Drafting technology combines art and science. Drafters who learn computer aided design (CAD) techniques can find good paying jobs with two year degrees. Drafters may start with salaries of $17,000 to $21,000. (College graduates with a B.S. may choose this specialty and start at around $30,000). Top talent in drafting earns up to $75,000 a year.
These drafting jobs are vital to the engineering team. Design technology plays a big role in the what if process as projects are conceived and developed. Computers are called on to actualize the ideas of architects and engineers, and when a final design is approved, drafters take over to produce drawings and plans piece by piece so that the CAD version of the bridge, dam, or highway that's planned can be fabricated properly according to specifications.
In civil engineering specifically, it's possible to get a start in the field with a solid two year degree program as an entry point. Be sure your school is accredited. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), Baltimore, MD, provides curriculum standards for schools. For example, a good associate degree program in civil engineering technology should excel at teaching three kinds of courses:
- Technical sciences: topics in statics and strength of materials
- Technical specialties: engineering graphics, problem solving techniques, surveying, and civil engineering materials
- Mathematics: algebra, trigonometry, and analytic geometry. Concepts of applied statistics, advanced trigonometry, or calculus may also be required.
A construction engineering technology program may lead you to a job with a contractor. ABET approved programs for this specialty stress technical sciences, such as statics and materials strength. Your schooling should cover technical specialties such as contracts and specifications, cost estimating, construction methods, structures, engineering graphics, materials testing, and surveying. In mathematics you'll study algebra, trigonometry, and analytic geometry. Here, too, statistics, advanced trigonometry, or calculus may be required, depending on your program emphasis.
Choosing A College Or University
Various types of college or university engineering education programs are available today in the United States. Before you look at those programs, here are some tips on how to evaluate universities and their engineering schools.
Basically there are four major points to consider in choosing a college or university. These points include the university faculty, the university physical plant and facilities, the students, and the curriculum. All of these factors are important in creating the kind of environment in which students prepare for future practice in the profession. The faculty should be well rounded and diversified in their backgrounds and educational experiences. This diversity is important if the faculty is going to give the undergraduate students a comprehensive preparation for the engineering profession. When you are examining a brochure or catalog from a university, look at how many faculty members hold M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Look at the schools they attended. In general, a faculty holding advanced degrees from a large number of outstanding schools will provide an excellent instructional environment.
Obviously, an adequate physical plant (the classrooms, libraries, dormitories, and other physical facilities of a university) is necessary, particularly today when engineering laboratories must be equipped with the most sophisticated devices and apparatus. University computer resources, particularly resources available to the undergraduate student, also must be considered. In addition, other facilities also are necessary if you are to obtain a well rounded education. Consider the facilities for extracurricular activities such as intramural sports, student publications, and other activities. Look at the dining halls and the recreational facilities on campus available to all students. Consider the entire physical setup in evaluating the facilities.
The student body itself takes part in your education. Generally, a group of students with diverse backgrounds, both geographic and economic, and with a reasonable number of international students will provide a broader educational experience for you than will a student body whose members all come from the same geographic area or from similar economic backgrounds. A college education should be a total learning experience. The time spent in a university setting often is a crucial time in a person's entire life. Much of the learning which takes place on a university campus is learning from peers. When you evaluate a school, try to find out something about the makeup of the student body and, if possible, talk to some of those students yourself.
Of course, one of the most important factors to consider in making your choice is the engineering curriculum available at the particular school you are examining. With the explosion of engineering knowledge and the rapid pace of technological change in civil engineering today, it is no longer possible for any one curriculum to offer all things to all people entering civil engineering. In almost every curriculum it is necessary to specialize to some extent in one or several of the areas of practice in the field of civil engineering. These areas of specialization will be explained in detail in chapter 3. Every school will require its students to complete a minimum number of courses which form the basis for the civil engineering curriculum. Generally, this core consists of about 30 percent of the entire study program. The remainder of the curriculum usually is divided among the humanities, engineering courses, and science courses relevant to the student's area of specialization. Look carefully at the curriculum of the school you are considering to determine if the areas of civil engineering specialization offered at that school include the specialization that interests you as a future career.
After you have selected one or more universities for further investigation, your next step will be to obtain information regarding the specific details of school programs and the requirements for admission. Almost all accredited colleges will require a transcript of high school courses you have taken and grades you have received. These schools will also require that you submit scores from college entrance examinations. Most schools will accept either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) as an indicator of your academic capabilities. In addition, some colleges require letters of recommendation, their own particular entrance examinations, medical examinations, and perhaps an interview with an admissions officer before you are considered for admission. You should get the specific entrance requirements directly from the college or university in which you are interested. This information can easily be obtained by writing to the admissions office of the school you are considering and requesting a catalog, an admissions application, and copies of any brochures that the school may have which describe its civil engineering program. Obtain this information well before your senior year in high school. As we have already pointed out, it may be necessary to assemble a number of application forms and take specific examinations given in various localities only at certain times during the year. In addition, there may be a time delay in obtaining letters of recommendation necessary to support your entrance application. For these reasons, it is a good idea to begin as early as possible to investigate the admission requirements of the various colleges you are considering.
For those who are already enrolled in a college program and who are considering transferring into a program in civil engineering, it is usually possible to make such a transfer. In many cases, a number of credits earned during previous college work can be transferred to an engineering degree. However, each school has its own particular policy on the transfer of credits from one institution to another, or from one program to another within a given university. You should contact the admissions officer or registrar of the school you wish to attend to determine specific procedures for transfer to that school.
Finally, it is safe to say that you can never have too much information. Try to discuss with alumni from a given school all of the aspects of going to that particular institution. Many times, graduates will offer you valuable insights that you would not find included in any of the publications from a university. If you can, discuss the college or university with one or more of the students who are currently attending that school. With regard to a civil engineering curriculum, you can also talk about that school and that program with practicing engineers. Their opinions should be considered, along with all the other information you have gathered, before you make your final decision.
