School spotlight:
Iowa State University

by Michele Regenold

Iowa State University offers four different majors related to transportation:

1. Civil engineering
2. Construction engineering (with an emphasis in heavy/highway)
3. Community and regional planning
4. Logistics and supply chain management

Civil and construction engineering

At Iowa State, the first couple years of engineering study are similar for students in civil engineering and construction engineering. They take several of the same engineering classes.

For either major, it's a good idea to take as many high school math and science courses as you can to help prepare yourself for the rigors of studying engineering.

So what's the difference between civil and construction engineering?

Basically, civil engineers design and construction engineers build.

Professor of Civil Engineering Reg Souleyrette says, “The way you design a highway curve to meet physical limitations of driver and vehicle is civil engineering. The way you schedule contractors and use technology to control equipment and construct the curve is construction engineering.”

Professor-in-Charge of Construction Engineering Chuck Jahren says, “Construction engineers have to visualize how things will be built—build it in their minds.”

Construction engineering deals with how to get things done. Students in this major are interested in watching things get built. They get in the field and work with the people actually doing the construction. Students who major in construction engineering frequently work for private construction companies. In the United States, most highway construction is done by private companies.

Civil engineering, on the other hand, deals more with the way things like roads and bridges are designed. Students who major in civil engineering may work for private engineering consulting firms or for a government agency such as a state department of transportation or for a city or count government.

For more info

See http://www.ccee.iastate.edu/academics/majors.html

Community and regional planning

If you know the computer game Sim City, then you've got an idea what community and regional planning is all about. If not, the goal of planning is to build communities that are nice places to live.

The community and regional planning major is more artistic and more multi-disciplinary than civil and construction engineering, says Adjunct Associate Professor David Plazak. It focuses more on the social sciences and geography rather than the hard sciences and math.

“It's a good field for generalists,” Plazak says, “because you get into law, computer science, geography, and little bit of engineering.”

Students majoring in community and regional planning can specialize in transportation and land use. They may find jobs with cities, metropolitan and regional planning agencies, and private engineering and planning consulting firms.

For more info

See http://www.design.iastate.edu/CRP/

Logistics and supply chain management

In this major, you learn how to manage the flow of products and materials. This includes managing the transport of raw materials like iron ore, or semi-finished products like car parts, or finished products like computers.

If you like to do puzzles, this major may appeal you. You need to be able to think about how all the different pieces fit together. Being comfortable with numbers helps too.

“The fun part,” says Associate Dean Mike Crum, “is working with lots of different people inside your own company and also with people outside like vendors and customers.”

You need to be a people person and be able to juggle lots of tasks.

Students majoring in logistics and supply chain management usually work for private companies, like big distributors of goods such as Target. Some students also find jobs with non-profits such as America's Second Harvest.

For more info

See http://www.bus.iastate.edu/LSCM/.