According to the ASCE (American Society of Civil engineers), there are more than 140,000 members of this profession globally. In India, there are about 4 million civil engineers. The stats are enough to depict the popularity of this profession among the people. Civil engineering training has various stages, and one must know these entire stages before stepping into this profession.
If you trace back the history of this occupation, you will learn that ”Egyptian Pyramids,” ”Greek Acropolis,” are few of the ancient feats that contribute to this discipline. If we talk about the projects that come under civil engineering today, then there are buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, water supply systems, etc.
Civil engineers are an integral part of our society, and they are contributing a lot towards the development of the Nations. Therefore if you also aspire to become a civil engineer, then here is a brief guide for you to check.
How to Start With Civil Engineering Training?
Before you start with the guide to becoming a civil engineer, let’s first learn a brief about this profession. Basically, civil engineering is about building, designing, and maintaining numerous infrastructure types, such as bridges, roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, sewage systems, or dams. The field signifies one of the ancient engineering types, and your work may occur in an urban or rural location. Furthermore, in addition to development and design, civil engineers also have to manage workers and projects.
Civil Engineering Specializations
The field of Civil engineering is broad and divided into different specializations with various educational and certification options. The knowledge of these specializations is essential and for your convenience here are few of the civil engineering subfields in brief:
Construction Engineers: The primary work here is to supervise construction projects if they are being done correctly and safely. It is about to ensure they are built timely and according to plan.
Environmental Engineers: With the use of engineering, chemistry, and biology, one has to develop solutions to environmental problems. It is about ensuring drinking water is safe, and the air and waterways are free of pollutants, or the waste is appropriately disposed of.
Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Engineers: Here, the person as an engineer has to verify if building projects are appropriate for foundations in varying rock and soil types. They usually have to consider slopes, other features, and design retaining tunnels, and walls among other structures.
Steps by Step Guide to Become Civil Engineer
Step 1: Do Research Civil Engineer Career Options
The very first step towards the civil engineering training that one has to take is to research thoroughly. Since this field is broad, and therefore, it is crucial to it first. Once you know the specialties, it offers you to determine the area you want to pursue further.
You must have the awareness that as a civil engineer, one has to do many administrative tasks, such as checking the construction costs, time constraints, infrastructure’s lifespan, environmental regulations, etc.
Step 2: Be Ready for a Civil Engineering Education in High School
Having a strong background in maths and science can help prepare you for further studies of civil engineering. So try to take admission in high school physics, biology, chemistry, maths, and computer science courses.
Step 3: Spot an ABET-Accredited Civil Engineering Degree Program
Finding an accredited institution is really important, even if it is about civil engineering online courses. While searching for engineering degree programs, make sure to discover qualified institutions through the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Step 4: Get a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
The next and very vital step is to get enrolled in a reputed and accredited institution to complete the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree program. The bachelor’s degree usually takes four years to complete.
As a student, you may take assignments in surveying mathematics, chemistry, statistics, ethics, physics, mechanics, and design. These projects’ motive is to allow you to focus on courses related to one of the many specialties within civil engineering.
Step 5: Get Licensed as a Professional Engineer
Once you are done with your bachelor’s degree and fully prepared to work in the field, you need to get a license. Yes, to provide your civil engineering services to the public, you need to have a Professional Engineer (PE) license. For the license eligibility, the first priority is a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from an accredited ABET program.
The first step is taking the Fundamentals of Engineering exam after completing the graduation. You can then obtain four years of professional experience to be qualified for the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. After completing these exams, you can get the PE license and offer your services to the public.