How To Become a Civil Engineer in 6

Steps
By Indeed Editorial Team
Updated December 17, 2021
Published February 26, 2020

Civil engineering is the cornerstone of modern society and is responsible

for nearly every structure, water supply system, road and bridge that is in
existence. In fact, this is believed to be one of the oldest engineering
disciplines and dates back to the first time someone built a home or other
structure.

Civil engineers have several options when it comes to a career and can
make a significant impact on the efficiency and safety of society as a
whole. In this article, we will discuss what civil engineering is, what civil
engineers do and the steps you can take to become a civil engineer.

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What is civil engineering?

Civil engineering is a sector of the engineering industry that is focused on
the creation, erection and maintenance of physically and naturally built
structures and environments. Civil engineering is responsible for the
construction of nearly every public and private structure including roads,
airports, waterways, bridges and buildings. This type of engineering can
be utilized in various settings including in the public sector (governments,
municipals) and the private sector (private homes).

Civil engineering is a prominent component of several industries and is

broken down into several sub-disciplines. The following are the most
commonly recognized sub-disciplines of civil engineering:
Construction engineering

This type of engineering is concerned with the design, management and

building of public and residential construction projects. Common projects
a construction engineer may work on include skyscrapers, business
buildings, homes and industrial warehouses.

Environmental engineering

This sub-discipline of civil engineering is responsible for maintaining and

improving the quality of land, water and air by implementing eco-friendly
practices. Environmental engineers may design and implement solutions
that minimize pollution and waste or oversee projects in government
parks.

Earthquake engineering

Earthquake engineering is focused on minimizing the damage caused by

earthquakes by designing and constructing strategies to strengthen
infrastructure in vulnerable areas.

Structural engineering

Structural engineers specialize in the design of structures such as homes,

monuments and buildings. This type of engineer is primarily concerned
with the internal aspects of a structure to ensure that they are durable
and will not be susceptible to collapse or environmental damage.

Geotechnical engineering

This type of civil engineer focuses on implementing the practice of

geology into the engineering field. A geotechnical engineer may analyze
and study soil quality, rock and other geological factors that may affect
the foundation of a structure. Geotechnical engineers most often work in
the mining or petroleum industries.

Water resources engineering

Water resources engineers are concerned with studying various water
systems throughout the world and often work in projects such as wetland
restoration and sewage system design and construction.

Fire protection engineering

As its name implies, this sub-discipline of engineering is geared towards

ensuring and improving the safety of individuals in the case of a fire. They
may compose plans and strategies for reducing the risk of fires in
structures and typically work for development or construction
companies.

Transportation engineering

A transportation engineer is responsible for all aspects of various

transportation systems including air, rail and road transportation. They
focus on both current transportation systems as well as trends that may
impact the future of transportation and use this knowledge to maintain
and improve various aspects of modern transportation.

Mining engineering

Mining engineering is exclusively focused on the mining and extraction of

minerals, coal and other related substances. A mining engineer may
analyze, plan and design mining sites as well as oversee the teams who
will mine them.

Related: Learn About Being a Process Engineer

What do civil engineers do?

Civil engineers are professionals who are responsible for designing,
constructing and maintaining various structures and public works
projects. Common public works that civil engineers design and erect
include buildings, roads, bridges, waterways, dams and airports.
They may work in the private sector or for public organizations such as
the government. Most civil engineers choose to specialize in one of the
above-mentioned sub-disciplines of civil engineering. The sub-discipline a
civil engineer pursues will determine the type of work they do. For
example, a transportation civil engineer may work on highways, roads
and other structures that facilitate transportation.

Common duties that a civil engineer may perform include:

 Studying surveys, reports and other data for planning public or

private projects
 Overseeing the repair or replacement of existing infrastructure
 Utilizing software to design and plan various structures such as
transportation systems and buildings
 Testing materials that will be used to construct structures
 Submitting local, state and federal permits required for projects
 Assessing and proposing cost estimates for engineering projects
 Overseeing various aspects of the construction process from start
to finish
 Presenting environmental and property-related findings to the
public
 Managing construction teams that may include surveyors,
architects and construction managers

Read more: Learn About Being a Civil Engineer

How to become a civil engineer

The following are the steps that most individuals pursuing a career as a
civil engineer take:

1. Get a bachelor's degree

The minimum education requirement for a career in civil engineering is a

bachelor's degree. Most civil engineers major in civil engineering, civil
engineering technology or a related field. A degree from an ABET-
certified program is required to be eligible for a professional engineer
(PE) license.

2. Choose a specialty

As mentioned earlier, civil engineering is composed of several sub-

disciplines. Many individuals decide which sub-discipline they will
specialize in during their undergraduate program. Once decided,
students can take classes specific to their specialty of choice.

3. Complete an internship

Most civil engineering bachelor's degree programs require students to

complete at least one semester of an engineering internship. This also
helps individuals in the future when they begin their job search by
providing hands-on experience. Most people complete an internship in
the junior or senior year of their degree program.

4. Take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination

To be licensed as a professional engineer, you must take and pass two

exams. The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination is the first of
these exams and is sometimes referred to as the "Engineer in Training"
exam. The best time to take this test is immediately upon graduating with
Bachelor's Degree in Engineering.

5. Become an Engineer-in-Training or Engineer Intern

After passing the FE exam, individuals will be considered an Engineer-in-

Training (EIT) or Engineer Intern (EI). Aspiring engineers will need to
spend a set amount of time (dependent on their state) as an Engineer In
Training before being able to take the final exam.

6. Take the Principles and Practices of Engineering (PE) examination

The final step to becoming a practicing civil engineer is to take and pass
the Principles and Practices of Engineering (PE) examination. This exam
will certify individuals as professional engineers and is typically enough to
apply for and be hired for most civil engineering positions.

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