Hello,
I’m a rising undergrad sophomore at RPI who is majoring in Civil Engineering. I took both Statics and Strength of Materials during my first year just now, and both of those courses have made me a lot more interested in Structural Engineering. I like the idea of the other concentrations within Civil Engineering, but this is the one I’m most likely to pursue. I’m the type of person who loves to plan his life out, and I know thinking Grad school after finishing Freshman year is pretty weird. I might not even need to attend it as engineering is one of those degrees where you can get by decently with just a bachelors, but I love to learn too. I don’t see myself getting a PhD as I have no passion to teach, but I’ve been told by many professors and people in the industry at career fairs that a masters degree in structural engineering is becoming more necessary and even the standard. The main reason I’ve heard is because most undergrads only go into 1-2 structural analysis classes, 1 concrete design class, 1 steel design class, and then your capstone. Those courses alone aren’t enough to prep many students for the industry, so an extra year or two of knowledge tends to be beneficial when they go into the industry after a masters. That’s what I’ve been told personally at least. A huge goal of mine down the line is to work as an Engineering Manager who helps direct large infrastructure projects in lesser developed regions and countries. My family comes from Zimbabwe, so helping them out with their problems regarding bridges, roadways, and buildings would be awesome! Here are some current facts/stats on me:
-My cumulative GPA at RPI after freshman year is a 3.91. This is bound to change in the next six semesters, and I’d like to graduate with a 3.7+ ideally.
-I am involved in extracurriculars such as American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Crusaders for Christ (CRU) and the Bridge Scholars Program (LSAMP Group), and Engineering Ambassadors (EA). For ASCE, I am the Vice President for all of 2024.
-I am currently an Engineer Intern for Summer 2024 for New York States Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). I am working in Structures Design, which will involve the construction of bridges by the State through CADD and on site inspections. I hope to get two more internships in college that will involve Civil/Structural Engineering.
Here are the top colleges that I’m interested in for Structural Engineering for a MS/MEng (in no order):
- RPI
- Lehigh
- MIT
- Cornell
- UC Berkeley
I’d prefer a program that’s one year instead of two, but any recommendations that people have for me would be appreciated a ton!
See how you feel in a year or two.
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Agree with this.
But also note that the schedule template (page 12 of Box ) for RPI CE includes 2 CE design electives, 1 CE technical elective, and 3 free electives. If you came in with advanced placement, you may gain additional free electives later. You can use these elective slots in your schedule to choose structures courses. You may also want to check if graduate level structures courses can be taken as an undergraduate if you want to use some of the electives for them.
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Appreciate the advice, I’ll have a better idea of which concentration is really for me after sophomore year.
Thank you for checking out the catalog! I was thinking about taking a couple extra classes during my junior/senior year due to having some extra space in my schedule to do so. I also want to minor in business management, so I’ll see how that turns out.
Please talk to your academic advisor and your career center. Many structural engineers do NOT have masters degrees. You very likely can gain employment as a CE with your bachelors.
If, after a number of years, you decide to get a masters, you might want to get an MBA or some other management degree which could supplement what you already can do as an engineer (you could enter management).
@MaineLonghorn your thoughts?
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Thank you for your thoughts. A lot of successful civil engineers I know/have heard about have their only their Bachelor degrees. The FE and PE Licenses matter more! I’ll focus on staying in the moment.
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I’m guessing some professors there will have recommendations for you. Seems you’re a top student - so take advantage of the professors - get to know them.
Here’s a US News Civil Rank - just food for thought.
It is a bit early to start thinking about this however.
Keep doing great academically and congrats on the internship. Experience begets experience.
You might not need to go further.
Good luck.
Best Civil Engineering Programs (usnews.com)
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I agree with others that you should see how things go over the next couple of years. I also agree that there is quite likely to be no compelling reason to get a master’s degree, and probably something north of 100,000 compelling reasons not to (assuming that one dollar equals one compelling reason, which is probably not actually the correct exchange rate).
That being said, if you do think about getting a master’s at some point in the future, two things come to mind. One is that you might want to get a year or two of full time work experience before you apply to master’s degrees. If nothing else this is likely to solidify your understanding of whether or not you want a master’s degree, and help you make sure that you are applying to the correct program for you, and also possibly strengthen your application. Also, if you do at some point apply to master’s programs, then there are some other schools that might be worth considering, with Stanford being one that particularly occurs to me.
But you have plenty of time to figure this out.
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Thank you for the kind and helpful response! I’ll keep focusing on my academics and gaining work experience during undergrad, I have at least three years to know what I want to do.
Stanford is a phenomenal school, but I’d prefer to be closer to family in the northeast if possible. Working after graduation may benefit me more as I’ll be able to make money for a year or two instead of spending it on a masters afterwards. Education is expensive, and a masters may not do as much help as a PE License could do for me. I do have time on my side thankfully, I appreciate your comment a ton!
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I’m a structural engineer. I feel that a master’s degree is very helpful but it’s not mandatory. I had several classes in grad school that were really excellent. You go more into the “why” of design instead of just “how.”
I would recommend top state schools for a master’s degree. Their research facilities are amazing. I went to UT Austin. Several of my professors were in the National Academy of Engineering. Their lab is one of the largest in the world.
Just see how you feel when you’re a senior. Talk to your professors and see what they recommend. Another possibility would be to work for a couple of years and then go back for your MS. I was fully funded and my stipend was enough to cover my living expenses.
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I agree. Amongst the engineering disciplines, the job market for civil is really hot. You have a government internship as a freshman!!! You’re doing all the right things.
Keep at it, especially with internships/co-ops, and revisit the idea of grad school later. I will be surprised if you “need” a masters, so your decision will likely be based on you wanting the degree for other reasons. Experts in your field will know best, so keep seeking out and taking their advice as you go.
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Thank you so much for the response! It’s great to hear this from a structural engineers perspective. That’s good to know that it benefitted you, but is also not necessary to be successful in the industry. The future is often on my mind, but I’ll start asking about this more junior/senior year. My thought process is that I’ll never get a masters if I go straight into work, but working for a year or two after my undergrad may confirm more about what I want to do if I’m not certain about higher education.
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Thank you so much for the response! I’m really grateful and excited to have this internship, my goal is to keep that up over college so I can network with companies and get a better idea of where I’d like to work after graduation. 
I’ll try to be better about staying in the present and asking these types of questions when the time for them comes.
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