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WhatIsCivilEngineering?

Civilengineersdesignandsupervisetheconstructionofinfrastructuresuchasroads,buildings,tunnels,airports,dams,bridges,andwatersupplyandsewagesystems.Oneoftheoldestoftheengineeringdisciplines,civilengineeringencompassesmanyspecialties,includingstructural,waterresources,environmental,construction,transportationandgeotechnicalengineering.

Acivilengineeringdegreeprogramappliesmathematicsandphysicalsciencetosolvespecific,realworldproblemsincommerceandindustry.Astrongcivilengineeringprogramtypicallyemphasizesthepracticaluseofgeometry,trigonometry,andcalculusinconjunctionwithphysics,materialscience,andchemistry.Onlinedegreeprogramsincivilengineering,primarilyavailableatthemaster'slevel,allowexperiencedstudentsand

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professionalstolearnadvancedtheory.

Civilengineersworkaspartofateamwithawiderangeofbackgroundsandoftenusetheoryandmodelstopredicthowadesignwillperform.Theygenerallytestideasinthefieldusingscalemockups,sotheycanprovenewdesigntheorieswithoutendangeringlivesorjeopardizingprojectbudgets.

CivilEngineeringCareerTrends

Firmsprovidingengineeringconsultingservices,primarilydevelopingdesignsfornewconstructionprojects,employalittleoverhalfofcivilengineersAlmostathirdofworkinfederal,state,andlocalgovernmentagencies.Theconstructionandmanufacturingindustriesaccountsformostoftheremainingemployment.Approximately12,000civilengineersareselfemployed,manyasconsultants.

Duetogeneralpopulationgrowthandanexpandingeconomy,morecivilengineerswillbeneededtodesignandconstructhighercapacitytransportation,watersupply,pollutioncontrolsystems,andlargebuildingsandbuildingcomplexes.Theywillalsobeneededtorepairorreplaceexistingroads,bridges,andotherpublicstructures.Theremaybeadditionalopportunitieswithinnoncivilengineeringfirms,suchasmanagementconsultingorcomputerservicesfirms.

CivilEngineeringCareerEducation

Bachelor'sDegreesinCivilEngineering

Civilengineeringisinherentlyaninterdisciplinaryfield.Often,studentsselectcoursesinrelatedapplicationareas,suchascomputerscience,appliedmathematics,urbanandregionalplanning,economics,chemistryandmanagement.Duringtheirdegreeprograms,civilengineeringmajorslearntotakeaholisticapproachtosolvingproblems.Byblendingcreativeuseofmathandsciencewithapsychologicalunderstandingofcitizens'needs,futurecivilengineerscancontinuetomakebreakthroughsindesignandefficiency.

Toearnabachelor'sdegreeincivilengineering,studentscompletecoursesinmathematicalandcomputationalmethods,aswellascoursesgearedmorespecificallytowardtheapplicationofthesemethodstorealworldproblems.Typically,thestudentcompletesthiscurriculumwithinfourtofiveyears.Almostallentrylevelengineeringjobsrequireabachelor'sdegree.

OnlineDegreeProgramsinCivilEngineering

Designedforworkingadults,onlinedegreeprogramsinengineeringcombinetheconvenienceofhomestudywiththeexpertiseofexperiencedfaculty.Studentsinterestedinaugmentingtheirbachelor'strainingcanobtainanM.S.throughparticipationinonlinecourseworkorinanindividualprojectundertheguidanceofaninstructor,asadministeredthroughvideoseminars,chatrooms,forumsandsoon.Agraduatedegreeishighlyrecommended,particularlybecausethejobdutiesofacivilengineerlendthemselvestomanagementpositionsthatrequireit.

WhatCanYouDoWithaCollegeDegreeinCivilEngineering?

Civilengineersareemployedprimarilybygovernmentdepartments,utilities,architecturalfirms,builders,andengineeringfirms.Therearealsocareeroptionsavailableineducationandconsulting.Civilengineeringisfarfromyouraveragedeskjob.Engineersareoftenonthemove,workingoutdoorsatconstructionsites,sometimesinoffices,andsometimesinresearchlabs.

Civilengineersworkinallpartsofthecountry,andsomespendtheirentirecareerstravelingandworkingondifferentprojects.Abouthalfofcivilengineersworkforpublicauthorities.Intheprivatesector,civilengineerscanworknotonlyfortraditionalengineeringfirms,butalsofortelecommunicationbusinesses,consultingfirms,oreventoyandathleticequipmentmanufacturers.Avarietyofengineeringspecialtiesareopentoqualifiedgraduates:

Transportationengineersworkwithlocalandregionalplanningboardstoidentifyareasofgrowthanddevelopment.Theyalsolookforopportunitiestoalleviatetrafficsnarls.Oncetheyunderstandtheneedsofdriversinaregion,theydesignplansanddevelopcostestimatesforconstructionprojects.

Structuralengineersworkwitharchitectsandbuilderstoassurethatsteelandothermaterialusedinconstructionprojectsexceedstheneedsofagivenproject.Withadvancesintechnologyandanabundanceofcreativenewbuildingmaterials,today'sstructuralengineersworkonawidervarietyofprojectsthaneverbefore.

Geotechnicalengineershelpbuildersexcavateundergroundprojectsandworkwithexpertswhomanagechallenginglandrenewalprojects.Whencitieswanttoexpandtheirundergroundmasstransitsystems,theycallingeotechnicalengineerstooverseethetunneling.Asmoredeveloperserectskyscrapersandotherlargebuildingsinurbancenters,geotechnicalengineersassurethatthebedrockcansafelysustainthepressureofnewstructuresandthepeopletheywillsupport.

Hydraulic/Hydrology/WaterResourceengineersredirectwatertobenefitresidentsandbusinessesinacommunity.Theyconstructcanalstospeedupshippingwhilepreservingthenaturalflowofwildfishthrougharegion,andbuilddamsthatgeneratevitalelectricitywhileopeninguppotentialnewparcelsoflandfordevelopment.Somehydraulicengineersdesignpipelinesthatsafelytransferfreshwatertoremoteareas,

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allowingnewcommunitiestothrive.Wastewaterengineershelpimprovebothourenvironmentandoureconomybyhelpingcommunitiesandbusinessesdisposeofwaste

withoutpollutingnaturalwatersources.Untilveryrecently,factoriesandrefineriesdumpedtheirindustrialwasteintoriversandstreams(somestilldo,thoughit'snowillegal).Today,wastewaterengineersdevelopsewagetreatmentplantsthatcanremovewasteproductsfromwater,returningpurewatertostreamsandreservoirs.

Environmentalengineersareinastonishinglyhighdemandasdevelopedcountriesfinallyaddresstheclimatechangecrisis.Environmentalengineersworkcloselywithbusinessleadersandgovernmentofficialstoinstitutenewairpollutionstandardsthatreduceharmfulemissionsfromfactorieswithoutnegativelyimpactingindustrialoutput.Environmentalengineersalsoexaminethequalityofoursoil,ensuringthatharmfultoxinsdonotseepupthroughthegroundandcontaminatecrops,animals,businessesandhomes.

Complianceofficersworkinbothcorporateandgovernmentsettingstoensurethatlocalandfederallawsareobservedintheconstruction,maintenance,andoperationofallkindsoffacilities.Complianceofficersworkingintheprivatesectorhelptheiremployersprepareforupcominginspectionsbyanticipatingandeliminatingsourcesofpollutionorsubstandardconstruction.Inhousecomplianceofficerssimulatevisitsfromofficialinspectors,savingtheircompaniessignificantamountsofmoneythroughtheirproactiveapproach.

Constructionmanagersusetheirengineeringandleadershipskillstoensurethatbuildingprojectsarecompletedontimeandunderbudget.Constructionmanagersmustcoordinatetheeffortsofteamsofengineersandlaborerstomeettightproductionschedules.Theyareoftenthemostvisiblehubofconnectionbetweenarchitects,developers,andconstructionspecialists.

Governmentandurbanplanningengineersoftenuseacombinationofskillsandspecialtiestocoordinatepublicworksandprivateconstructionintheircommunities.Traditionally,governmentplanningengineersforgedrelationshipswithstateagenciesthatwouldprovidefundingorconstructionofmajorprojects.Localplanningengineerswouldhelpresidentsunderstandthepotentialenvironmentalimpactofnewhighwaysorinfrastructureprojects.

Morerecently,localgovernmentsacrossthecountryhavestrengthenedtheirinternalplanningsystemsandhiredmoreengineers.Bycreatingcomprehensivelanddevelopmentplansaspartoftheirlongrangestrategies,citiesandtownscanpositionthemselvestobenefitfromexplosivegrowthwithoutsuccumbingtooverwhelmingdemandsonwatersystemsorroads.Whenresidentsmanageengineeringissuesinternally,theyretainmorecontrolovertheshapeandthescopeofdevelopmentintheircommunities.

Certification,LicensureandAssociations

Anyonewhoprovidesengineeringservicestothepublicmustbelicensed.Certificationasaprofessionalengineerrequiresadegreefromanaccreditedengineeringprogram,fouryearsofrelevantworkexperience,andsuccessfulcompletionofastateexaminationinthefundamentals,principlesandpracticeofengineering.

TheNationalCouncilofExaminersforEngineeringandSurveyingalsoadministersexamstwiceeachyearinall50statestoassiststateswithevaluatingandselectinglicensedprofessionalengineers.WhileitisnotalwaysnecessarytoattaintheProfessionalEngineering(PE)licensetopracticeengineering,thislicenseisrequiredtopracticecertaingovernmentworkortoreviewandapprovedesigns,andsomefirmsrequirethelicenseforsomeonetoprogresstoanengineeringmanagementposition.

CivilEngineeringRelatedAccreditedCertifications:

AmericanSocietyofCivilEngineersAmericanAcademyofWaterResourceEngineers(AAWRE)AmericanAcademyofEnvironmentalEngineers(AAEE)AssociationfortheAdvancementofCostEngineering(AACE)

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