There are no substitutions. I am thinking about getting a science degree. The study of science is a laudable, necessary, and rewarding endeavor. Engineers could not do their jobs without the principles discovered by scientists. However, the basic objectives of the two are different.
Scientists seek to discover knowledge.
Engineers seek to create what never was. Now things are never that well defined so scientists sometimes do engineering work and engineers sometimes do science. But a distinguishing educational objective in engineering is design. Design is at the heart of engineering. Engineers design new things such as better airplanes or appliances or materials or things that do not even exist yet.