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Graduate programs in civil engineering
Civil engineering is perhaps one of the most diverse of all the engineering disciplines and, after years of being regarded as a poor relation to its more attractive cousins such as electronics and computer systems, it is enjoying something of a renaissance among students intent on developing advanced skills through Masters-level study. With our attention firmly focused on issues such as the environment, sustainability and renewable energy sources, civil engineering is seen as a discipline with far broader applications than ever before.
Dealing with the design, construction and maintenance of the natural and physical built environment, civil engineering encapsulates structural engineering, materials sciences, wind engineering, transportation engineering and environmental engineering. With such an overarching nature, the advantages for international students seeking Masters degree opportunities are vast – not only are there countless study opportunities, but developing a career after graduation has become relatively easy with the focus increasingly shifting to environmental issues, and a dearth of qualified engineers graduating from universities in the last ten years.
“It is an exciting time for the civil engineering profession". Kathy Banks, Bowen Engineering Head and Professor of Civil Engineering.
The Masters degrees at Purdue University meet some of these changing needs. Purdue, located in Indiana, in the USA, has been one of the most consistently well-regarded engineering schools in recent years. With 300 students a year studying for Masters and PhD programs, the courses on offer are tailored to ensure that students graduate with career opportunities maximised in their particular chosen field. Kathy Banks, Bowen Engineering Head and Professor of Civil Engineering, sees the opportunities for students to study civil engineering as more dynamic than ever before: “It is an exciting time for the civil engineering profession. Public demand is high for a safe and effective infrastructure while maintaining a clean environment. At Purdue our unique graduate programs address the multidisciplinary nature of engineering research. Over the last two years, we have added several faculty positions in two of the signature areas; Intelligent Infrastructure Systems and Global Sustainable Industrial Systems.”
The variety of Masters degrees available for prospective international graduate students is vast. While “classic” programs continue to be popular, with their core focus on structural, materials and hydraulic issues, a range of new academic areas has developed in recent years. In 2005 the University of Southampton in the UK launched a new civil engineering Masters degree aimed at meeting the growing demand for qualified engineering graduates at a time when undergraduate numbers in the discipline were declining. The MSc program has been hugely successful, designed to attract prospective students to civil engineering who did not have an engineering undergraduate background, rather seeking to recruit numerate candidates from related fields such as mathematics and the physical sciences.
Dr Mike Byfield, from the Southampton Masters program, sees their initiative to spread the civil engineering net wider than ever before as essential in maintaining the number of qualified engineers, particularly at a time when more engineers are contemplating retirement. “The course provides a qualitative understanding of the use of materials in construction, the design of steel and concrete structures and engineering surveying amongst other things. This level of knowledge will enable graduates to operate effectively in the construction industry and carry out roles such as project management. The structure of the MSc program offers a sufficiently attractive package to attract high calibre students as well as successful sponsoring companies. As the students do not need to return to the university study at the end of their placements, they are in a good position to continue work with their sponsor once the formal placement is complete. The advantage to the sponsoring company is that they can recruit sought-after civil engineers at a lower cost than the normal route.”
Unlike many other professions, the skills learnt at the Masters level have a direct impact on professional status.
This relationship with the workplace is an important one for civil engineering graduate programs. For many international students, Masters programs offer the first step in the development of their careers in engineering. Unlike many other professions, the skills learnt at the Masters level have a direct impact on professional status, largely through the influence of accreditation bodies such as the Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE), responsible for the professional standards of the industry. ICE, a global membership organization that promotes and advances civil engineering around the world, ensures that those practising in the field are of the right professional standard and competency. With a membership of more than 80,000 engineers worldwide, 50,000 of whom are working members, ICE plays an important role not only in the international industry as a whole, but also the development of academic curricula within Masters programs.
