Civil engineer how many years of college

Instead of an engineer, you will be an engineering technician or technologist. You will work with engineering equipment or assist full-fledged engineers with implementing their designs rather than developing your own ideas.

Engineering technicians make well above the median wage for all occupations but considerably less than engineers in the same discipline. However, students should know that an engineering curriculum is rigorous.

To succeed in the challenging coursework required of engineering students, you will need to give yourself plenty of time for homework, projects and studying.

In fact, fewer than half of Asian-American students, just one-third of white students, less than one-quarter of Latino students and less than one-fifth of black students attain their STEM degree within five years, the Higher Education Research Institute reported.

What happens to the rest of these STEM students? Some earn a STEM degree at a slower pace, while others switch to easier majors, transfer to different schools or drop out of college completely. Many engineering degree programs are designed to be completed in two years of full-time study. Many graduate students, especially those who are working full-time, have to study part-time in order to have enough time to devote to their studies.

Of course, there are exceptions. There are a relatively high number of people that were born in India that hold Engineering degrees 4. Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Civil Engineering field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Civil Engineering majors need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension. These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Civil Engineering majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill value and the revealed comparative advantage RCA , or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average.

The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Technology Design is very distinctive for majors, but the Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking are the three most important skills for people in the field.

Add Comparison. Army Engineering. Institutions Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Civil Engineering and the types of students that study this field. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. View Data. Specialized Colleges Highest Concentration Institution.

Virginia Military Institute. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The required examinations, administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, are detailed below alongside other optional professional development opportunities. All engineers must take this exam, although the tests are specialized to different areas of the field.

The civil engineering test takes six hours to complete and is comprised of multiple-choice questions covering 18 different areas. Some of these include mathematics; probability and statistics; computational tools; ethics and professional practice; engineering economics; statics; dynamics; and surveying.

After serving as an engineer-in-training and gaining professional experience, the last step for full licensure is completing a PE exam in civil engineering. All of the exams last eight hours and are taken during a morning and afternoon session. The Academy of Geo-Professionals offers this certification for individuals who have already completed their PE exam and wish to extend their knowledge to geotechnical design, a sub-disciplined focused on how to effectively work with soil and rock.

WRE diploma exists for professional engineers with existing experience who wish to become experts in areas of dams and drainage, flood management, irrigation, and reservoirs. The work of a civil engineer involves both being at the drafting table and on the ground at construction sites. Because of this, they use a variety of tools and technologies to assist them in planning and executing their designs.

Some of the most common are given below:. Almost , civil engineers were working in the field as of , and this number is expected to grow by nearly 20, in the coming years. Civic Engineering roles are projected to increase by 20 percent between and , much faster than the national average for all jobs.

Many components contribute to this large growth, including:. Whether liaising with civil engineers and architects or overseeing their crew of framers, bricklayers, plumbers and roofers, construction managers have much responsibility.

Job sites can range from residential properties to large-scale corporate headquarters, offering much variety. Cost estimators often work closely with professionals in CE to provide estimates about needed materials, labor, time and money for various projects.

They may specialize in particular areas, such as manufacturing, construction, or professional services. After a successful career in the industry, numerous CE professionals elect to transition into collegiate teaching. With similar salaries offered, this mid-career switch is attractive to those with the passion for educating the next generation of engineers.

These professionals typically focus their knowledge on a specific area, such as construction, security, finance, or industrial processes. Those working in construction oversee building sites to ensure all safety measures are known and protected against.

Civic engineers sometimes work with hydrologists on projects where underground and surface waters factor into design plans. These professionals understand the ins and outs of precipitation, flooding, groundswell, and soil erosion. Whether working with potential buyers to ascertain if a potential property is sound and up to code or inspecting a new build to ensure it meets all requirements, construction and building inspectors have careers filled with variety and the opportunity to work with many different types of structures and clients.

A number of careers within the field or closely related to civil engineering are also growing rapidly thanks to the need for more environmentally friendly structures and roads to serve a growing population.

Some of the hot careers in the field today include:. While usually focused exclusively on structures, architects and civil engineers frequently overlap in their work activities. They are responsible for meeting with clients to ascertain their needs, creating designs based on those conversations, producing drafts and blueprints, overseeing the work of building contractors, and ensuring all buildings adhere to codes. They frequently use computer-aided design CAD software to produce scaled examples of building plans and split their time between the office and the job site.

CETs support civil engineers, working alongside them to design structures and roadways. These professionals are not licensed, but are able to contribute to projects in meaningful ways under the supervision of a professional CE. They may review blueprints, inspect project sites, evaluate work, review coding and zoning requirements, and produce cost estimates.

Architectural and Civic Drafters take the vision of a civil engineer and make it reality. After consulting with CEs and architects, these professionals produce highly detailed and accurate sketches of structures and roadways, utilizing both pen and paper and computer-aided design CAD software.

They must possess a thorough knowledge of materials, engineering principles, mathematics, and zoning codes to be proficient, and many leaders within the field rely on their expertise. Civil engineering jobs are set to grow by one-fifth between and across the nation, although some states will experience more growth than others.

Individuals willing to factor location into their professional plans may consider using this information as they make their decisions. While Utah is set to grow the position by more than one-third, Maine expects to see a growth of only 3. Individuals working in engineering or related fields are known to make good livings, and the occupations related to civil engineering shown below are no exception.

Whether aspiring to lead projects or assist licensed engineers, options abound. Similarly, those who wish to be more focused on the constructions aspect, as well as individuals who enjoy the planning process more, all have a number of career paths available to them.

After reading through this guide, you may realize you like many of the components of civil engineering but are better suited to a slightly different occupation. The table below outlines related occupations and provides a snapshot of average salaries, projected job growth, and the education needed to enter the field.

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Learn how much you could make throughout your career. Civil Engineering Basics. Civil Engineering In-Depth. Civic Engineer. Civic Engineering Project Manager.

Structural Engineer. Step 1. Within these programs, students undertake a variety of courses in math, engineering, statistics, fluid dynamics, and architectural design. They learn through a variety of mediums, including class lectures, internships or co-ops, and onsite field work. Students may also have the opportunity to concentrate their knowledge in a particular area through specialized coursework and a research project. Those seeking doctoral level degrees most often aspire to teach at the postsecondary level, or work in high-level consulting roles.