Right now I am going to school for a BS degree and am taking a construction management major. The school I’m going to is ABET accredited along with my major so does this mean i can eventually become a Civil Engineer after I graduate with my degree. In the long run this is what i want to achieve so please help me out!
If you want to be a civil, you need to major in civil. Schools don’t get ABET accredited, each engineering discipline within the school does (or doesn’t).
Well i know that my major is ABET accredited so is that what you mean? If I complete my ABET accredited major, pass the FE exam, work under a PE for so many years and then pass the PE test i should be able to become a Professional Civil Engineer correct?
Construction Management is not Civil Engineering. If a job requires a degree in Civil Engineering then that is what you need to have. However, it is possible to get jobs which are outside your direct major, get experience and eventually take the PE exam (if it is permitted in your state). The question you need to ask yourself is whether the courses you are taking and the skills you are developing are a match for the job that you want to do. If the answer is no, then perhaps a different major is a better choice.
xraymancs im just confused with the whole ABET thing. It says that if my major is ABET accredited, which it is, then i can eventually take a PE exam to become a licensed engineer.
That is probably true but it does not mean that you will be able to work on structures if you have not had training in structural engineering. ABET accredits all engineering degrees and even computer science and physics degrees but just because you have an ABET accredited Electrical Engineering degree does not mean that you can be a Civil Engineer.
Right and I can understand the last part you said. But with a Construction Management degree that is ABET accredited, wouldnt it qualify to be a Civil Engineer in the future? I feel like it should because too me it seems like it is pretty similar to Civil Engineering. I’m in New York State if that matters at all. Thank you for your input as well.
I think maybe a better way for me to put this would be like this. My Construction Management major i am going for is ABET certified. With that certification i can become a PE, but i dont understand what engineer i could be if i cant be a civil engineer. I hope you understand what im trying to say because this is hard for me to put into words.
My guess is that a CM program (ABET or not) won’t give you coursework you’d need to be prepared for PE exam.
Maybe you can find some more info here - http://cmaanet.org/abet
You have to look at the courses you are taking in the CM degree compared to the CE degree. If the courses are similar then it is quite possible you can compete for a Civil Engineering job. If they are not, then it is less likely. Really no one can answer this question for you, you need to look at the specific curricula and see for yourself. No matter what kind of accreditation a CM degree is not the same as a CE degree.
My suspicion is that even if your curricula was strongly aligned you’d still be at a big disadvantage competing for actual civil jobs, especially any with government ties. The fact is, no matter what your course work and experience will be, even if it’s stronger than the majority of actual civics, you will not be a civil engineer. You won’t have the paper. You will be a Construction Manager. Are you so far along in your curriculum that you can’t switch?
Do some research before you switch. I knew a student who thought he wanted to be a Civil Engineer. But once he got to college, he realized CM was a much better fit.
Im only one year in but I like the CM course and I even like the career i could make out of it. Ive also always liked Civil Engineering, i think i just need to stick with my gut and keep going with CM like i first decided