Black Intelligentsia Libraries
The New Way Of Thinking
Civil Engineer
​Ever enjoyed playing with LEGO toy sets as a younger child?  Love to build things?  How about drafting, computers, science, and mathematics by the ton?  If you pride yourself on your mathematical prowess and are intrigued by the building of mega-structures such as high-rise buildings, miles-long bridges and tunnels, complex interstate highway overpasses and subway systems, underwater aquariums, and cities under cities (such as New York), then Civil Engineering is definitely the career for you.

Along with Architects, Civil Engineers are among the world's oldest and earliest professionals.  They perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures, facilities, and infrastructures such as highways, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems. Civil Engineers' areas of concentration include architectural, structural, traffic, ocean, and geo-technical engineering.  In the design of their structures, they must account for the opposing forces or loads (of physics) acting upon the structures to be.  Gravity/static (weight), shear, compression, torsion, tension, dynamic, stress, and bending are considered when making sure structures have equally-distributed loads and are earthquake-proof.

Students entering Civil Engineering Bachelor's of Science programs from high school with no previous Civil Engineering training should expect a period 4 to 5 years to complete said program.  In the United States, a Professional Engineer's license (or PE) is required for those who want to provide Civil Engineering services.  Licensure in Civil Engineering typically follows 4 steps over a period of years:  (1) earning a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering; (2) upon completion of degree, passing the 8-hour "Engineer in Training" (EIT or FE) standardized Civil Engineering exam; (3) completing 5 years of practical training or internship--"progressive" work experience with increasing responsibilities; and (4) passing the Civil Engineering Professional Engineering (PE) licensing exam.  In most states, continuing education is required to maintain Civil Engineering licensure.

​A licensed Civil Engineer, after gaining experience, may take on increasingly responsible duties and eventually manage complete projects.  CEs may advance to supervisory and/or managerial positions in large firms.  Some become partners in well-established firms, while others establish their own Engineering firms.

Because buildings, bridges, highways, and all other structures age and will need to be replaced due to wear and tear of society, Civil Engineers and Architects will always be in demand.  But with the advent of new green energy production facilities and the integration of infrastructure in natural environments, the demand for Civil Engineers is on the rise.
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
​Median Salary:  $77,990

Salary Range:  ~$50,370 - $119,620+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
​The normal routes to becoming a Civil Engineer have been to major in Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or even Engineering Mathematics, Engineering Physics, Construction Science, or Applied Mathematics, for many of the concepts coincide.  However, those who major in Mechanical Engineering would be well advised to complete a Civil Engineering Master's in order to gain an understanding of the nuances of the field, as Civil Engineers are required by law to obtain licensure in order to practice.
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
​Colleges and universities that have the Civil Engineering major are:  Alabama A&M University (Normal, Alabama); Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida); Howard University (Washington, DC); Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi); Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, North Carolina); Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas); Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, Louisiana); Tennessee State University (Nashville, Tennessee); Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia); Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, Ohio); Xavier University (New Orleans, Louisiana); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC); Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina); Spelman College (Atlanta, Georgia); and Saint Augustine's University (Raleigh).
Available Scholarships