Careers
The education and careers of our students are our raison d'etre. After providing them with a superb education, we also assist them with career counseling and job placement. It is one of the many advantages of our Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics program: the personal attention a student receives both before— and after— graduation.
Students
A civil engineering degree prepares students for careers in many industries, such as aerospace/ aircraft, structural, geotechnical, transportation, water resources/environmental, and construction/management. Many civil engineering graduates elect to work for federal, state, city, and local governments, such as the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Sanitation. Port Authorities around the world also employ civil engineers. The broad nature of the background our graduates acquire situates them for success in their own business, as well as a springboard to further studies in business, management, law, and medicine. A degree in Engineering Mechanics prepares you best to work in research-oriented industries and government agencies.
Career Resources
A civil engineering degree prepares students for careers in many industries, such as aerospace/ aircraft, structural, geotechnical, transportation, water resources/environmental, and construction/management. Many civil engineering graduates elect to work for federal, state, city, and local governments, such as the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Sanitation. Port Authorities around the world also employ civil engineers. The broad nature of the background our graduates acquire situates them for success in their own business, as well as a springboard to further studies in business, management, law, and medicine. A degree in Engineering Mechanics prepares you best to work in research-oriented industries and government agencies.
Career Resources
We strongly urge graduates to take advantage of the many ways Columbia's Center for Career Education assists undergraduate, graduate students, and alumni to help them define career goals and gain meaningful work experiences.
- LionSHARE internship/jobs database - Set up a job agent to be notified daily of engineering opportunities
- Domestic and international internship programs, including the Science Technology Engineering Program (STEP)
- Career Fairs - Engineering Consortium Career Fair/Networking Reception, Start-up Career Fair, Fall & Spring Career Fairs
- Alumni Connections and Networking Events, including Engineering Student-Alumni Speed Networking, Columbia Career Connections on LinkedIn, Employer Site Visits, and Professionals in Residence
- Individual career counseling, workshops, and online resources to help with internship/job applications, interviewing, networking, negotiations, and the decision to pursue graduate school
- Engineering industry specific resources covering career paths, employers, professional associations, internship/job sites, and research opportunities
- LionSHARE internship/jobs database - Set up a job agent to be notified daily of engineering opportunities
- Domestic and international internship programs, including the Science Technology Engineering Program (STEP)
- Career Fairs - Engineering Consortium Career Fair/Networking Reception, Start-up Career Fair, Fall & Spring Career Fairs
- Alumni Connections and Networking Events, including Engineering Student-Alumni Speed Networking, Columbia Career Connections on LinkedIn, Employer Site Visits, and Professionals in Residence
- Individual career counseling, workshops, and online resources to help with internship/job applications, interviewing, networking, negotiations, and the decision to pursue graduate school
- Engineering industry specific resources covering career paths, employers, professional associations, internship/job sites, and research opportunities
Career Services
The Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department at Columbia University is dedicated to your professional development, connecting you to industry members through student-alumni events, employer info sessions, job and internship postings, recruiting events, panel discussions, and career fairs.
Graduate students of the Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department will partner with the department’s Career Placement Officer throughout their program to ensure they are prepared for the next steps in their professional career. The Career Placement Officer will be your first point of contact for your professional development needs including resume reviews, interviewing skills, navigating the industry, job and internship searching, etc. For additional information, please visit our Careers page.
Additionally, all new students of the MS degree program will participate in Columbia Engineering’s Professional Development and Leadership Program, an intensive course aimed to help students build a solid foundation to become leaders in the engineering field. The course begins in mid-August and meets intensively before Labor Day with additional electives offered in the Fall and Spring terms.