Careers in Civil Engineering

Students who enjoy math and the idea of building new things might want to consider a career in civil engineering. These students will take courses that cover math and physics. They will also learn how to manage a project and how to design a project so that construction teams can follow their plans. Students typically will need a bachelor's degree to enter the field. As they advance, they will need to obtain a higher education degree. Depending upon their location, they may also need to be licensed by the state or country that they live in. Students will need to decide early what they want to specialize in as there are many choices and they will want to take courses related to their specialty.

By far the largest group of engineers works in structural engineering. These students develop new buildings and structures such as oilrigs. Many engineers start out as structural engineers before beginning a career in a more specialized field such as earthquake engineering or water engineering. Earthquake engineers will work to make buildings more able to withstand earthquakes. They will also work to develop building codes for governments. Water engineers will work with coastal engineers to develop structures on the water.

Many with degrees in engineering work as surveyors. They determine the boundary lines of existing properties before the construction begins. They also work after the building is complete to finalize if the project was built according to the plans and in accordance with the building code.

Some with engineering degrees will study about different building materials. These students will work at developing new building materials. They will also work at making current materials stronger and cheaper. They will also work at developing alloys that are better building materials.

The last large area of engineers is the one who studies the impact that the environment has on structures. These engineers will help develop new laws to protect the environment. They will also work to protect the soil from erosion. Engineers in this area will also understand how different building styles are impacted by the soil that they are built on.
Careers as an engineer are varied and dependant on the economy. If the economy is strong, jobs as an engineer are easy to find. Salaries of engineers are also dependant on the economy, as more engineers are needed in a stronger economy. Likewise, if the economy is weak people with a degree in engineering face difficulty in finding jobs.
Students who enjoy math and science may find a career in engineering very rewarding.