Suzie Key Tima

Back in engineering school, I picked Civil Engineering as my major, but I wasn’t sure what specialization I wanted to get into. If you’re struggling with what you want to do maybe this post can help you.

There are five main categories of Civil Engineering specializations:

1. Water Resources
   Water resources engineering deals with hydraulics and infrastructure to distribute, contain, or detain water.
2. Environmental Engineering
   Environmental engineers are concerned with the impact of engineering on the natural ecosystem to improve sustainability.
3. Structural Engineering
   Structural engineers design structures to ensure they can handle loads from residents, winds, earthquakes, etc.
4. Construction Engineering
   Construction engineers manage the construction of engineering projects to ensure they meet standard code. They might handle scheduling, cost estimating, etc.
5. Transportation Engineering
   Transportation engineering involves moving people by developing transportation systems: roads, highways, airways, railroads, etc.
6. Geotechnical Engineering
   Geotechnical engineers study the soil and the impact of infrastructure on the earth.

When picking a specialization, consider these three metrics:

Need/Income
The current need for a particular type of engineering will affect employment rates and salaries. Do some research about growth in the different specialization that interest you to see the projected growth over the next few years.

Skill Set
It’s important to stay in your zone of genius. When thinking about my specialization, I considered the specific set of skills they would demand. For example, construction engineers need great communications skills as they deal with the implementation of projects.

Interest/Passion
As you take your electives, consider how you enjoy the different classes. My favorite classes were usually from geotechnical engineering or transportation and my least favorite were usually water related. I knew that I would have a harder time if I chose to go into water resources.

Tips:

• Do as many internships as you can.
• Talk to established professionals.
• Join a professional organization like ASCE.
• Take some specialized electives.
• Don’t be afraid to try, it’s not written in stone.