A structural engineer is an individual who is concerned with the structures and buildings with his essential job responsibilities include designing, planning, researching and inspecting the structural system of the building.

Becoming a structural engineer is not one of the hardest things in life but it sure requires dedication and attention to details to become one. This is because a structural engineer pays serious attention to details of a structure while taking social, economical, environmental and various aesthetic factors around the structure into cognisance.

This piece seeks to highlight the early path that is required from a person aspiring to become a structural engineer as it is one of the unpopular yet critical engineering disciplines in infrastructural development and growth of a nation.

The path to becoming a structural engineer in Nigeria starts from the tertiary level when you apply to study Civil Engineering after building a strong science and technology base at the secondary education level with knowledge of mathematics, physics and technical drawing.

Structural engineering is taught within the ambits of Civil Engineering, hence individuals willing to make a career out of Structural Engineering must study Civil Engineering and in Structural Engineering. Though structural engineering plays a crucial role in determining the infrastructure of the nation yet it has its own unique reasons to be considered as an independent part of civil engineering.

Structural engineering is a special section in civil engineering and the individual working as structural engineers is experts in designing waterways system, sewage, roadways, buildings and bridges. The students pursuing course in structural engineering are eligible to assist civil engineer in designing the structures and various structural materials.

Since structural engineering deals with designing scientific structures and buildings therefore various sections of higher mathematics like trigonometry, calculus and geometry should be included as the main subject in the high school level. Apart from mathematics, physics is considered to be another important subject in structural engineering. The applying principles of this subject help in sorting out issues related to practical problems. Though you can choose these subjects in your college but you will be lagging behind in the rat race.

The tertiary institutions provides courses in structural engineering that includes subjects like the dynamics, statics , material engineering ,graphic engineering, conceptual designing structural analysis and computes softwares. Since structural designing is all about designing structures therefore structural designing deals with material used in construction.

Apart from the mentioned subjects the university also includes subjects like technology, designing, computer, geography and art. The universities offering this course aim in creating an all rounder out of every student. The courses ensure that students studying the structural engineering can compete and relate comfortably with their contemporaries in the other disciplines of engineering, like the electrical and mechanical engineering. The students also undergo the core classes essential for any programs of engineering.

The course concludes with a certificate and may write a professional exam to obtain a license to begin a career as a structural engineer. Though bachelor degree from recognized institute permits you to begin a career in structural engineering however every student has an opportunity to pursue higher studies.

It is essential that the student attends regular structural engineering conferences to enrich his \her repertoire of knowledge which is organized every year to obtain knowledge, gain some experience and meet with experienced structural engineers that will be in attendance.

The entire course of structural engineering is an amalgamation of theoretical and practical lessons. The course is designed according to the necessity of the student .The main aim of the course is to educate and enhance the inner capabilities of the students. In fact structural engineering is an extremely challenging field and few can excel in it .However the successful students are awarded with great opportunities and also acquire great knowledge during the period of practice.

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