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Top Careers for Civil Engineers

non profit civil engineering jobs

After looking at our article discussing the different types of engineering degrees, you’ve decided that a Master’s in Civil Engineering is right for you.  Now, you want to know some of the various careers available with a Master’s in Civil Engineering.  Civil Engineers typically deal in the design, construction and maintenance of manmade and natural structures.  But what does this actually mean when translated into specific jobs?  Here at Nonprofit Colleges Online, we’ve compiled a list of a few different career paths that one could take after earning a Master’s in Civil Engineering.

Non Profit Engineering Jobs

Architect

One of the most popular professions for those with a Master’s in Civil Engineering, an architect is somebody who plans, designs, and reviews the construction of buildings.  When most people think of Civil Engineering professions, this is the job that typically comes to mind.  An architect spends equal time drawing up plans for new buildings and structures, while overseeing the actual construction.  Those who become architects must have a technical skillset as well as a practical one when it comes to applying their designs to real-life applications.

Civil Engineering Technicians

Similar to the career of an architect, Civil Engineering Technicians deal in the planning, design, and creation of infrastructure projects.  This job focuses on the planning of highway systems, utilities, river ways, sewage systems, and much more.  While an architect might be somebody who designs a specific building, a Civil Engineering Technician is someone focused on the larger picture.  They focus on the design of entire towns and cities.

Environmental Engineers

Rather than focusing on the creation of manmade structures, Environmental Engineers focus on the natural world and ways that they can apply their engineering prowess in order to improve the ways that we as humans interact with the natural world.  Focusing on environmental problems, Environmental Engineers use principles of engineering to create solutions to these issues.  Whether that be designing dams and levee systems to control flooding, or creating wastewater facilities for the processing of clean waters, Environmental Engineers work to maintain the health of our planet.

Landscape Architects

Landscape Architects share a similar relationship to Environmental Engineers that Architects have to Civil Engineering Technicians.  While an Environmental Engineer is focused on bigger picture engineering issues, a Landscape Architect focuses on how to engineer outdoor spaces for aesthetic and functional purposes.  Landscape Architects use different types of materials including soils and plant life to create and shape the landscape for a desired effect.  Sometimes it is coming up with creative solutions like pelican pedestrian crossings design to keep pedestrians safe and other times it is to solve problems in the immediate environment, like flooding or light exposure.

These are just some of the careers that we have chosen to highlight as potential career paths for those gaining a Master’s in Civil Engineering degree. Some other potential jobs available are Urban Planner / City Planner, Surveyor, Construction Manager, and much more. One of our top online Master’s in Civil Engineering degrees might be just the program that opens the door to the perfect career in the field of civil engineering.