Professionalism and Marketing of Civil Engineering Profession

Abstract

Basic microeconomic principles are used to evaluate the widely anticipated shortage of civil engineers. Long‐term trends, demographic projections, and data on numbers of graduates and their starting salaries are considered. Civil engineering salary trends are compared to trends for other professions. The study found little evidence to support the widely accepted forecast of a civil engineering shortage. Instead, it found that we are in a period of oversupply. It also found many forecasts of civil engineering shortages during the last 35 years, but no evidence that any of these shortages actually happened. Skepticism of shortage forecasts is urged. Evidence of quality problems in civil engineering students, graduates, and practice are cited. These problems are related to the long‐term oversupply of civil engineers and the resulting weak economic and professional position of civil engineering. Since additional students will worsen these problems and further lower the quality and stature of civil engineering, recruiting should be stopped and direct action taken to raise the quality of civil engineering students, graduates, and practice.