<p>I am a senior and deciding where I want to ED - McCormick (NU) or Pratt (Duke).
I have visited both campuses, and could see myself at both places. I am originally from the Midwest, so I am slightly more comfortable in Evanston.
I want to major in Civil Engineering and concentrate on Structural Engineering. I also want to obtain an Architectural Engineering certificate which both schools offer, NU's with slightly more focus on design (which I like). Both also offer a BS/MS program in Civil Engineering, which I plan to do.
Which one has a better civil engineering program? Better student life? Better internship/job opportunities?
Any advice is helpful!!</p>
<p>Which job market will you be shooting for (for both internships and after graduation), geographically speaking?</p>
<p>I don’t know structural engineering specificly but according to USN Civil Engineering Rankings 2011, NU was ranked 12th while Duke was 31st. Rankings aside, here are couple notable differences that I think would give the edge to NU:</p>
<ol>
<li>NU has one of the most well-established engineering co-op programs in the country; at Duke, there’s no co-op program so job opportunities would have to come in the form of regular internships. </li>
<li>NU engineering is among the most design-oriented and hands-on in the country. The school is putting a lot of emphasis on “whole brain engineering”. You’d be <em>required</em> to design a real product for a real industry client in your freshmen year.<br>
[Engineering</a> First ® Program | McCormick School of Engineering | Northwestern University](<a href=“Undergraduate Study | Academics | Northwestern Engineering”>Undergraduate Study | Academics | Northwestern Engineering)
[Segal</a> Design Institute](<a href=“DESIGN INNOVATION - Segal Design Institute, Northwestern University”>http://www.segal.northwestern.edu/)</li>
</ol>
<p>In addition, NU has two top-tier research centers that are related to civil engineering:
[Transportation</a> Center - Northwestern University](<a href=“http://www.transportation.northwestern.edu/]Transportation”>http://www.transportation.northwestern.edu/)
[Infrastructure</a> Technology Institute (ITI) | Northwestern University](<a href=“http://www.iti.northwestern.edu/]Infrastructure”>http://www.iti.northwestern.edu/)</p>
<p>By the way, if you are interested in the material aspect of structures, note that NU has a top-3 material science & engineering program in the nation.</p>
<p>NU is primarily known for transportation engineering. Both Northwestern and Duke are virtual unknowns in the world of structural engineering (despite the overall Civil ranks, which Sam somewhat qualifies above. MIT for instance is a top 5 Civil Program but only has one real structural professor - needless to say, it’s probably a top 20 structural engineering program at best). The one benefit to Northwestern is the fact that lots of prominent structural firms are in Chicago. Conversely, these same firms are far more apt to hire Illinois grads than Northwestern grads as UIllinois is a leader in structural engineering. I’d choose based on fit in this case.</p>
<p>If you want to do Civil, U of I is usually within top 2 programs in the country. MIT also would be a good fit and offers EA. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I would investigate what and how many project or structural engineering firms recruit at the two schools. That could be helpful in your decision making process.</p>
<p><a href=“Duke University Fall Career Fair Registered Employers - Google Sheets”>Duke University Fall Career Fair Registered Employers - Google Sheets;
[inDuke</a> TechConnect 2012](<a href=“http://www.cs.duke.edu/induke/techconnect/2012/companies/2012.php]inDuke”>http://www.cs.duke.edu/induke/techconnect/2012/companies/2012.php)
Here’ what I found for Duke:</p>
<ol>
<li>Clark Construction Group, LLC</li>
<li>SKANSKA USA Building, Inc.</li>
<li>Traylor Bros.</li>
<li>Caterpillar</li>
<li>Gilbane</li>
<li>HITT Contracting Inc.</li>
<li>WorleyParsons</li>
<li>ExxonMobil</li>
</ol>
<p>There are about 30-40 Civil Engineers in each Duke graduating class and only a certain proportion of them will want jobs specifically in the industry. Others will join consulting firms, other engineering specialty firms (double majoring among engineering disciplines is common at Duke), investment banks, law schools, and medical schools. A few will pursue a PhD in Civil Engineering or another engineering field if they double major so they won’t be seeking employment immediately.</p>
<p>You should be in good shape though no matter what school you choose.</p>