<p>Right now mining engineering is hot with the prices of metals. I think the combination of civil and mining engineering would be a good one.</p>
<p>Glad to see another Texan here. And you too aibarr, I just realized that. </p>
<p>UT's transfer admission into engineering is pretty rigorous. You want to keep as high of a GPA as possible. I assume you are a TX resident so that will help. I concurr with aibarr that UT has an excellent reputation and you can't go wrong there.</p>
<p>Well, if all else fails, I'll probably go to UH. Does UH have a good graduate Civil Engineering program?</p>
<p>It's solid. I mean, it isn't MIT or Stanford, and it's not UT, either, but it's got a thorough program. Going to UH grad would definitely be better than <em>not</em> going to grad school.</p>
<p>Not sure what to say regarding originaloog's comments... aside from the fact that his advice is pretty contrary to the stuff everybody told me when I was deciding to go to graduate school. Keep in mind that a civil engineering masters degree only takes one year, two at most, and that you can count at least one of those years towards your years of experience that count towards your PE. I definitely think it's worth it to get a masters. There's no way I would've been able to learn the things I learned in grad school on my own out in practice, and I don't see myself ever being able to advance significantly without the things I learned in my masters program... I'm so drained when I come home from work that I really think I'd rather jam a pencil in my ear than take graduate courses at night, and since you'll likely get paid full tuition and stipend to go to grad school if you've got pretty good grades, there's really no reason not to go for your masters after college. </p>
<p>That, and as to the MS eventually becoming the first professional degree for PE licensure eventually, I chatted with the president of the ASCE a few years ago and she said definitely and emphatically that it <em>will</em> happen... Granted, it was her agenda to push, but she was very definitive about the fact that this was really what the ASCE was determined to push for some day. Also, I'd be fantastically nervous to <em>not</em> see this happen at some point. At the rate that the civil engineering body of knowledge is growing at this point, I'd be scared to let loose any structural engineers in particular who <em>didn't</em> have a masters... there's just so much to learn nowadays. It's crazy.</p>
<p>Without a doubt, the best and most easily accessible money in civil engineering is in heavy construction, working for the contractor on bridges, tunnels, heavy industry, etc. Salary, bonuses, and perks are all higher than you would find in a design firm. Long hours and moving every few years are required, but compensated for.</p>