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Getting a Degree in Civil Engineering

Getting a Degree in Civil Engineering

A civil engineer works to plan and supervise public works projects. They work on the infrastructure that moves people and commerce around the country and work on public works projects such as buildings, highways, airports, bridges, and dams. Texas A&M says learning about Civil Engineering has implications far beyond simple construction planning and related tasks.

"Civil engineering is the profession that makes civilization possible. Projects can affect where we live, work and play and impacts countless lives..." adding, "Civil engineers design and build infrastructure, and create safer materials, energy efficiencies and urban renewals. They build the future, and our world, by being problem solvers and civic-minded."

To be a good civil engineer, you must be a good problem solver, proficient in math, and able to handle various projects and settings.

Associate’s Degree in Civil Engineering

If you go for your associate’s degree in civil engineering, it will prepare you for assistant-level roles as a technician, surveyor, and inspector. However, you would need to get your bachelor’s degree to go any further than that. An associate’s degree should take you around two years, and you can find programs at your local community college or engineering college. You might then take courses in surveying, cartography, and topography.

Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering

Getting your bachelor’s degree in civil engineering is a must for pursuing a career as any type of civil engineer. Students working towards their bachelor’s degree will learn about construction management and building materials, hazardous waste management, structural design, soil composition, and materials science.

Classes may include engineering physics, technical communications, hydrology, wastewater handling, economics, and more.

You should be able to find either an in-person or online bachelor’s degree program to study civil engineering. For online programs, the University of North Dakota, Old Dominion University, and Keiser University all have highly rated programs. For in-person programs, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Princeton University all have highly rated programs.

Jobs with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering

  • Construction Managers - Oversee a worksite and know about things such as weather, costs, team and time management, and supervise a wide variety of projects, have an average salary of $86,248, according to Glassdoor as of July 2022.
  • Environmental Engineers - Use the principles of engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems, and work to improve things such as recycling, waste disposal, public health, and water and air pollution, have an average salary of $79,966 according to Glassdoor, as of March 2022.
  • Transportation Engineers- Design solutions to transportation needs of all kinds, from airports to maintaining highways, to road and rail systems, have an average salary of $78,294, according to Glassdoor as of April 2022.

Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering

Getting your master’s degree in civil engineering can allow you to go further on in your career as well as allow you to have a more management type of position. Some schools may have a 5-year program where you can get your bachelor’s degree and master’s degree at the same time. Traditional master’s programs take two years. Students would take classes such as civil engineering, architectural engineering, and structural engineering.

You should be able to find either an in-person or online master’s degree program to study civil engineering. For online programs, Mississippi State University, Villanova University, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology all have highly rated programs.

For in-person programs, the University of California at Berkeley, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign all have highly rated programs.

Jobs with a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering:

Doctorate Degrees in Civil Engineering

Getting your Ph.D. in civil engineering will allow you to pursue jobs in academia or research. Programs take around 4-5 years, and students learn how to properly address complex engineering problems while navigating traditional principles of society as they relate to technology. In the Ph.D. program, students select a technical concentration, which determines the types of classes they take.

You can find highly rated programs at schools such as the University of Texas Arlington, the George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Atlantic International University.

Jobs with a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering

Related Majors

Civil Engineering Licensing

You would need to get your license to work as a civil engineer. In order to do so, you would need to graduate with a 4-year degree in engineering, work under a professional engineer for at least four years, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE), and pass the Principle and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE).

Scholarships for Civil Engineers

Getting your degree in civil engineering means you can apply for certain scholarships that specialize in engineering or similar degrees.  Additionally, there are several scholarships for active military, veterans, and non-military interested in pursuing a degree in civil engineering. Here are a couple of them:”

Richard L. Brooks Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is an essay contest that was developed to assist students with the rising cost of a college education. The scholarship is for full or part-time undergraduate or graduate students who are enrolled in an accredited college or university in North America who are also studying architecture, civil engineering, structural engineering, construction management, material science, or a related field. There will be two scholarships awarded at $2,500 each.



Y.C. Yang Civil Engineering Scholarship

This scholarship is to help foster interest in structural engineering and encourage students to further their civil engineering education. It is given to no more than two undergraduate civil engineering students, and the amount of the award varies. The scholarship can be used to pay for tuition and fees in sophomore, junior, or senior year.