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College Curriculum for CEC Success?

CEC_collegiate

New Member
Hi all,

I'm a junior in college currently waiting on my final select for the Collegiate Program.

I have to start deciding now which sub-discipline(s) of civil engineering I want to focus on in school such as construction, structural, transportation, etc. Common sense tells me that the construction classes will be most closely related to CEC work, but does it really matter that much what classes you took? What are your thoughts? I'll be interning in the summer but only have an offer in the field of transportation right now because I worked there this past summer. I'm caught between taking an advanced class in transportation this spring to help for my summer job or an advanced construction class. I only have room to choose one. Thanks for any input.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

I'm a junior in college currently waiting on my final select for the Collegiate Program.

I have to start deciding now which sub-discipline(s) of civil engineering I want to focus on in school such as construction, structural, transportation, etc. Common sense tells me that the construction classes will be most closely related to CEC work, but does it really matter that much what classes you took? What are your thoughts? I'll be interning in the summer but only have an offer in the field of transportation right now because I worked there this past summer. I'm caught between taking an advanced class in transportation this spring to help for my summer job or an advanced construction class. I only have room to choose one. Thanks for any input.

You should have had to fill out a degree completion form for you kit to go up, that should have the classes you will be taking from now until you graduate so your path should already be set.
 

PenguinGal

Can Do!
Contributor
BLUF: Take the course that will lead to an ABET accredited engineering degree that will provide you with a career, potentially outside of the Navy, that will make you happy.

CEC Collegiate program aside, how the frack did you make it to your junior year without having chosen a sub-discipline?! Engineering programs are very rigid, especially after the initial entry level courses. By your junior year of college you should have already started taking courses focusing on a particular discipline. I distinctly remember my sophomore year course load to have already reflected my choice of focus. (Little did I know how that would change come grad school and then the real world, but I digress.)

That being said, what mattes the most with your CEC application is that it is an ABET accredited program. Since we have zero clue where you attend school, you should first and foremost make sure that the program you are in is accredited. A quick double check here will let you know if your program at your particular school is accredited. If it is not accredited, well, then you have bigger problems than which class to take this fall if you want to become a CEC officer.

The CEC is a very small community. Between the AD and RC, there are currently less than 2,100 commissioned officers. To put that into perspective, the average Nimitz class carrier has a ship company of approximately 3,200, not including the air wing. It is a very, VERY competitive designator which means that there is a darn good chance that despite good grades and lots of leadership that you might not get selected. That means that the class that you choose for your spring schedule will need to be one that will help you in your civilian career, should it be necessary. Register for the class that will help you be the best engineer and have the most successful (by your own definition) career. If that means going into the transportation class in hopes of leveraging your internship into a job offer after graduation and you would be fully happy doing that, take the transportation course. If it means that you want to take the advanced construction course because you really and truly want to work in construction, do that.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
BLUF: Take the course that will lead to an ABET accredited engineering degree that will provide you with a career, potentially outside of the Navy, that will make you happy.

CEC Collegiate program aside, how the frack did you make it to your junior year without having chosen a sub-discipline?! Engineering programs are very rigid, especially after the initial entry level courses. By your junior year of college you should have already started taking courses focusing on a particular discipline. I distinctly remember my sophomore year course load to have already reflected my choice of focus. (Little did I know how that would change come grad school and then the real world, but I digress.)

That being said, what mattes the most with your CEC application is that it is an ABET accredited program. Since we have zero clue where you attend school, you should first and foremost make sure that the program you are in is accredited. A quick double check here will let you know if your program at your particular school is accredited. If it is not accredited, well, then you have bigger problems than which class to take this fall if you want to become a CEC officer.

The CEC is a very small community. Between the AD and RC, there are currently less than 2,100 commissioned officers. To put that into perspective, the average Nimitz class carrier has a ship company of approximately 3,200, not including the air wing. It is a very, VERY competitive designator which means that there is a darn good chance that despite good grades and lots of leadership that you might not get selected. That means that the class that you choose for your spring schedule will need to be one that will help you in your civilian career, should it be necessary. Register for the class that will help you be the best engineer and have the most successful (by your own definition) career. If that means going into the transportation class in hopes of leveraging your internship into a job offer after graduation and you would be fully happy doing that, take the transportation course. If it means that you want to take the advanced construction course because you really and truly want to work in construction, do that.

Since he said he is waiting on a FS letter that would indicate he has been to board and been selected, and that he submitted a course of study from now until graduation.
 

boobcheese

Registered User
While construction/construction management classes would have the most direct correlation to jobs you'll likely have in the CEC, you'll learn everything you need to know (mostly through OJT) without adjusting your curriculum. There are plenty of mechanical/electrical engineers and architects that do just fine with no construction background. Select whatever subspecialty interests you the most and which you think would provide the best opportunities outside your Navy career.
 
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