Top 12 Best Structural Engineering Schools In The World
Top 12 Best Structural Engineering Schools In The World. If you’ve ever marveled at how skyscrapers could live a hundred years and not crumble, then you’re thinking structural engineering. A career in structural engineering will help you build one of the most beautiful and durable structures in the world.
Structural Engineering is not a new field of engineering. to ensure that you get the right knowledge of structural engineering and save people’s lives, we bring you the best structural engineering schools in the world in this post.
What Is Structural Engineering?
Structural Engineering focuses on the support integrity of large developments such as buildings, bridges and stadiums. Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering that concerns itself with the framework of structures as well as the design of these structures to be stable and durable. Thus, the structural engineer’s job is to design structures that will withstand the stress and pressure of the environment they are built so as to remain safe for the people using it.
The Best Schools for Structural Engineering
When you’re set to begin a career in Structural Engineering, you would need either a bachelor’s degree in Structural Engineering or Civil Engineering and therefore the best schools for structural engineering in the world are:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
- National University of Singapore (NUS).
- University of California, Berkeley.
- The University of California, San Diego.
- The University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia.
- Delft University of Technology.
- ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
- Tsinghua University.
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU).
- EPFL – Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne.
- The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney).
- Imperial College London.
- Politecnico di Milano.
Structural engineers are responsible for some of the most import constructions in history, including Washington Roebling who built the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and Gustave Eiffel who completed The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Structural engineers traditionally collaborate with a team of professionals including architects, urban planners and civil engineers, among others, to realize the completion of a project. For Masters Programs you can read Top 10 Best Structural Engineering Masters Programs.
The Best Structural Engineering Schools in the US and the World.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – United States
You can’t talk about schools offering STEM courses and programs without mentioning the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Through the MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), MIT offers one of the best structural engineering programs in both the USA and the world.
2. Imperial College London – United Kingdom.
Imperial College, like the name goes, is Imperial. It is one of the top schools in the UK and it holds a high reputation in the world as well. With its legal name as Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, there is enough conviction that Imperial College London is one of the best schools in the world for structural degree programs.
3. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology – Switzerland.
ETH Zurich is not just one of the best schools in Switzerland to study to become a structural engineer but one of the best schools in the world for that cause. The closest program at ETH Zurich to groom you into becoming a structural engineer is its Master Civil Engineering. What is good about the program is that it has a specialization in Structural Engineering (in addition to 5 others) that comprises 120 credits which you can complete in two years. Also, ETH Zurich’s Masters Civil Engineering is one of the few masters that allows you to specialize in two areas.
4. National University of Singapore (NUS) – Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s foremost university when it comes to science, engineering, and technology. Its academic reputation in Singapore stretches globally, making it one of the best schools in the world offering programs towards a career in structural engineering. NUS’s special path towards a career in structural engineering is the Master of Science in Civil Engineering Program. However, this program has five specializations including the Structural Engineering specialization.
5. University of California, Berkeley – United States.
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is another very popular university in the USA. Being the flagship university of the University of California University system is part of the reason for this, but mostly, it is as a result of UC Berkeley’s outstanding academics. This excellence transcends UC Berkeley’s Civil and Environmental Engineering such that UC Berkeley, through its CEE, is one of the best schools in the world for structural engineering programs.
6. The University of California, San Diego – United States
The University of California (UC) San Diego is one of the best schools in the world to study to become a structural engineer. Through its Jacobs School of Engineering, UC San Diego has a Department of Structural Engineering. This is a major advantage as UC San Diego offers a tailor-made structural engineering degree right from the bachelor’s level. Most other universities in the USA and the world only offer specific structural engineering degree tracks through their master’s in Civil Engineering.
7. Politecnico di Milano – Italy
If you would consider studying structural engineering in Italy, Politecnico di Milano or the Polytechnic University of Italy is one of the best schools to consider. With a good number of powerful ancient monuments in Italy that stands till date, Italy is one of the locations in the world to study Structural Engineering. Through its School of Civil, Environmental and Land Management Engineering, Politecnico di Milano offers one of the best programs in Structural Engineering.
8. The University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia – Bulgaria.
The University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy has five faculties including the Faculty of Structural Engineering. Having a whole faculty and not department dedicated to structural engineering, the University of Agriculture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy is one of the best schools in the world to get a structural engineering degree.
9. The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) – Australia
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a top university in Australia when it comes to STEM. It ranks highly as the 4th university in Australia and among the top 50 in the world. So, it is no surprise that UNSW is one of the schools to get one of the best structural engineering degree programs.
10. Delft University of Technology – Netherlands
It is one of the best schools in the world to take programs for structural engineering. Being a university dedicated to technology as well as its status as the oldest Dutch public technological university, Delft University of Technology is the university to attend for structural engineering. Delft’s MSc Civil Engineering with a track in Structural Engineering is one of the best in both the Netherlands and the world.
11. Tsinghua University – China (Mainland)
Tsinghua University (THU) is a university of high repute in China. It is among the C9 League of Chinese universities in mainland China popular for its academic excellence abs well-being of the Chinese society. If China is your desired location to study to become a structural engineer, then you should consider Tsinghua University as it is one of the best in China and the world for STEM.
12. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) – Singapore
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is the second oldest public Singapore-owned university in Singapore. So, with Singapore mounting a strong claim as one of the strongholds of technological advancement in the world, you would expect an old university as NTU to be behind Singapore’s success story.
NTU, together with the National University of Singapore, is one of the best schools in Singapore and the world to get a structural degree program.
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Academic Requirements for Structural Engineers
- Most professionals have acquired a Master’s Degree or even a Ph.D. to distinguish themselves in the marketplace.
- Undergraduate students complete coursework in materials, algorithms, design and mechanics, among other concepts.
- Employers require structural engineers to have a college degree in the discipline or comparable areas such as civil engineering.
- Advanced academic training in the field facilitates a candidate’s ability to receive management positions in the industry as well as university teaching roles.
- For Ph.D. students, coursework includes classes in computer modeling, advanced renovation and restoration as well as risk analysis.
- At the Master’s Degree level, students complete classwork in advanced materials design principles, structural mechanics and seismology.
What Is The Salary And Job Outlook Of Structural Engineers?
BLS, the most trusted organization for job statistics in the USA, categorizes structural engineers as civil engineers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), structural engineers in the UK earn $86,640 per year as salary. In 2018, 326,800 were available for civil engineers and it is estimated to grow by 6% from 2018-2028.
How Can I Become A Structural Engineer?
To become a structural engineer, you need to meet certain educational and licensing requirements. In every country, you must meet the same educational requirement of at least a bachelor’s degree to prepare you for entry-level structural engineering jobs.
- You would need a bachelor’s degree in Structural Engineering or a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.
- You’ll need a Master of Science degree or even a Master of Business Administration to be able to hold senior-level managerial positions.
In the USA, every state requires Structural Engineers to have a Professional Engineer (PE) licensure. Getting this license involves passing a series of exams that the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) administers.
In the UK you’ll need to charter to become a successful structural engineer. The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) is the body that grants the title of Chartered Structural Engineer in the UK.
- The process of chartering in the UK is by first completing a UK MEng or BEng with an MSc degree.
- Afterward, you will go through four years of Initial Professional Development and a professional review interview after the four years.
