Civil engineering is a discipline concerned with the design and construction of roads, bridges, dams, etc. Explore this article for know-how on what it takes to build a career in civil engineering.

Civil Engineering Courses

The next time you’re on a train journey or road tripping to a place far far away, try to look out for bridges, dams and maybe even observe the roads. All of these structures, all though distinct in their own way, have one thing in common. They have all had a civil engineer or a group of civil engineers behind them. Thus, civil engineering basically is a professional engineering discipline that is concerned with the design, building and maintenance of structures that are at best beneficial to the public. Civil engineering is the second oldest engineering discipline, military engineering making for the oldest engineering discipline. Civil engineering in fact was distinguished as ‘civil engineering’ to differentiate it from military engineering. The engineering discipline is further divided into numerous sub-disciplines comprising geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, municipal engineering, construction engineering, coastal engineering, water resources engineering and environmental engineering. Contrary to popular belief civil engineering is not limited only to the public sector, but can also extend to the private sector. Read on to know what it takes to be eligible for a course in civil engineering, the career prospects and the institutes offering courses in civil engineering.
 
Courses In Civil Engineering

Eligibility
An individual can take up an undergraduate program in civil engineering, a Masters program in civil engineering or a PhD program in the same. In order to be eligible for a Bachelors degree in civil engineering, an individual will have to be done with a 10+2 or an equivalent from a recognized Board. In order to be eligible for a Masters program, an individual should be a graduate in a discipline that warrants a post graduation degree in civil engineering. In order to be eligible for a doctoral degree in civil engineering, an individual will have to be a graduate and should also posses a Masters in civil engineering. For courses in civil engineering, some if not most institutes, will require an individual to clear an entrance exam. 

Details Of The Course
The job of a civil engineer comes with a lot of responsibility. It is thus important for his/her education to render him capable enough of handling the responsibility. Courses in civil engineering, irrespective of their level of difficulty, will comprise an introduction to civil engineering and its various sub-disciplines. Courses will dwell on structural analysis, hydrogeology, soil mechanics, transportation system and materials, structural steel designs, hydraulic designs, concrete designs, computer analysis of structures and foundation design. Courses will attempt to educate students on transport engineering and design, public health engineering, pavement systems. Construction management, design of timber structures, civil engineering practice, etc. As far as courses on civil engineering go, they will vary from university to university, but the goals and objectives of the courses across all universities and levels of difficulty will stay the same. 

Career Prospects
Civil engineers are important people and that’s mostly because of the work they do. It is not necessary to overstress on the fact that important people usually enjoy flourishing careers, the same holds true for civil engineers. It is however important to mention here that there is no one particular path for civil engineers. Most civil engineers start of small with low responsibility jobs and will literally have to work their way to the top. Since civil engineering consists of so many sub disciplines, career paths can range from environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering to transport engineering. Civil engineers can find suitable jobs in public sector companies and private sector companies. With more years of experience and technical knowledge, come the chances of a civil engineer topping the ladder of success and gaining the means to a higher income. 

Some Of The Institutes Offering Courses In Civil Engineering 
  • All the IITs
  • BITS Pilani, India
  • Arkansas State University, United States of America
  • California Institute of Technology, United States of America
  • Case Western Reserve University, United States of America
  • Cornell University, United States of America
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America


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