Civil Engineering and Civil Engineering Technology

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Civil Engineering and Civil Engineering
Technology
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Why choose a career as a civil engineer or
technician?
From the pyramids of Egypt to the exploration of
space, civil engineers have always faced the
challenges of the future advancing civilization
and improving our quality of life.

• Civil engineers/technicians
• Solve problems,
• Improve quality of life,
• Serve their communities.

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What is the job market like?

• Approximately half of all civil engineers will be
  eligible to retire in the next 4 to 7 years.
• A shortage of engineers could increase salaries!

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What kind of person makes a good civil engineer?

• Someone who
• Is creative, with good problem solving skills,
• Understands math, science, computers and new
  technology,
• Communicates well,
• Understands business practices, finance, and
  management.

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How can I learn more about a career in civil
engineering?

• Talk to civil engineers and/or technicians about
  their jobs,
• Visit your local city or county engineer,
• Search the Internet for more information.

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What can I do to prepare?

• Take science, math, and computer courses,
• Work on your communication skills,
• Maintain a B average,
• Speak to your guidance or career counselor for
  more information.

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Do I have to be good at math and science?

• Not necessarily but it helps.
• You may be better at figuring out solutions to
  real-life problems than you are at solving
  textbook problems.

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What is the difference between an engineer and a
technician?
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Engineering Technician

• Generally requires a 2-year associate degree
• Work includes
• CAD (Computer Aided Drafting),
• Preparing plans and construction documents,
• Surveying,
• Project scheduling,
• Managing and inspecting projects.
• Can involve spending a lot of time outdoors

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Civil Engineer

• Requires a 4-year bachelors degree
• Work involves
• Developing new concepts and designs,
• Working with public and private partners,
• Managing projects.

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How do I find a good school to get a civil
engineering technician degree?

• Check out a web site such as www.iseek.org to
  locate information on programs available in
  Minnesota.
• Locally there are several schools offering
  classes in civil engineering and surveying
• Lake Superior College, Duluth
  http//www.lsc.cc.mn.us/
• St. Cloud Technical College, St. Cloud
  sctcweb.tec.mn.us
• Minnesota State Community Technical College,
  Detroit Lakes www.minnesota.edu/campuses/detroi
  t_lakes/
• Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, WI
  www.cvtc.edu
• North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton,
  ND www.ndscs.edu
• Southeast Technical Institute, Sioux Falls, SD
  www.southeasttech.com

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How do I find a school for civil engineering?

• There are many great local universities
• University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
  www.ce.umn.edu
• Minnesota State University - Mankato
  www.mnsu.edu/
• University of WisconsinMadison
  www.engr.wisc.edu
• University of WisconsinPlatteville
  www.uwplatt.edu/ce
• Iowa State University, Ames www.cce.iastate.edu
• University of Iowa, Iowa City
  www.cee.engineering.uiowa.edu
• South Dakota State University, Brookings
  www.sdstate.edu
• North Dakota State University, Fargo
  www.ndsu.edu
• University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
  www.und.edu

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What can I do in college to prepare to be a civil
engineer?

• Gain experience through internships or summer
  jobs,
• Be active in student engineering associations,
• Talk to other civil engineers about the
  profession.

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Where would I work?

• The possibilities are endless
• Public Agencies,
• Private Companies,
• Military.
• Any location ranging from a large metropolitan
  area to a small rural areaor even overseas!

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What are the job prospects and pay?

• Job opportunities grow every year!
• Civil engineering graduates can expect to earn
  between 40,000 and 50,000 per year.
• Civil engineering technicians can expect to make
  around 30,000 per year.

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What are the various work areas in civil
engineering?
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Construction

• You will turn designs into reality
• You will manage and build projects designed by
  other engineers

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Environmental

• Your work will help
• Provide safe drinking water,
• Clean up contaminated sites,
• Clean up and prevent air pollution,
• Treat wastewater,
• Manage solid wastes.

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Geotechnical

• You will provide the knowledge and design the
  foundations for much of what we need and use
  buildings, highways, tunnels and bridges.

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Structural

• You will ensure that structures are designed
  safely and can withstand natural hazards.
• These structures might include
• Stadiums,
• Skyscrapers,
• Bridges,
• Office buildings,
• Amusement park rides.

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Transportation

• Your challenge will be to find ways to meet
  increasing travel needs by improving existing
  transportation methods and discovering new ones.
• You will figure out ways to move people, goods
  and materials safely and efficiently.

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Urban Development

• You would be concerned with the full development
  of a community and plan for the overall growth
  and improvement of urban, suburban, and rural
  areas.

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Water Resources

• Your work will help supply water to cities, treat
  wastewater, protect beaches and redirect rivers
  to prevent floods.
• You might design hydroelectric facilities,
  canals, dams, pipelines, pumping stations, locks
  or seaports.

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Why become a city or county engineer?

• One of the greatest rewards of civil engineering
  is the personal satisfaction derived from helping
  make our communities better places in which to
  work and live.

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More questions ????

• Visit with your local city or county engineer.
• Find out how you can make a difference and help
  build Minnesota!