Careers in Civil Engineering

The career opportunities for a civil engineer are nearly endless! 

As we noted in our September 1 post, civil engineering is the design, construction, maintenance, and inspection of the physical and naturally built environment. While one can argue that the civil engineering profession has existed since humans began to build shelter, it only became recognized as a profession in the 18th century. It became the second recognized engineering discipline after military engineering. As such, many of the engineering disciplines branched from civil engineering. 

A degree in civil engineering provides many career options. Civil engineering majors at many universities have the option to concentrate their civil engineering studies to a discipline that aligns with their career goals.  While concentrations vary by school, a few options that many offer include:

• General
  
  • Civil engineers do not have to choose a subdiscipline and can instead choose to become generalists. As a generalist, a civil engineer can choose a career designing or managing projects within any of the subdisciplines.  
    
• Structural
  
  • Structural engineers are involved in the design, analysis, construction oversight, inspection and maintenance of buildings, bridges, tunnels, and other structures. 
    
• Construction
  
  • Civil engineers can work in construction management overseeing every aspect of construction from start to finish.
    
• Geotechnical
  
  • Geotechnical engineers evaluate the behavior of the earth’s materials. Geotechnical engineers can work in industries that require building on top or below ground. 
    
• Environmental
  
  • Environmental engineers focus on the conservation and improvement of the environment and public health. Environmental engineers work with water/waste-water systems, waste/recycling methods and facilities and developing methods to clean/restore the environment.
    
• Transportation
  
  • Transportation engineers plan, design, build and maintain transportation infrastructure. 
    

Each concentration offers several career options with job functions that range from design, construction management, inspection, maintenance and research. 
Civil Engineers can begin their careers with just a Bachelors’ degree. Some civil engineers choose to continue their education by obtaining Masters and PhDs.  Many civil engineers obtain their Engineering in Training (EIT) their final year in college or shortly thereafter. This professional designation signifies that the civil engineer has a fundamental understanding of engineering. After at least four years of career experience, passing the licensure exam and meeting the requirements set-forth by the state  engineering licensing board, an engineer may obtain a Professional Engineering (P.E.) license. The P.E. license is a credential that holds a civil engineer to a higher degree of responsibility and high ethical standards of practice. A P.E. is responsible not only for their work but also for the lives affected by their work. 
Civil engineers can choose to work for the government, academia or private firms or they can choose the entrepreneurial route. Government roles include designers, project managers, inspectors, maintenance, research and policy makers. In academia, civil engineers can teach and conduct research in civil engineering practices, technologies, and materials. Civil engineers can work in private firms as consultants, designers, project managers and inspectors. As entrepreneurs, civil engineers establish companies as consultants, designers, inspectors, construction managers and contractors. 
There are many careers, job functions and industries to choose from with a degree in civil engineering. The choice is yours!