-space flight vehicles/systems (airplanes, cars, etc.).
  • Biomedical Engineering applications within the broad fields of medicine and the life sciences. Biomedical Engineering is the most rapidly growing engineering discipline, particularly at the undergraduate level.
  • Chemical Chemical-based manufacturing - applying chemistry for commercial-quantity production of a wide variety of products, including: • Fuels (gasoline, natural gas) • PetroChemicals (chemicals obtained from petroleum or natural gas) • Agricultural Chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides) • Industrial Chemicals (acids, alkali, organics, salts) • Plastics, Polymers and Fibers • Paper and Paper Products • Pharmaceuticals and Drugs • Consumer Products (paints, soaps, household cleaners, etc.) • Food Additives/Products • Advanced Materials (ceramics, electronic materials, composites, etc.)
  • Industrial/ Manufacturing Efficiency, or, more precisely, how to design, organize, implement, and operate the basic factors of production (materials, equipment, people, information, and energy) in the most efficient manner possible. The typical focus is on optimizing industrial manufacturing operations, although the skills learned can be applied to other non-manufacturing settings.

Smaller 10 Disciplines
The “Smaller Ten” Disciplines which collectively account for less than 10% of all engineering Bachelor’s degrees awarded annually:

  • Agricultural Production and processing of agricultural products (“agriculture” = crops, livestock and poultry). Includes Biological Engineering; Bio-Resources Engineering; Bio-Systems Engineering.
  • Architectural “Engineered systems” (that is, structural, mechanical, and electrical systems) for commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings/facilities. Overall, Architectural Engineers seek to “bridge the gap” between Architects (who focus on “form and function”) and Engineers (who focus on “build-ability”) in designing/building buildings and facilities.
  • Biotechnology A completely new field of technology has developed from advances in the life sciences. Known as biotechnology, it involves such varied activities as genetic engineering, the manipulation of genetic material of cells or organisms, and cloning, the formation of genetically uniform cells, plants, or animals. Although still in its infancy, scientists believe that biotechnology will play a major role in many fields, including food production, waste disposal, and medicine.
  • Engineering Management Combine management courses and engineering classes to prepare graduates to work in technology-driven businesses.
  • Engineering Physics or Science Research into, and application of, principles from basic scientific fields (particularly physics) with an eye towards engineering applications.
  • Environmental Issues involving the protection and preservation of the environment, including sustainable use of the earth’s natural resources. Primary Areas of Specialization include Air Pollution Control, Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal, Natural Systems Modeling, Recycling and Solid Waste Disposal, Sanitary Engineering (municipal and industrial water and waste water treatment). and Water Resources. Environmental Engineering is also a frequent area of specialization under both Chemical and Civil Engineering programs.
  • General Engineering Studies General engineering studies includes core courses and competencies (including mathematics) that can be applied to any number of engineering disciplines without specializing in a specific one.
  • Materials/ Metallurgical Development and application of “advanced materials” – ceramics, polymers, metallic alloys/specialty metals, electronic materials, composites, etc. While Materials Engineering is concerned with developing and applying advanced material, commercial-scale production of such materials is the realm of Chemical Engineering. This discipline is also known as Materials Science and Engineering (reflecting the heavy emphasis on studying materials science that such programs often entail).
  • Mining, Nuclear Combining the Finding, extracting, and processing coal, metallic ores (such as copper, nickel, zinc, and gold) and other minerals (such as diamonds) with the engineering applications of nuclear/radioactive materials.
  • Petroleum Engineering The identification, extraction, storage, and transportation of crude oil and natural gas. Processing (refining) crude oil is in realm of Chemical Engineering