1. A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture
© 2010 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

2. What is Civil Engineering?
A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
What is Civil Engineering?
“Civil engineers are changing the world. They dream up creative, practical solutions that benefit the everyday lives of people and the communities in which we live. They work with smart and inspiring people to invent, design and build things that matter.”
American Society of Civil Engineers

3. About Civil Engineering
A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
About Civil Engineering
Civil engineers are wherever people build anything. Some work in offices or labs, and many work at construction sites.
Civil is the largest field of engineering in the United States.
193 Universities offer ABET accredited civil engineering programs.
Civil engineering is one of the oldest engineering career fields.
The American Society of Civil Engineers ( is a professional organization for civil engineers.
ABET is the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. ABET
currently accredits around 2,800 programs at more than 600 colleges and universities. contains more information.

4. About Civil Engineering
A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
About Civil Engineering
The need for civil engineers is expected to grow faster than average compared to other occupations.
Most Civil Engineers attend a 4 year school, obtain a master’s degree, and then combine experience and exam completion to obtain licensure and the title of Professional Engineer (PE).
Civil engineering technicians (2 year degree) and technologists (4 year degree) work closely with civil engineers.
ABET is the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. ABET
currently accredits around 2,800 programs at more than 600 colleges and universities. contains more information.

5. About Civil Engineering
A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
About Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is a diverse field. Most specialties fall under the categories of
Structural
Environmental
Geotechnical
Water Resources
Transportation
Construction
Urban Planning

6. A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Structural
Structural engineers design structures to support their own weight and the loads that they carry.
Structures are designed to resist natural forces such as wind, earthquakes, extreme temperature, hurricanes, and other natural and human-made forces.
Examples include buildings, dams, highways, bridges, etc.

7. A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Environmental
Environmental engineers improve and maintain the environment to protect and enhance human health along with the world’s ecosystems.
Includes safe disposal or clean up of potentially harmful waste and the design of strategies to protect the environment in products, buildings, recreation areas, etc.
Images courtesy of DOE/NREL

8. A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Geotechnical
Geotechnical engineers analyze the properties of soil and rock to determine engineering properties.
Includes projects such as tunnels, foundations, offshore platforms, etc.
Images courtesy of DOE/NREL

9. A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Water Resources
Engineers design, supervise, and evaluate systems for controlling, storing, moving, and conserving water.
Includes providing clean drinking water, protecting beaches, preventing floods, providing irrigation, treating wastewater, etc.
Images courtesy of DOE/NREL

10. A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Transportation
Transportation engineers design, supervise, and evaluate systems for moving people, goods, and materials safely and efficiently.
Examples include highways, paths, airfields, ports, mass transit, etc.

11. A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Construction
Engineers use technical and management skills to turn a design into
reality on time and on budget.
Image courtesy of DOE/NREL

12. A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Urban Planning
Urban planners coordinate the development of a community.
Examples include projecting street patterns, deciding where parks and recreation areas are best located, determining where residential, commercial, and industrial areas are to be located.
REPLACE
Images courtesy of DOE/NREL

13. Possibilities for a Civil Engineer
A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Possibilities for a Civil Engineer
Private Sector
Public Sector
Academia
Research and Development
Marketing and Public Relations
Combined with Other Disciplines
Private Practice: Typically work for a private company (not owned or controlled by the government) that designs, constructs, and operates physical works and facilities. The projects that civil engineers in the private sector work on can be intended for public or private use. In other words, private companies can work for governmental organizations (say to design a park or water treatment plant) or for other private companies or citizens.
Public Practice: Involved in city and/or regional planning, layout and construction of highways and pipelines.
In Academia: Teaches students the fundamentals of civil engineering. Also involved in research in order to advance the state-of-the-art.
Research and Development: May be involved in research and development of new materials or methods related to civil engineering. Can work in academia or the private sector.
Marketing and Public Relations: An engineering background is often essential in order to market or sell engineering services or related products.
In Combination with other Disciplines: A Civil Engineering degree combined with another degree, such as Engineering Geologist, Engineering Economist, or Engineer/Attorney.

14. Private vs Public Sector
A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Both offer
Project Challenges and Opportunities based on ability
Opportunities for Professional Growth
Private Sector
PROS
Better than average starting salaries
Merit pay increases and/or incentive compensation
CONS
Shared health plan costs
Lower than average holiday and sick allowance
No employer Pension plan
Public Sector
PROS
Better than average holiday and sick allowance
Employer paid heath plan
Employer paid Pension plan
Pay increases based on employment level
CONS
Lower than average starting salaries
Although each employment situation is different, these lists give potential pros and cons for working as a civil engineer or architect in the private sector versus the public sector.

15. Registered Professional Engineer (PE)
A Career in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 1 – Lesson 1.2 – Careers in Civil Engineering and Architecture
Registered Professional Engineer (PE)
Graduation from an ABET accredited school/university
Fundamentals Exam (FE or EIT)
Work Experience
Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam (PE)
Fundamentals Examination (FE or EIT):
This exam is offered in April and October every year. Most students take the exam right before graduation or soon after while the information is still fresh in their minds. (Engineer-In-Training)
Work Experience:
Most jurisdictions require four years of experience working under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer.
Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE):
Specific exam in your discipline offered in both April and October. After passing the PE and satisfying the requirements of your local board (state), you can use the distinguished P.E. designation.