WHAT IS YOUR DEGREE?

[kevo_55]

I just have a BS in Civil Engineering.

Honestly many people say that they would like to have a master's degree to get ahead, but I believe that a PE license (in the civil/structural word) is just as good.

 

[Road Guy]

yeah me also, I did get an MBA, mainly because at the time I wanted to get out of engineering, but I have to say taking all those finance classes helped with those engineering economic questions on the exam.

 

[GCracker]

MS-Civil/Structural

I think it helped on the the exam. But, using it every day at work helped more.

 

[petergibbons]

I am trying to decipher if it is just because I took Mechanical in school, and am taking the PE in Civil.

I have a BS in Civil. I couldn't imagine taking the PE in another discipline. Much respect DV!

 

[ferryg]

I actually have an M.S. in Engineering Management...I have to say that a little bit (albeit a very small portion) of that degree was useful on the exam.

 

[whitley85]

just have a BS in Civil Engineering.
Honestly many people say that they would like to have a master's degree to get ahead, but I believe that a PE license (in the civil/structural word) is just as good.

I think you have a point there. I got my masters mainly because I didn't feel like I knew enough to be a good geotech and I wasn't getting any training on the job at the time. I was basically an overpaid secretary. (Some older engineers think women are only good for two things. Secretary was the only one I was willing to do.)

I'm now in the position to hire engineers and I like seeing the masters degree, but without experience, it means very little. I'll take a PE any day.

 

[bohnsai78]

B.S. in Civil Engineering, Emphasis in Project Management.

University of Wisconsin - Madison

I think the "emphasis" thing for civil engineering was fairly new when I was in school 4 years ago. Obviously to get a civil degree you needed so many "degree" credits (i.e. engineering courses) to graduate.......on top of the gen. ed. courses (i.e. nap-time 101):whatever:

But, if you took a good portion of your elective engineering courses in a certain area, like project managment, structural, environmental, etc, then you would graduate with an "emphasis" in that area. I went for the project management and took courses like Project Scheduling & Estimating, Engineering Law, Engineering Economics, and a few others.

My roommate elected to take steel design I and II, Concrete Design I & II, Wood Design I, and a bunch of other stuff that I would've commited suicide over if I had to take......and he graduated with an "emphasis" in Structural Engineering. :suicide:

Most of the required courses for my degree definately helped me on the exam, along with the Project Scheduling and Engineering Econ class. I couldn't imagine studying for the P.E. without that background knowledge from college. :study :

For some reason they required us to take engineering courses outside of our degree.........and about 3 seconds after I got accepted into the Civil Eng. program I realized that all the hot chicks were in Industrial Engineering.......so you better believe that I took an I.E. course when came time. I don't think I could've past the PE exam without the memory of those blonde twins that sat in front of me every MWF @ 9:55 a.m.

:true:

 

[grover]

Bottom line, in my opinion, its the discipline :tone: to get the degree (no matter what it is), to get the experience, and to study when there are other things you could be doing....

It's my heartfelt opinion that the first part of the PE exam, perhaps the toughest part, is simply getting all the paperwork and references and everything else together in time to sit for the exam! I mean, lets face it, getting 2-5 engineers to not only agree to send in the reference form, but actually do it RIGHT and IN TIME is a freaking miracle of science right there.

 

[kevo_55]

It's my heartfelt opinion that the first part of the PE exam, perhaps the toughest part, is simply getting all the paperwork and references and everything else together in time to sit for the exam! I mean, lets face it, getting 2-5 engineers to not only agree to send in the reference form, but actually do it RIGHT and IN TIME is a freaking miracle of science right there.

:claps: Right on brother. :claps:

 

[Dleg]

I realized that all the hot chicks were in Industrial Engineering.......

:lmao:

You are kidding, right?

I have a BS in Mechanical (1990), and none of the coursework directly helped me study for the PE exam (enviro). Even if I could remember it now. Heck, it didn't even help me the first day on my first job out of college. What DID help me was "learning how to learn" - which was kind of what I thought was the biggest thing I got out of my undergraduate work. I went in to college unable to pick up a book and really "know" it, to being able to do exactly that. And that is what has gotten me through every job since then, the PE studying, and even a few things in regular old life (thank God for those "what to expect when you're expecting" books)

I was hoping to be able to draw from my work experience for much of the PE exam, but unfortunately the exam doesn't cover most of what I do (stormwater, septic systems, and state regulation writing). So I had to learn from the ENVRM, and when that wasn't enough, $1,400 of new textbooks. Being able to read a new chapter, step back from it and see/understand the underlying concepts behind the subject is the biggest thing I got out of school, and I think that is crucial to learning or studying anything.

And if I learn that I have failed the exam, I will return and delete every word I have just written!

 

[bohnsai78]

I kid you not brother.......the female:male ratio in every other engineering discipline at my school was negligible......but in Industrial Engineering, for whatever reason, it had to be about 40:60. And there was a group of about 6 girls that would all study together at the library......we called them "The Barbies". Every one of them had blonde hair, tanned (in Wisconsin), and looked like they spent more time doing their makeup and nails than studying. A couple of them could've rivaled those chicks in the "Houston Chearleaders" thread.

 

[Guest]

What DID help me was "learning how to learn" - which was kind of what I thought was the biggest thing I got out of my undergraduate work.  I went in to college unable to pick up a book and really "know" it, to being able to do exactly that.  And that is what has gotten me through every job since then, the PE studying, and even a few things in regular old life (thank God for those "what to expect when you're expecting" books) 
I was hoping to be able to draw from my work experience for much of the  PE exam, but unfortunately the exam doesn't cover most of what I do (stormwater, septic systems, and state regulation writing).  So I had to learn from the ENVRM, and when that wasn't enough, $1,400 of new textbooks.  Being able to read a new chapter, step back from it and see/understand the underlying concepts behind the subject is the biggest thing I got out of school, and I think that is crucial to learning or studying anything............. 

And if I learn that I have failed the exam, I will return and delete every word I have just written!

I have to agree that the 'subjects' of my study were not as important as the process by which you learn and analyze problems. That was the most significant aspect of my education.

I have a greater appreciation for that now that I have taken engineering coursework in two different colleges. My undergrad work was strongly oriented towards problem solving and synthesis of knowledge across numerous fields - not just Env Eng. My graduate work has been more topical - nuts and bolts of engineering. Then again, my earlier education may have already compensated for graduate work. I cannot really say.

Okay, I am rambling.

Point ---> I think BS helps in the sense that it lays out an approach to solving problems. Being an engineer isn't about how much knowledge you have retained - it is about knowing where to find the 'answer' and what do with it once you have it.

'.02'

JR

 

[Kipper]

I kid you not brother.......the female:male ratio in every other engineering discipline at my school was negligible......but in Industrial Engineering, for whatever reason, it had to be about 40:60. And there was a group of about 6 girls that would all study together at the library......we called them "The Barbies". Every one of them had blonde hair, tanned (in Wisconsin), and looked like they spent more time doing their makeup and nails than studying. A couple of them could've rivaled those chicks in the "Houston Chearleaders" thread.

Dude! B) We are trying to put together an Engineer Babe calendar. We need

names and numbers.

Or, :GotPics:

 

[tmckeon_PE]

Go to Engineer Boards Calendar to put your votes in for the calendar. This thread shouldn't be hijacked.

 

[ARJ]

I have to agree with point that it's the discipline to get the degree that matters. I have a Bachelors in Mathematics from the University of California at Riverside--in 1994. Was going to teach but changed my mnd. Got a entry level position in structural design instead. Found out about the EIT exam. Studied for it for a couple of months and passed it. Had to wait to take the PE because none my education counted toward my experience. So had too accumulate enough work experience to qualify. When I finally was unexpectedly approved, I hadn't studied a lick. But I sat for it anyway (California). Of course I failed. So when I actually studied for it, the information was all new to me from a scholastic stand point. I had never taken any classes in any of the PE subjects. Since Calfornia requires passing the seismic, surveying and Civil PE exam in order to become a PE, I decided the best course of action for me was to study for one at a time. First, I passed the seismic, then the Civil PE exam and now I am waiting on the results of the surveying. So I guess you need to add another categories to the poll above--"Non-ABET degree"--I guess?

Was it harder this way? Yes. Courses would have made it easier. But there is a certain pleasure that comes from studying the material on your own, just because you want too and not having to meet the demands of a classroom setting.

 

[tmckeon_PE]

Have to say that the BSCE that I got helped in several ways.

First, I got it with mostly structural concrete, construction management, and systems design (mostly wastewater).

Second, my work experience was mostly in WR and inspection.

I was able to benefit from both the school standpoint and the work experience for the exam.

Thank God I passed. I really don't want to have to do that again!

:true:

 

[WR/ENV_Instructor]

Have advanced degree in Ocean Engineering. Do not have a civil B.S. or M.S., so studying for WR Civil Exam will be challenge b/c never had hydraulics, environmental or transportation class in my life. Count your lucky stars, where most of you are reviewing, I am teaching myself these subjects. FYI, Plan to take the exam next spring.

 

[Guest]

Have advanced degree in Ocean Engineering.  Do not have a civil B.S. or M.S., so studying for WR Civil Exam will be challenge b/c never had hydraulics, environmental or transportation class in my life.  Count your lucky stars, where most of you are reviewing, I am teaching myself these subjects.  FYI, Plan to take the exam next spring.

I am just curious - what does Ocean Engineering entail ?? Is that similar to coastal engineering ?

JR

 

[JRO]

I received a BS ChE in 1988, and passed the E.I.T. exam in the Spring of '88. Since then I have spent approximately 16 years in the environmental field (wastewater treatment mostly). Recently pass the October '06 Enviro PE exam. Most of my experience has been on-the-job training and work experience. However, I feel the most of what I do is basically applied chemical engineering. I think my degree helped with passing the PE, but my work experience was why I chose the Enviro exam over the ChE exam.

 

[cjd97]

BSCE (specialization in structures)

Illinois Institute of Technology

Passed FE Senior Year.

Just passed October 2006 PE, I took the structural PM.

I don't believe the degree makes much of a difference. I feel I could have passed it right out of college. Structural problems on the PE are pretty simplistic.

We'll see how the SE goes in April..............