What is it like to be a Civil Engineer for a career?

What is an alternate way to pursue a career as a civil engineer without doing a degree?

• I'm 28 and have an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering. However I only recently gained an interest in civil engineering. Doing another degree is out of the question at my age and with the opportunity costs considered. What options do I have? Is there any form of certification that may allow me to pursue a career as a civil engineer?

• Answer:

  I went back to school at age 32 for engineering (undergrad in different field altogether) so I wouldn't say it's ever too late. Civil engineering is such a broad group of disciplines that it's tough to give you a meaningful answer. I work in structural engineering, which in the state of CA is it's own state licensure, that is to officially become an "SE" well above and beyond the "PE" requirements. Also I think CA has a separate "CE" that exists parallel to the generalist PE, for those involved in what is usually considered traditional civil work--namely wet-side engineering and transportation. The first thing to decide is what you want to get into--and no, environmental guys don't do transportation design or structural design or geotech any more than heart surgeons do brain surgery or give nose jobs. They are totally different specializations (wet-side guys have to know fluid mechanics, whereas structural guys have to know things like structural dynamics, and geotechnical guys have to know stuff structural geology) under the big umbrella of civil engineering. Even within structural, which is what I know, most folks are fairly specialized in the materials and types of construction they are most comfortable in. For instance, where I work we have one guy who does lots of RC and post-tensioned concrete parking garages...he's probably fully capable of doing multi-story steel, or tilt-up, but he has his particular niche. Other guys specialize in different types of steel construction, like BRB's vs moment frames...etc. Or modeling certain types of structure. Even more rare are guys who specialize in wood, which is uncommon outside residential and panelized retail roofing. At big firms working on extremely complex projects there are people who specialize in real minutiae--bolted connection design, foundation design, pile group analysis, facade and component anchorage, et al. If you want to go into structural design you have to be conversant in a forbidding amount of code. While a good, intuitive understanding of statics, physics, and mechanics are absolutely crucial you can't design without knowing the applicable codes which can be quite prescriptive. If you go into highway/bridge design you will have to know the AASHTO code which is its own world. If you do any structural you will have to know your state's building code, which in turn will specify which material design specifications all practicing designers must use: these inevitably are AISC 13/14th ed for steel, AISI for cold-formed steel, ADM for structural aluminum, NDS for wood, and ACI-318 for reinforced concrete. Also important is knowing the ASCE-7 loading manual inside and out, which the IBC adopts in part, and in turn state BC's adopt, each code body making little tweaks to suit local conditions. Tests, certifications and licensing: go to the NCEES website for all the info. I'm just summarizing what I know off the top of my head. Once you have a clear idea what work you want to specialize in you will need a combination of work experience and education to sit for the PE. The first step is to sit for the "FE" (Fundamentals of Engineering exam) which is an 8hr test that comes in different specializations, including a general one. In order to sit for it you are supposed to have an ABET accredited bachelors. I don't have a engineering bachelor's but I had plenty of night school coursework in an ABET accredited school on top of my earlier undergrad and was enrolled in an ABET accredited graduate program, so I had no problem being approved for it. I've known others who have sat for it without an engineering bachelors as well, including one geologist. In all cases these candidates had some engineering coursework and had come through science and engineering disciplines  (had physics, diff eq, solid mech, etc). You should be perfectly fine to sit for the FE if you are a working engineer in a similar field. Once you've successfully completed the FE, you get a license as an "EIT", or Engineer-In-Training. The EIT is typically the basic prerequisite for working in any design office as an intern or entry-level employee. In order to become an official civil engineer, one with state board certification and a stamp, you will have to sit for the PE exam, the basic portion of which is an 8hr test developed by the NCEES. Your state may have additional requirements above and beyond the basic NCEES material. I believe the PE requires a minimum of 2yrs relevant work experience as an EIT for undergrad only candidates and 1yrs relevant work experience as an EIT for masters level candidates. Also required is the signatures/referrals of 3-4 PE's you work under. After the PE (or CE) is out of the way (and provided you pass of course) you are officially recognized, at least in your state of licensure, as a professional engineer. To go further and get the SE, if structural is your intent, requires...I believe...another 4yrs past the PE of relevant work experience, and generally a graduate degree.