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Studies & Degrees in Civil Engineering Technology

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The history of civil engineering as a profession of designing and executing structural works dates back to 2900-2500 BC during the construction of the pyramids in Egypt, which were the first known instance of large construction. This was followed later by the construction of the Great Wall of China in 220 BC during the time of Emperor Shih Huang Tih. Both structures are now considered as two of the engineering wonders of the world. But it was only during the 18th century when civil engineering began to be distinguished from military engineering. Between 1819 and 1835, civil engineering began to be taught in colleges, culminating in the awarding of the first civil engineering degree to students and in the first woman to receive the same degree in 1905.

Civil engineering is now both a profession and a program of study, encompassing the conception, design, construction and management of residential and commercial buildings and fixed structures and ground facilities. A separate field of study of Civil Engineering Technology focuses on the application of basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of civil engineering projects. As a course of study it offers associate degree, certificate and baccalaureate degree programs in various colleges and universities in the world. It is generally aimed at making graduates competent in applying the principles of civil engineering to the planning, development, design, construction and management of both private and public facilities.

The areas of study in the Civil Engineering Technology program involve a long list of subjects but which are all designed to prepare students how to meet expectations in the engineering industry especially in terms of evaluating the issues about ethics, the society and environment. The most common subjects are Civil Engineering Design, Surveying, Materials Testing, Construction Process, Structural Design of Buildings, Water and Waste Water Engineering, Solid Waste Management, Analysis of Steel, Concrete and Timber Structures, Steel Design, Soil Mechanics, Structural Analysis, Project Cost Analysis, Fluid Dynamics, Reinforced Concrete Design, Hydrology, Mathematics, and Transportation Systems. A study of the program leads to the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology, Associate of Science in Civil Engineering Technology, Associate in Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology, with electives in Structural Analysis, Environmental Issues, Surveying and Geotechnical subjects.

Graduates of Civil Engineering Technology are likely to land high-paying jobs in the industry. They can become licensed land surveyors, or registered professional engineers, civil engineer designer, construction project manager, estimator and scheduler, engineering technician, materials technician, highway designer, land development technician, transportation inspector, and municipal planner.

Many engineering colleges offer Civil Engineering Technology programs to persons to enable them to build, repair and test the designs of engineers and bridge the gap between the designer and user, or for them to become engineering technologists who save the designs of engineers from becoming as mere “scraps of paper.”