Civil Engineering: Roles and Expectations

The role of a civil engineer is to be a city planner, a builder, and a project manager all at once. They are expected to be involved in infrastructure projects that benefit the country and its people, as well as be involved in sensitive environmental topics such as climate change, green building, and urban planning. In other words, they are responsible for the future of the Philippines.

A civil engineer must be skilled in tackling complex tasks. They need to be profoundly analytic and must possess a deep understanding of mathematics, physics, technology, geography, architecture, construction, and other related subjects.

Becoming a civil engineer is a different kind of challenge compared to being one. The profession may be in high demand, but it takes a special kind of person to devote themselves to a field that requires much of their computing skills and devotion to the field.

For some, the life of a civil engineer student is filled with math, exams, and sleepless nights.

So how does one become a civil engineer? 

The Republic Act No.544 or the Civil Engineering Law requires engineering students to pass the Civil Engineering Licensure Exam, which would test the limits of a student’s mathematical prowess. Future takers should note the requirements needed in order to be able to take the exam. The most primary prerequisite is being a graduate of a four-year civil engineering course from any government-recognized college or university. 

Other requirements include:

• Most recent NBI Clearance

• Two Certificates of Good Moral Character

• NSO Birth Certificate

  • Exam taker must be a Filipino citizen and 21 years of age

• Transcript of Records

  • Highschool Diploma

  • 2×2 Pictures

  • Medical Records

• Examination Fee Payment

Once all of that is taken care of, what’s left is to prepare for the exam itself. The topics that you will be encountering are the following:

A. Mathematics and Surveying 

• Algebra

• Trigonometry 

• Analytic Geometry

• Calculus

• Differential Equations

• Infinite Series

• Engineering Economy

• Surveying Concepts

• Surveying Measurements

• Survey Operations

• Engineering Surveys

B. Hydraulics

• Fluid Mechanics

• Hydrology

• System and Structure

• Irrigation, Flood Control, and Drainage

• Water Supply and Sewage

C. Design and Construction

• Statics of Rigid Bodies

• Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

• Mechanics

• Structural Analysis

• Timber Structures

• Design of Steel Structures

• Reinforced Concrete Structures

• Soil Mechanics and Foundations

• Design of Civil Engineering Structures

• Construction and Management

You can read the full list of subjects here.

Being a civil engineer is one of the toughest professions in the world. They need to be resourceful and logical, to be ethical in their work, and to be updated in the trends and innovations in the industry. For the aspiring engineers of the Philippines, do you have what it takes to be the vanguard in the world of infrastructure?