Generally, for a person to become a civil engineer, they need a Bachelor’s degree or above. An individual’s freshman and sophomore years consist of the student having all of their basic science and of their mathematical skills completed in order for a student to be able to proceed within the field. Some more of the class curriculum courses may be as follows:
- The individual would need two semesters of physics;
- The person would also be required to complete two semesters of chemistry;
- The student would also need a math course through differential equations;
- They will also need a mechanics course;
- They would also be required a class in dynamics or rigid bodies;
- The student would also be required to take a class on the mechanics of deformable bodies
In a person’s junior year of college for civil engineering, the student builds off their basic science and fundamental knowledge courses in such regions as:
- Fluid mechanics and hydraulic courses;
- A structural analysis class;
- A soil mechanics course;
- Environmental engineering courses;
- In the junior year, the student begins their hands-on laboratory clinical orientations
In a student’s senior year, the students are prepared to take classes in design and also engage in the civil engineering sequence of professional practice and capstone design. Some of the other classes a student may be required to take may include courses such as:
- Foundation design;
- Transportation;
- Some technical elective courses;
- After the student graduates, all new engineers must accrue some specified experience in their fields working under a licensed PE supervisor; This generally is 4 years
There are several federal priorities and state priorities that revolve around civil engineers’ licensure requirements. A person may find licensure requirements from the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers,) The National Council of Engineering Examiners and The Ohio State Department of Education.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau Civil Engineers make a median pay of about $37.29 per hour and approximately $77,560 per year at an entry-level education level of a Bachelor’s degree. In Ohio, the mean salary is $73,340, and although a little down from the national average, experienced civil engineers make over. Nationally, the civil engineering occupation is expected to grow by about 19 percent from the years 2010-2020.