In most countries, a civil engineer will have graduated from a post-secondary school with a degree in civil engineering, which requires a strong background in
mathematics and the
physical sciences; this degree is typically a
bachelor's degree, though many civil engineers study further to obtain
master's,
engineer,
doctoral and
post doctoral degrees. In many countries, civil engineers are subject to
licensure. In some jurisdictions with mandatory licensing, people who do not obtain a license may not call themselves "civil engineers".
Belgium In Belgium,
Civil Engineer (abbreviated
Ir.) (, ) is a legally protected title applicable to graduates of the five-year engineering course of one of the six
universities and the Royal Military Academy. Their speciality can be all fields of engineering:
civil,
structural,
electrical,
mechanical,
chemical,
physics and even
computer science. This use of the title may cause confusion to the English speaker as the Belgian "civil" engineer can have a speciality other than civil engineering. In fact, Belgians use the adjective "civil" in the sense of "civilian", as opposed to military engineers. The formation of the civil engineer has a strong
mathematical and
scientific base and is more theoretical in approach than the practical oriented
industrial engineer (
Ing.) educated in a five-year program at a
polytechnic. Traditionally, students were required to pass an entrance
exam on mathematics to start civil engineering studies. This exam was abolished in 2004 for the
Flemish Community, but is still organised in the
French Community.
Scandinavia In
Scandinavian countries, "civil engineer" ( in Swedish; in Norwegian; in Danish) is a
first professional degree, approximately equivalent to
Master of Science in Engineering, and a protected title granted to students by selected
institutes of technology. As in English, the word has its origin in the distinction between civilian and military engineers; before the start of the 19th century only military engineers existed, and the prefix "civil" was a way to separate those who had studied engineering in a regular university from their military counterparts. Today the degree spans over all fields within engineering, including civil engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and electronics engineering, among others. There is generally a slight difference between a Master of Science in Engineering degree and the Scandinavian civil engineer degree, the latter's programme having closer ties with the industry's demands. A civil engineer is the better-known of the two; still, the area of expertise remains obfuscated for most of the public. A noteworthy difference is the mandatory courses in mathematics and physics, regardless of the equivalent master's degree, e.g. computer science. Although a "college engineer" ( or in Swedish; in Norwegian; in Danish) is roughly equivalent to a
Bachelor of Science in Scandinavia, to become a "civil engineer" one often has had to do up to one extra year of overlapping studies compared to attaining a B.Sc./M.Sc. combination. This is because the higher educational system is not fully adapted to the international standard graduation system, since it is treated as a
professional degree. Today (2009) this is starting to change due to the
Bologna process. A Scandinavian will in international contexts commonly use the title of "Master of Science in Engineering" and will occasionally wear an engineering
class ring. At the
Norwegian Institute of Technology (now the
Norwegian University of Science and Technology), the tradition with an
NTH Ring goes back to 1914, before the Canadian
iron ring.
Spain In
Spain, a
civil engineering degree can be obtained after four years of study in the various branches of mathematics, physics, mechanics, etc. The earned degree is called
Grado en Ingeniería Civil. Further studies at a
graduate school include master's and doctoral degrees. Before the current situation, that is, before the implementation of
Bologna Process in 2010, a degree in civil engineering in Spain could be obtained after three to six years of study and was divided into two main degrees. In the first case, the earned degree was called
Ingeniero Técnico de Obras Públicas (
ITOP), literally translated as "Public Works Engineer" obtained after three years of study and equivalent to a Bachelor of Civil Engineering. In the second case, the academic degree was called
Ingeniero de Caminos, Canales y Puertos (often shortened to
Ingeniero de Caminos or
ICCP), that literally means "Highways, Canals and Harbors Engineer", though civil engineers in Spain practice in the same fields as civil engineers do elsewhere. This degree is equivalent to a Master of Civil Engineering and is obtained after five or six years of study depending on the school granting the title. The first Spanish Civil Engineering School was the
Escuela Especial de Ingenieros de Caminos y Canales (now called
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos), established in 1802 in Madrid, followed by the
Escuela Especial de Ayudantes de Obras Públicas (now called
Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica de Obras Públicas de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), founded in 1854 in Madrid. Both schools now belong to the
Technical University of Madrid. In Spain, a civil engineer has the technical and legal ability to design projects of any branch, so any Spanish civil engineer can oversee projects about structures, buildings (except residential structures which are reserved for architects), foundations, hydraulics, the environment, transportation, urbanism, etc.
Mechanical and
Electrical engineering tasks are included under the
Industrial engineering degree.
United Kingdom A chartered civil engineer (known as certified or professional engineer in other countries) is a member of the
Institution of Civil Engineers, and has also passed membership exams. However, a non-chartered civil engineer may be a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers or the Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. The description "civil engineer" is not restricted to members of any particular professional organisation although "chartered civil engineer" is.
Eastern Europe In many Eastern European countries, civil engineering does not exist as a distinct degree or profession but its various sub-professions are often studied in separate university faculties and performed as separate professions, whether they are taught in civilian universities or military engineering academies. Even many
polytechnic tertiary schools give out separate degrees for each field of study. Typically study in
geology,
geodesy,
structural engineering and
urban engineering allows a person to obtain a degree in
construction engineering.
Mechanical engineering,
automotive engineering,
hydraulics and even sometimes
metallurgy are fields in a degree in "Machinery Engineering".
Computer sciences,
control engineering and
electrical engineering are fields in a degree in electrical engineering, while
security,
safety,
environmental engineering,
transportation,
hydrology and
meteorology are in a category of their own, typically each with their own degrees, either in separate university faculties or at polytechnic schools.
United States In the United States, civil engineers are typically employed by municipalities, construction firms, consulting engineering firms, architect/engineer firms, the military, state governments, and the federal government. Each state requires engineers who offer their services to the public to be licensed by the state. Licensure is obtained by meeting specified education, examination, and work experience requirements. Specific requirements vary by state. Typically, licensed engineers must graduate from an
ABET-accredited university or college engineering program with a minimum of bachelor's degree, pass the
Fundamentals of Engineering exam (FE), obtain several years of engineering experience under the supervision of a licensed engineer, then pass the
Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam. After completing these steps and the granting of licensure by a state board, engineers may use the title "Professional Engineer" or PE in advertising and documents. Most states have implemented mandatory continuing education requirements to maintain a license. ==Professional associations==