Civil Engineering uses scientific and engineering principles to design and construct the physical and natural built environment, including the structures viz. bridges, roads, canals, dams and buildings etc. This is considered to be one of the oldest branches of engineering disciplines.Civil Engineering is now being studied under several sub-disciplines like environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, water resources engineering, materials engineering, coastal engineering, surveying, urban planning and many more.
A civil engineer can choose from a multitude of career options like designing, supervision and construction activities of public works like roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings, airports, dams, water works, sewage systems, ports etc. The career prospects in this field are enormous owing to the rapid growth of infrastructure facilities in the country.
Courses & Eligibility
An educational career in civil engineering can be started after class 10th. Here the individual is only eligible to pursue Diploma program in civil engineering. After successful completion of the course, he/she can join as a junior engineer in various public and private sector jobs.
The minimum eligibility for doing undergraduate program i.e. BE/BTech in Civil Engineering is + 2 Science with Physics, Chemistry and Maths. The selection is generally made on the basis of entrance tests (e.g. IITJEE, AIEEE, BITSAT etc.) conducted at both national and state level.
One can also continue his/her study further by joining ME/MTech programs offered by various engineering colleges/universities including the IITs and NITs. A GATE qualification can further make one’s admission process easier.
AMIE Associate Memberships of the Institution of Engineers also offers courses in civil engineering which is equivalent to BE/BTech provided by other institutes/universities.
Career Prospects
There are excellent job opportunities in civil engineering both in public and private sectors. The government departments like public health, irrigation or public works offer ample job opportunities to civil engineering graduates. However, the probability of finding jobs in private sector is more as compared to government sector. A fresh graduate of civil engineering one can also look for jobs in road projects, building work, consultancy firms, quality testing laboratories or housing societies.
According to experts, there is a high demand for experienced civil engineers in developed countries. Hundreds of civil engineers migrate from India to Canada, Australia and other countries for better career prospects.
According to an estimate, over 50,000 new jobs in the civil engineering sector are coming up every year across the country in the private sector. The Centre has announced to invest over Rs 50,000 crore in the infrastructure sector in the next few years.
Pay-Package
A fresh graduate in civil engineering can expect a salary between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 per month at the entry level. A diploma holder will get between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 on an average. After three or four years’ experience on good projects, one can earn up to Rs 30,000 per month. There is no ceiling for the right candidates to progress in this field.
Institutes/Universities
BE/BTech course in Civil engineering is offered by almost all engineering colleges/technological universities including the IITs and NITs. The pioneer institutes are the Indian Institutes of Technology, Birla institute of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), College of Engineering and Technology (Anna University) and several other state level engineering colleges. Please click on the links given below to get a list of vast number of engineering colleges located in various states and major cities of the country.