MSCE or review course

[Samzmom08]

I would like some advise on tackling the PE - Civil/WR-Env.

Background: BS in ChE, MS in Chemistry (Environmental), six years of work experience in W/WW field. I do need a Civil PE for future advancement.

I don't have CE classes in any of the other topics (construction, transpo, geotech etc.), just one basic static and dynamic class.

My options are:

1. Go back to school to obtain MSCE (structural)

2. Attend a review course and study my brains out.

Which option should I take? (sorry for cross-posting on similar situation)

 

[Vinsanity]

MSCE- Structural is my personal choice, I have been there, and now studying for PE Civil/Struct for Fall.

 

[IlPadrino]

I would like some advise on tackling the PE - Civil/WR-Env.
Background: BS in ChE, MS in Chemistry (Environmental), six years of work experience in W/WW field. I do need a Civil PE for future advancement.

I don't have CE classes in any of the other topics (construction, transpo, geotech etc.), just one basic static and dynamic class.

My options are:

1. Go back to school to obtain MSCE (structural)

2. Attend a review course and study my brains out.

Which option should I take? (sorry for cross-posting on similar situation)

At first I wasn't sure you were serious! There's NO WAY you need to go back to school for a masters degree to learn what you need for the Civil PE. I have an undergraduate degree in computers and systems engineering and a masters in information technology management - I haven't taken a single civil course in my life! With sufficient experience, any engineering graduate can learn what they need to pass the test in less than a few hundred hours. I took the Testmasters review course (about 70 hours) and then studied on my own for less than 20 hours. I passed the exam the first time - though I'll never know if it was by the skin of my teeth.

Bottom line: take a review course (Testmasters or the Irvine one) and go from there. You can do it.

 

[hrun]

I would like some advise on tackling the PE - Civil/WR-Env.
Background: BS in ChE, MS in Chemistry (Environmental), six years of work experience in W/WW field. I do need a Civil PE for future advancement.

I don't have CE classes in any of the other topics (construction, transpo, geotech etc.), just one basic static and dynamic class.

My options are:

1. Go back to school to obtain MSCE (structural)

2. Attend a review course and study my brains out.

Which option should I take? (sorry for cross-posting on similar situation)

I have a BS in Environmental Engineering, I decided to take the the PE in Civil/wr-env this April08 and passed. I work in water resources.

I Have never taken a course in construction,transportion ,geotech , structures.

Had course in statics, dynamics and mechanis of materials like you. This will help you in the morning structures part.

I took the testmasters course, that got me thru the transportation part very well and it helped me greatly for the afternoon part.

The structures instructor was Ok also. I got a lot of help from a retired structural engineer.

The geotec intructor was horrible so I did not learn very much. I probable got only a couple

right on the test for geotec- this was the toughest for me.

Construction was also tough since it was really not covered in the testmasters course, It was a brand new topic for the april exam.

It could of gone either way for me. I didn't feel pretty good coming out of the exam. I studied a lot for the test.

The morning part was tough, I did much better in the afternoon

If you take the Testmasters course it really depends on the instructor they have for geotec, construction, transpor,structures.

good luck,

 

[Samzmom08]

MSCE- Structural is my personal choice, I have been there, and now studying for PE Civil/Struct for Fall.

Do you have to make up a bunch of prereq classes to go into Structural? How long was your Master's program?

 

[Samzmom08]

At first I wasn't sure you were serious! There's NO WAY you need to go back to school for a masters degree to learn what you need for the Civil PE. I have an undergraduate degree in computers and systems engineering and a masters in information technology management - I haven't taken a single civil course in my life! With sufficient experience, any engineering graduate can learn what they need to pass the test in less than a few hundred hours. I took the Testmasters review course (about 70 hours) and then studied on my own for less than 20 hours. I passed the exam the first time - though I'll never know if it was by the skin of my teeth.
Bottom line: take a review course (Testmasters or the Irvine one) and go from there. You can do it.

Thanks for the confident booster. I properly will consider going for a review course first.

Given I am in CA, I'll need Surveying and Seismic. How well was the review course on these topics?

 

[Samzmom08]

I have a BS in Environmental Engineering, I decided to take the the PE in Civil/wr-env this April08 and passed. I work in water resources.I Have never taken a course in construction,transportion ,geotech , structures.

Had course in statics, dynamics and mechanis of materials like you. This will help you in the morning structures part.

I took the testmasters course, that got me thru the transportation part very well and it helped me greatly for the afternoon part.

The structures instructor was Ok also. I got a lot of help from a retired structural engineer.

The geotec intructor was horrible so I did not learn very much. I probable got only a couple

right on the test for geotec- this was the toughest for me.

Construction was also tough since it was really not covered in the testmasters course, It was a brand new topic for the april exam.

It could of gone either way for me. I didn't feel pretty good coming out of the exam. I studied a lot for the test.

The morning part was tough, I did much better in the afternoon

If you take the Testmasters course it really depends on the instructor they have for geotec, construction, transpor,structures.

good luck,

Congrads hrun! Thanks for your input. I am nevous about structure, construction and geotech; hopefully a lot of studying and working out problems will get me through this exam.

 

[IlPadrino]

Thanks for the confident booster. I properly will consider going for a review course first.
Given I am in CA, I'll need Surveying and Seismic. How well was the review course on these topics?

You don't have to take the Surveying and Seismic at the same time as the NCEES PE exam. I'd suggest given your concern you focus on the PE exam and then do the surveying and seismic the next round. I don't have any experience with those CA-specific portions, sorry...

 

[TXengrChickPE]

Thanks for the confident booster. I properly will consider going for a review course first.
Given I am in CA, I'll need Surveying and Seismic. How well was the review course on these topics?

As far as I know, the review courses that are offered nation-wide do not cover Surveying and Seismic... because they're only tested in CA. Local review courses may offer them as an "add-on" to the standard course. Also, I might be wrong, but I've heard that you don't have to take all three exams at the same time. If that's the case, you could just take the PE in October, then get Surveying and Seismic in April.

edit: I guess great minds think alike!

 

[IlPadrino]

The structures instructor was Ok also. I got a lot of help from a retired structural engineer.The geotec intructor was horrible so I did not learn very much. I probable got only a couple

right on the test for geotec- this was the toughest for me.

Construction was also tough since it was really not covered in the testmasters course, It was a brand new topic for the april exam.

It could of gone either way for me. I didn't feel pretty good coming out of the exam. I studied a lot for the test.

The morning part was tough, I did much better in the afternoon

If you take the Testmasters course it really depends on the instructor they have for geotec, construction, transpor,structures.

Even if an instructor or two was bad (did you have the old guy for geotech?) do you agree the notes at least highlight the specific areas you need to concentrate on? That was the single greatest advantage for me.

 

[hrun]

Even if an instructor or two was bad (did you have the old guy for geotech?) do you agree the notes at least highlight the specific areas you need to concentrate on? That was the single greatest advantage for me.

Yes, I had the "old guy" for geotec. He just started doing problems, for someone that

has never taken a geotec class it was rough.

 

[squishles10]

The statics will get you through AM structures. AM traffic is a joke. AM geotech will kill you.

AM water resources I am not sure about- it depends on what you do- if you do hydraulics (it sounds like you do) then it's cake. The hydrology part is learnable over a few weeks.

For PM, you'll probably get the env part fine, the hydraulics as above, and I don't remember the hydrology being much more in depth in the PM than the AM, but someone feel free to correct me.

Did you pass the EIT? That's where I'd think you'd get tripped up for missing the other classes.

On Cali- you actually *do* have to take the exams at the same time, but you don't have to pass them i.e. you can sit there and not fill it out, or better yet, read through the booklet and get a good idea of what you need to know for next time. If you've ever worked with plans and profiles and a scale, surveying should not be too much of an issue. I will not comment on seismic bc it scares the living poo out of me. There are review courses specifically for that (Irvine Institute, Hiner) that I would HIGHLY recommend.

Good luck!