<p>Try civil. Most of the civil FE exam section is structural, and the rest you can probably figure out from the reference book.</p>
<p>Plenty of people apply for structural engineering degrees with a bachelors degree. (A BA instead of a BS? Really? Do you mean a BS?) They typically get jobs, just not the exceedingly complicated, Hoover Dam/Sunshine Skyway/Petronas Towers type jobs. At a later date, you may decide that you're interested in going back for an MS. Any reason why you're not considering going for a masters degree right after graduation? A masters degree can open the door to a lot of really interesting jobs...</p>
<p>If you're not interested in the technical aspects of structural engineering, I think Ken's idea of construction management is a great one. If you are interested in the technical aspects of structural engineering, you might as well shop masters programs. Lots of folks get full scholarships to those 1 or 2 year masters programs, and you can end up earning a fair increase in salary that way. I'd say that in only about five years of working, the amount of money I make above and beyond what I'd have made with just a bachelors degree will more than make up for what paychecks I missed while I was getting my MS, so financially, it was a good decision to go. (Plus, I learned a whole lot more! I felt far more prepared for the work force when I left grad school than I did when I left college.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
You'll probably never need to draw a shear-moment diagram, but your structural engineering background will be helpful in understand the building process. So basically, you get to apply what you learn, but you're less concerned with the technical design details/calculations and more worried about getting it built correctly, safely, on time, and under budget.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>See, the problem is actually the reverse of what you said, or so I think. I enjoy learning about these new theories, it's very interesting to me. For example, today's lecture was about inference lines, and it's really cool to be able to put a load anywhere on a beam and figure out what the reaction will be at a fixed point.</p>
<p>However, when it comes to applying that to a real life problem, I get bored, or uninterested. It sounds bad but I don't really care that I can use that theory to design a bridge in a way that it can support a large load. I just think it is cool to know such a theory.</p>
<p>I don't know, maybe things will be different when I take my design courses this upcoming year, but up until now all the stuff I've been taking (solid mechanics, statics, structural analysis, fluids, etc.) has been great to learn, but not so much fun to apply.</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, when it comes to applying that to a real life problem, I get bored, or uninterested. It sounds bad but I don't really care that I can use that theory to design a bridge in a way that it can support a large load. I just think it is cool to know such a theory.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't see why that would rule out construction management though. I'm not suggesting that you change majors, so you still get to learn all the structural engineering concepts that you like. </p>
<p>Maybe I've misunderstood you? Are you looking for a job where you would only learn things but not apply them?</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, when it comes to applying that to a real life problem, I get bored, or uninterested. It sounds bad but I don't really care that I can use that theory to design a bridge in a way that it can support a large load. I just think it is cool to know such a theory.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Kind of sounds like you're a grad student waiting to happen, dude.</p>
<p>Yea, sounds like a future PhD student. You'll be immersed in theories to your heart's content, though you'll probably be developing them and not just learning them!</p>
<p>I doubt that will happen. For one, I have wayyyy too much in loans to even consider grad school. I have to work for at least 2-3 years so I can pay them off, because I want to pay them off.</p>
<p>Second, although I like teaching and think it would be fun, I don't think grad school will help. See, if I were to sum it up short, after 3 years of zoning around math/science majors, I had no direction of what I wanted to do and many loans to my name. I knew I was going to graduate no matter what, so I chose engineering because a)I didn't mind it, b)I'll probably be able to find a decent paying job after graduation to pay back my loans, and c)if I was going to continue paying mad tuition fees, I figured I should invest in something worthwhile.</p>
<p>So you see, after I pay back my loans, I may just quit my job altogether, assuming at that time I know what I want to do. The problem is I see myself in many different professions, so I don't think I'll find what I'm looking for in life in a career.</p>
<p>Besides, yes I do enjoy learning the theory, but I like to learn a lot of things. This could be a physics forum, and I could be talking about the great theories I'm learning, but how I don't really care to apply them. See what I mean?</p>
<p>I love structural engineering... I love seeing those architecturally nice bridges and buildings... I am getting my MS in structural although I work in civil area...</p>
<p>Guess what I even love more... photography! :o
I picked up my hobby a while back, and I just love taking pictures of structures. Knowing how to design, and how complex they are, make me appreciate them. I hope to become a pro-photographer specializing in architectural and structural someday, and this is what my heart truly longs for.</p>
<p>So bottom line is, your engineering degree is useful for many things. Be creative and follow your heart... Just my $.02 ^^</p>