<p>In this confusing world of engineering nothing is as it seems and I can't seem to find any clear answer to my question.</p>
<p>I was thinking of going to a college that DOES NOT OFFER CIVIL ENGINEERING (such as UCSD, UCSB, etc.) and I was wondering... what exactly ARE the requirements to practice Civil Engineering?</p>
<p>If I work in a public sector, will I need a Civil Engineering degree to practice Civil Engineering?
Same for private sector.
Are there any alternates or equivalents to a Civ E degree, like an EIT or PE exam?</p>
<p>If it is not required, would it be MUCH better to have a Civil Engineering degree (better pay, more job opportunities, easier to get a job) than to not have one?</p>
<p>Also, if a Civ E degree isn't required, which engineering degree is closest to the Civ E degree on materials/skills learned.</p>
<p>UCSD offers a BS in structural engineering. I’m pretty sure the degree requirements are similar to that of a civil engineering degree. It is also ABET accredited. I believe the only difference is that you can choose from a variety of different structures to focus on, such as: aerospace, mechanical, naval, and civil.</p>
<p>You need to have a PE to practice civil engineering. To take the PE, you need to have a civil engineering degree that’s ABET-accredited. To go another route is dicey and requires significant knowledge and a lot of footwork… Or you need to fulfill the prerequisites so that you can go on and get an ABET-accredited Masters’ degree in civil or structural engineering.</p>
<p>The UCSD structural engineering degree counts as a civil engineering degree.</p>
<p>OP: Is there a particular reason why (a) you want to be a civil engineer but (b) do not want to get a degree in civil engineering? While it may be possible it will certainly be more difficult and a high risk, so what is your reason for doing so?</p>
<p>I would never hire someone as a civil engineer if he/she didn’t have a civil engineering degree. Well, I can think of one exception - a guy I know in his 60s who didn’t graduate in CE but ended up learning structures somehow and has been designing buildings for the last 20 years.</p>
<p>Ah. Thanks. I didn’t know that UCSD’s structural engineering degree counted as Civ E. Are there any other UCs (besides B, LA, D, I) that offer degrees similar to Civ E?</p>
<p>@ Cosmicfish: I was just wondering and wanted to keep my option of colleges open. But it seems as if it’s not worth the effort to go to a college without a type of Civ E degree.</p>
The City Engineer for LA public works doesn’t have Civil degree. If I recall correctly, he got his BS in ME and MBA from UCLA. Heck, the deputy city engineer doesn’t even have an engineering degree… She’s a licensed architect.</p>
<p>Being a City Engineer is more about knowing the code and rising in the ranks than knowing a significant amount about civil engineering…</p>
<p>EQ, UCSD is kind of the black sheep. I can’t immediately think of any other programs (well, aside from Mudd or Olin) where a non-civil degree is comparable.</p>
<p>Sometimes the term “engineer” is used loosely and even incorrectly - I’ve noticed that in newspaper ads. An architect isn’t an engineer, unless he/she also got an engineering degree. And the City Engineer DOES have an engineering degree, at least.</p>
<p>I think aibarr means that it’s one of the rare colleges that doesn’t offer general Civil Engineering but instead offers a specialized degree that’s similar to Civ E.</p>
<p>Usually structural engineering degrees, specifically, aren’t offered. Most structural engineers have degrees in civil engineering and have specialized in structural engineering. Both my degrees are civil engineering degrees–BSCE and MSCE. Both were structural engineering specializations. UCSD is the only one I can think of that offers a specific structural engineering degree.</p>
Actually, state engineering boards won’t care about the engineering specialty of your degree, as long as it is ABET accredited. As far as I know, this is true in all states.</p>
<p>So you could take the Civil PE exam with an ABET-accredited degree in (say) mechanical or electrical engineering. You would be at a disadvantage, of course, because the material on the Civil PE exam would not have been covered in your college studies. But there is no law or regulation anywhere (as far as I know) that requires civil PE candidates to have civil engineering degree specifically. Any ABET degree will do.</p>
<p>In fact, most states have “generic” PE licensing. This means that if you pass the PE exam in any engineering discipline, then you can practice in any engineering discipline (assuming you are competent to do so). So you could get a mechanical engineering degree, pass the Mechanical PE exam, get a generic PE license, and then practice civil engineering with it.</p>
<p>Other states, like California, have “discipline-specific” PE licensing. This means that you have to pass the Civil PE exam specifically in order to practice civil engineering. But you don’t need a civil engineering degree to qualify for the Civil PE exam. You can qualify for the Civil PE exam in California with any kind of ABET degree (or even no engineering degree at all, if you have enough experience).</p>
<p>So in theory, you don’t actually need a civil engineering degree to meet the education requirements for Civil PE licensure. However, there is another requirement: you typically need several years of qualifying work experience. In practice, you may find it difficult to find suitable employment with civil engineering firms if you don’t have a civil engineering degree.</p>
<p>If you really want to become a civil engineer, then my recommendation would be either (1) go to a school that offers the civil engineering BS, or else (2) plan on supplementing your non-civil BS with a civil engineering MS.</p>
Yep. My dad’s degree is in Mechanical Engineering, and he has his Civil PE licensure in Florida (he does not have the Mechanical one, as far as I know).</p>
In California, where the education requirements are unusually loose, I know two Civil PEs who do not have engineering degrees at all. One has an AS in engineering technology, and one is a PhD scientist. Both of them needed several years of extra engineering work experience to compensate for the lack of formal engineering education.</p>
<p>Again, it is definitely possible to qualify as a licensed Civil PE without a civil engineering degree. Any ABET-accredited engineering degree should meet the education requirement for licensure in all states. It’s even possible (in some states) to get licensed without an engineering degree at all. </p>
<p>But I wouldn’t recommend this approach. The job market is tough for everyone right now, and an individual without a civil engineering degree would be at a distinct disadvantage when applying for civil engineering jobs. And you won’t be allowed to take the Civil PE exam until you have sufficient work experience.</p>
<p>In PA, working as a civil engineer is all but impossible without first taking the FE exam, and the state requires 8 years (!) of experience in the field prior to doing to so if you lack an ABET-accredited engineering degree. It does not appear that you would specifically be required to hold a civil degree, so long as you can pass the test.</p>
<p>I am a Senior Civil Designer with over 12 years of experience and no college degree and no licensure. It is possible to become well established in this field without credentials, but it requires time, exceptional performance and a willing to learn. My background is basc CAd drafting that evenutally led me down the path of civil engineering. My pay rate is very similar to a professional engineer up to a point. There is a point where having the license simply allows one to go higher, especially in the role of Project management and Associate recognition within a company. A lot of people seem baffled by how I have attained this level without any formal education. It is simpe. I have always worked hard and good. I have never stopped learning or refining what I know. I work as fast as possible. Most people don’t realize how big this is. Companies need to make $$. Bottom line. My cad background allows me to perform soup-to-nuts engineering and design in unison at an efficiant pace that makes $$. The downside is that I need a high-level PE to sign what work I do. This becoems an issue of levels, as the PE must be at a much higher level than myself and be confident in my abilities. But being fast, efficient and putting out good work makes that PE look good.</p>
<p>Corbett’s posts pretty much explain the whole thing. I just want to add that the years of working experience required prior to taking PE is longer if you don’t have an ABET engineering degree (doesn’t have to be civil, however). </p>
<p>cmdesigner’s experience is rather unusual and it’s great that his/her company can accomodate. But other firms may be more restrictive in what CAD people can do. At my previous firm, the CAD team did nothing more than what the engineers told them to do. But then that could be because there’s no one like cmdesigner in the CAD team. </p>
<p>Many engineers are not proficient enough to get comfortable or fast enough with CAD so they rely on the CAD team to do the drawing…etc. But often what the engineers want and what the CAD team have in mind don’t align perfectly so there can be quite a few rounds of revision before the engineers are satisfied. Also, the engineers have to work with the schedule of the CAD team. A staff engineer who can do CAD on the fly and can avoid this back and fro is therefore extremely marketable.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I was able to take the FE and PE (Mechanical) exams in Washington state without an engineering degree based on experience. I write about it on my blog NoDegreePE.com</p>