<p>I originally posted this in the grad school forum but had no replies, so I'm going to give it a try here.</p>
<p>Are there any folks out there who have gotten a masters in Civil Engineering without majoring in engineering in undergraduate school. UC Davis and other schools say that it'll take an additional year of taking undergrad courses to catch up on prerequisites, but is it really possible to catch up in a year? Son has a BA in Geology (liberal arts college) so he's taken math through Calculus 3, and two semesters of both physics and chemistry. He's interested in switching to civil engineering. I'd love to hear from somebody who has done this. Thanks.</p>
<p>I know years ago my coworker had a math degree and was able to get a masters in EE from UCLA within a year. So I think it’s possible. Do you mean a year plus time for MS.</p>
<p>Thanks Dr Google. Yes, it’s a year of prerequisites (the essential courses undergrads take) and then the masters classes follow, a year plus time for the MS.</p>
<p>It sounds possible but I’m not Civil engineer. If iirc Civil engineering major spends more time outdoor in a red hat. So maybe the bulk of the time is for practice and not in theory so much.</p>
<p>It depends on the school and concentration in civil he chooses. For structural he would need to take up to differential equations, linear algebra, statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, structural analysis, concrete design, steel design and a matrix analysis course. It depends on the school but I’m guessing a list similar to that might need to be met.</p>
<p>It would be worth it to talk to an adviser and see what he would need to take. Depending on what school he did his undergrad, his grades and what not could really influence what he needs to take. You won’t find out the exact answer without talking to the civil department.</p>
<p>I got a BS in biology and am currently doing my MS in mechanical engineering. Requirements will vary from program to program, and it’ll also depend on the strength of your son’s academic record. I took a few additional math courses but no actual engineering courses and was admitted to several well-ranked programs. It is certainly possible to move into engineering from other disciplines with a year (or less) of additional coursework, especially if you already have a decent amount of math/physics coursework under your belt.</p>
<p>However, the bigger issue here is whether or not he’d be able to sit for the PE exam and get licensed. Civil Engineering is one of those fields where having that PE qualification can important, and although laws vary from state to state, in many states one of the requirements is having an ABET-accredited Bachelors degree–a Masters will not fulfill this requirement because at the overwhelming majority of schools, only the Bachelors program is ABET-accredited (this has nothing to do with quality of the school or the program, it’s something about the way ABET accreditation works. I’m by no means an expert, and laws/rules change from time to time, so you may want to read up on this on your own). Being ineligible to sit for the PE could be a major professional hindrance in civil engineering as far as hiring potential and advancement go.</p>
<p>AuraObscura is right with the PE and ABET accreditation. When two professionals came to my school, they stressed for 15 minutes out of a 1 hour presentation how important it was for us to get our PE as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>Wow, Aura, that aspect hadn’t arisen yet. Thanks for the warning, it’ll require some research.</p>
<p>Does the school have a geological engineering major? If so, it shouldn’t take too long to get a geological engineering ABET undergrad degree. The undergrad and masters don’t have to be in the same engineering discipline, it just has to be a B.S. accredited ABET degree. Then he could go for a masters degree in civil with no worries about licensing. Besides, there is some overlap between geological engineering and civil engineering.</p>