Career Training Directory Home >

Featured Articles

From business and accounting to advertising and design, learn about the latest changes in career training. The career training articles in this section will help you get ahead in all programs of study, whether you're considering fashion, finance, animation, or architecture. Find the article for your training, and start on a path toward career growth today!

Other Links of Interest:

Accounting Colleges

Accounting Master School

Animation Software Basics

Business Administration Schools

Business Administrative Assistant Schools

Computer Certifications

Georgia Interior Design Schools

Get Your Secondary Education Degree

Fashion Design Schools

Industrial Design Technology

MBA Programs

New York Interior Decorating Schools

Online MBA Degrees

What Sort Of Career Path Can I Pursue With Structural Engineer Training?

By Sarah Christensen
Sarah.Christensen@hqpublications.com


Whether for private or commercial use, structural engineering will always be needed for the buildings in which we live, work, and shelter.

What Is Structural Engineering?

Structural engineering is a form of architecture that focuses on the design and planning of a building and its utilities. As a professional structural engineering graduate, you will need to plan features of the building and its services around what the finished product will be used for. Structural engineers consider weather conditions, insulation, heating, plumbing, provision of natural light, maintenance access, proportions and, of course, visual appeal.

What Will I Learn On A Structural Engineering Program?

Either during or after a structural engineering program, many people choose to specialize in a particular area of interest. You may be attracted to the structural engineering of a particular type of building such as office blocks, private housing, factories or leisure facilities such as swimming pools. Most structural engineering programs now use CAD (computer assisted design) software to manipulate images and reproduce or alter accurate, scale drawings. Structural engineers learn about the properties of different materials used in structural engineering such as timber, stone, concrete, steel and glass. You may learn how to calculate quantities required and how to stress test some of these materials. You could also learn about building regulations, which may apply to your designs and how to meet them during your structural engineering training.

What skills will I need for a structural engineering program?

You will need to be able to combine form and function. Not only should the structure be designed with utilities and facilities in mind, how these facilities will be used by people needs to be taken into consideration e.g. If your final structural engineering design is to be used as a gallery, you may consider large windows and plenty of natural light. If you are responsible for the structural engineering of an office block, you may need to consider parking lot arrangements and fire escape facilities as well as the effects of the structure flexing a little in high wind. Innovation, computer literacy, problem solving aptitude, artistic flair, mathematical or engineering ability, attention to detail, and practical ability are all-important for a structural engineering career.

What Sorts Of Careers Need Structural Engineering Training

There are whole ranges of careers that require structural engineering training as well as some that do not necessarily require it, but where you would find a structural engineering program useful. Structural engineering is needed by a variety of industry sectors such as the armed forces, government, energy companies and of course charitable institutions. You may be involved with designing oil and gas pipelines, or you could specialize in the structural engineering of school buildings, housing, or even a specialist type of material such as timber or reinforced concrete. Some structural engineering graduates might even specialize in tornado or earthquake resistant structures in prone parts of the country.

What Sort Of Career Path And Salary Can I Expect With Structural Engineering Training?

According to the Bureau of Labor, approximately one in five Architects, of which structural engineering professionals are a subcategory, were self employed 1. You could go into the management side of structural engineering and oversee materials and personnel on a construction site. To practice as an Architect, you will need to be licensed in the state in which you want to work and be certified to practice by NCARB. Many states have reciprocity agreements for architects and structural engineering graduates. The most stable and secure positions for structural engineering professionals are considered to be within areas most insulated from fluctuations in the economy such as structural engineering schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and correctional facilities2. There were 79,000 architects and structural engineering professionals in 2002; the Bureau of Labor expects there to be an increase of 11.3% between 2002 and 20123. Median annual earnings of wage and salary architects were $56,620 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $44,030 and $74,460. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,280, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $92,3504.
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Architects, Except Landscape and Naval, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos038.htm (visited December 21, 2004).
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Architects, Except Landscape and Naval, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos038.htm (visited December 21, 2004).
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries, 2004-05 Edition, Construction, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs003.htm (visited December 21, 2004).
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Architects, Except Landscape and Naval, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos038.htm (visited December 21, 2004).

About the Author

Sarah Christensen is a freelance writer and writes a regular design column as well as articles on a variety of educational subjects amongst other activities. Sarah graduated from King's College, London University, (UK) with combined honors in Chemistry and Business Studies.


Back to Top



Valid XHTML 1.0!