4 answers
Marco
Student
Lynn, Massachusetts
3
Questions
Asked
2142 views
Is civil engineering worth going to college for 4 years or are there any easier or more time saving paths
I'm a Jr looking to be in the field of engineering but i choose civil engineering because i think it suits me as a life long career but i want to know if it is easy to get a job or position as a civil engineer so all my college years and money won't go to waste #career #jobs #career-choice #college-jobs #civil-engineer #engineering #career-development #career-plan
4 answers
Gregory Soncrant
Risk Consultant
15
Answers
Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Updated
Gregory’s Answer
A civil engineering career looks to be very promising here in the USA right now. The entire country is in need of infrastructure improvements, not only bridges and roads but maybe more urgently dams and aqueducts in this country are crumbling. This may be a specific area you can pursue. However, any and most if not all areas of civil engineering should be an excellent career choice based on the need in this country to rebuild our aging infrastructure. This youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCiN6wqIcjw shows the devastation caused by a dam failure on a series of lakes in Michigan. Civil engineers will be needed to rebuild it and many others like it across the country.
Shawn Noble
Mechanical Engineer
26
Answers
Naperville, Illinois
Updated
Shawn’s Answer
There are no shortcuts to becoming an engineer. Attending an ABET accredited university and completing an Engineering degree not an Engineering Technology degree is the only path to becoming an engineer with one exception.
The exception is taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (all day exam) followed by working under the supervision of other engineers for a number of years and capped off by taking the Professional Engineer Exam (all day exam). Many states will not permit taking the FE Exam without being in the Senior class of an engineering degree. Most companies with engineers supervising and reporting to the state your probability of passing the PE Exam and being a good engineer are unlikely to hire you without an engineering degree. So, shortcuts really do not exist.
If you are truly looking for a shortcut in place of the BS in Engineering degree route, it is highly probable engineering is not your true path. Engineering degrees require perseverance and desire to achieve. You will spend many nights up to midnight or later studying. Semesters are typically 15+ hours to graduate in 4 years with 135 hours. (Non-engineering degrees tend to be 120 hours.)
The exception is taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (all day exam) followed by working under the supervision of other engineers for a number of years and capped off by taking the Professional Engineer Exam (all day exam). Many states will not permit taking the FE Exam without being in the Senior class of an engineering degree. Most companies with engineers supervising and reporting to the state your probability of passing the PE Exam and being a good engineer are unlikely to hire you without an engineering degree. So, shortcuts really do not exist.
If you are truly looking for a shortcut in place of the BS in Engineering degree route, it is highly probable engineering is not your true path. Engineering degrees require perseverance and desire to achieve. You will spend many nights up to midnight or later studying. Semesters are typically 15+ hours to graduate in 4 years with 135 hours. (Non-engineering degrees tend to be 120 hours.)
Nick D
New York, USA
67
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Nick’s Answer
I can't say if it's easier to get a job as a civil engineer but I would say it's one of the less likely jobs to be sent offshore to a lower cost region. Engineering work is global and projects can be managed from anywhere but the final product such as roads, bridges is very local. You could expect jobs to be with the major contractors in your area and some government work. I'm not a big fan of student loans. I think the availability of easy money just drove up the price and not the quality of education. Try to leverage as much education as possible in your local community colleges where the expenses should be lower. Make sure the credits are transferable and get good grades to support their value. Get all the scholarship and student aid available. I very often mention paid interning jobs to all students. They not only provide the critical learning and grooming that you need, but you may also find an employer who would be willing to fund your further education. You need to be a good worker, smart and showing talent and potential. Companies need a fresh pipeline of good workers to keep them growing and successful. They very often provide this by educating their own employees. This is not theoretical advice, this is how it has worked for many people, including me.
Nattakarn Alkire
52
Answers
Updated
Nattakarn’s Answer
Hello, Marco
You will have to complete a 4 years degree for the Civil Engineer. You can review more details on what they do, salary range, work environment, etc. After you reviewed more information through the link below and determine that you would like to move forward to the next step, I would recommend you to apply to a Co-op program to see if it would be best fits for your career path.
Please see the link below for more information about the Civil Engineer Job. There are a lot of good information on this page. You can also search for a different field of the engineering on this page as well. Please see below for more details.
Architecture and Engineering Occupations:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/home.htm
Civil Engineers:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/civil-engineers.htm#tab-2
What Civil Engineers Do:
Civil engineers design major transportation projects.
Civil engineers conceive, design, build, supervise, operate, construct and maintain infrastructure projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment. Many civil engineers work in planning, design, construction, research, and education.
Duties
Civil engineers typically do the following:
Analyze long range plans, survey reports, maps, and other data to plan and design projects
Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors during the planning and risk-analysis stages of a project
Compile and submit permit applications to local, state, and federal agencies, verifying that projects comply with various regulations
Oversee and analyze the results of soil testing to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations
Analyze the results of tests on building materials, such as concrete, wood, asphalt, or steel, for use in particular projects
Prepare cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a project’s economic feasibility
Use design software to plan and design transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures in line with industry and government standards
Perform or oversee surveying operations to establish building locations, site layouts, reference points, grades, and elevations to guide construction
Manage the repair, maintenance, and replacement of public and private infrastructure
Civil engineers also must present their findings to the public on topics such as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or property descriptions.
Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions ranging from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer, public works director, and city manager. As supervisors, they are tasked with ensuring that safe work practices are followed at construction sites.
Other civil engineers work in design, construction, research, and teaching. Civil engineers work with others on projects and may be assisted by civil engineering technicians.
Civil engineers prepare permit documents for work on projects in renewable energy. They verify that the projects will comply with federal, state, and local requirements. These engineers conduct structural analyses for large-scale photovoltaic, or solar energy, projects. They also evaluate the ability of solar array support structures and buildings to tolerate stresses from wind, seismic activity, and other sources. For large-scale wind projects, civil engineers often prepare roadbeds to handle large trucks that haul in the turbines.
Civil engineers work on complex projects, and they can achieve job satisfaction in seeing the project reach completion. They usually specialize in one of several areas.
Construction engineers manage construction projects, ensuring that they are scheduled and built in accordance with plans and specifications. These engineers typically are responsible for the design and safety of temporary structures used during construction. They may also oversee budgetary, time-management, and communications aspects of a project.
Geotechnical engineers work to make sure that foundations for built objects ranging from streets and buildings to runways and dams, are solid. They focus on how structures built by civil engineers, such as buildings and tunnels, interact with the earth (including soil and rock). In addition, they design and plan for slopes, retaining walls, and tunnels.
Structural engineers design and assess major projects, such as buildings, bridges, or dams, to ensure their strength and durability.
Transportation engineers plan, design, operate, and maintain everyday systems, such as streets and highways, but they also plan larger projects, such as airports, ship ports, mass transit systems, and harbors.
The work of civil engineers is closely related to the work of environmental engineers.
You will have to complete a 4 years degree for the Civil Engineer. You can review more details on what they do, salary range, work environment, etc. After you reviewed more information through the link below and determine that you would like to move forward to the next step, I would recommend you to apply to a Co-op program to see if it would be best fits for your career path.
Please see the link below for more information about the Civil Engineer Job. There are a lot of good information on this page. You can also search for a different field of the engineering on this page as well. Please see below for more details.
Architecture and Engineering Occupations:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/home.htm
Civil Engineers:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/civil-engineers.htm#tab-2
What Civil Engineers Do:
Civil engineers design major transportation projects.
Civil engineers conceive, design, build, supervise, operate, construct and maintain infrastructure projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment. Many civil engineers work in planning, design, construction, research, and education.
Duties
Civil engineers typically do the following:
Analyze long range plans, survey reports, maps, and other data to plan and design projects
Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors during the planning and risk-analysis stages of a project
Compile and submit permit applications to local, state, and federal agencies, verifying that projects comply with various regulations
Oversee and analyze the results of soil testing to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations
Analyze the results of tests on building materials, such as concrete, wood, asphalt, or steel, for use in particular projects
Prepare cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a project’s economic feasibility
Use design software to plan and design transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures in line with industry and government standards
Perform or oversee surveying operations to establish building locations, site layouts, reference points, grades, and elevations to guide construction
Manage the repair, maintenance, and replacement of public and private infrastructure
Civil engineers also must present their findings to the public on topics such as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or property descriptions.
Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions ranging from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer, public works director, and city manager. As supervisors, they are tasked with ensuring that safe work practices are followed at construction sites.
Other civil engineers work in design, construction, research, and teaching. Civil engineers work with others on projects and may be assisted by civil engineering technicians.
Civil engineers prepare permit documents for work on projects in renewable energy. They verify that the projects will comply with federal, state, and local requirements. These engineers conduct structural analyses for large-scale photovoltaic, or solar energy, projects. They also evaluate the ability of solar array support structures and buildings to tolerate stresses from wind, seismic activity, and other sources. For large-scale wind projects, civil engineers often prepare roadbeds to handle large trucks that haul in the turbines.
Civil engineers work on complex projects, and they can achieve job satisfaction in seeing the project reach completion. They usually specialize in one of several areas.
Construction engineers manage construction projects, ensuring that they are scheduled and built in accordance with plans and specifications. These engineers typically are responsible for the design and safety of temporary structures used during construction. They may also oversee budgetary, time-management, and communications aspects of a project.
Geotechnical engineers work to make sure that foundations for built objects ranging from streets and buildings to runways and dams, are solid. They focus on how structures built by civil engineers, such as buildings and tunnels, interact with the earth (including soil and rock). In addition, they design and plan for slopes, retaining walls, and tunnels.
Structural engineers design and assess major projects, such as buildings, bridges, or dams, to ensure their strength and durability.
Transportation engineers plan, design, operate, and maintain everyday systems, such as streets and highways, but they also plan larger projects, such as airports, ship ports, mass transit systems, and harbors.
The work of civil engineers is closely related to the work of environmental engineers.
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