What You Can Do With a Civil Engineering Degree

Civil engineering bridges several essential fields, all of which are critical. Being steeped in business management, construction, and government, civil engineers are essential to creating and maintaining the physical infrastructure of our communities, including buildings, roads, bridges, waterways, and utilities. 

With solid job security and a crucial economic role, those considering this career path wonder, “What can I do with a civil engineering degree?” As one of the country’s most experienced civil engineering firms, we’ve seen firsthand how the civil engineering field can transform communities and enrich their inhabitants’ social, environmental, health, and economic well-being through land development and infrastructure projects. As such, we consider the question more like, “What can’t you do with a civil engineering degree?”

Considering the widespread need for civil engineers across the country, particularly in the rapidly growing Southeast, civil engineers will always have a wide range of rewarding work available.

Types of Civil Engineering Careers

The civil engineering field is incredibly broad, encompassing all the necessary functions to carry out major construction projects from start to finish. It involves various engineering needs, with numerous subfields for aspiring civil engineers. From design and architecture to hands-on construction or working directly with the land, there are enough types of civil engineering careers to satisfy any temperament.

Civil engineering roles may have various concentrations, such as site development, water resources, environmental, or transportation. The type of work involved depends on the civil engineer’s specific role in their organization and their training and background.

Important Jobs for Civil Engineering Majors

Some of the most important civil engineering roles Thomas & Hutton depends on include:

• Civil Engineer — Tasked with designing, building, and maintaining physical infrastructure for the private or public sectors, including buildings, utilities, and roads. Outlines the necessary designs and procedures required to fulfill civil engineering projects, including creating documents to help construction firms carry plans forward.
• Environmental Engineer — Specializes in applying environmental sciences, such as geology and hydrology, to overcome ecological challenges to engineering goals or preserve or protect the environment.
• Structural Engineer – An expert in analyzing structures such as buildings, bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure. They use their knowledge of physics, mathematics, and engineering principles to ensure that structures are safe, stable, and can withstand loads and forces. 
• Transportation Engineer – Responsible for the planning, designing, and operating of infrastructure like roads and highways. They study a region’s or community’s needs and make improvements to address issues such as congestion, traffic flow, safety, and environmental impact.
• Water Resources Engineer – Water resources engineers focus on the design and planning of stormwater master planning, drainage and stormwater management design, hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, and stormwater quality. 
• Surveyor — Trained in various scientific processes and engineering techniques for accurately measuring geographical features, collecting, and sharing data that guides engineering projects in the most effective way of working with the terrain.
• Engineering Technicians — Engineering technicians use computer-aided drafting and design (CADD) software, mainly Civil 3D, to assist the design team in producing layouts, detail drawings, preliminary and final drawings, sketches, and diagrams as needed for permitting and construction. They create drawings and construction plans for civil engineering projects, including commercial, residential, and industrial projects.

Civil engineering involves a lot more than a single field. If you’re considering, “What can I do with a civil engineering degree using my unique talents?” voice your questions and concerns with an experienced civil engineering firm. It can help tremendously in guiding your education and aligning it with the specific roles you envision for yourself.

Choosing a Career at Thomas & Hutton

If taking a glimpse of what can be done with a civil engineering degree inspires you, we invite you to join our team of experienced engineers, consultants, and construction administration experts.

We provide stable career paths with generous benefits, along with continuing education and career-development resources. We’ve been nationally ranked as one of the “Best Firms to Work For,” and we regularly compete with major national firms on highly complex projects taking place across the American Southeast.

Thomas & Hutton Has Available Positions for Civil Engineering Careers

If you are interested in joining a true leader in the civil engineering field, visit one of Thomas & Hutton’s 15 regional offices in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. We consistently have a wide range of available positions for experienced and newly trained civil engineering graduates, and we’re always looking for fresh talent eager to support the infrastructure that makes our modern world possible.

If you have any questions and would like to speak with our staff, contact us to discuss your aspirations in civil engineering.

Featured Image Credit: MIND AND I / Shutterstock