Structural Engineering vs Civil Engineering: Understand the Differences

Structural Engineering vs Civil Engineering: Understand the Differences

Edited By Ankita Sinha | Updated on Jan 28, 2025 10:37 AM IST | #B.E /B.Tech

Structural Engineering is one of the core branches of Civil Engineering that focuses on designing building structures. This course provides knowledge of structural analysis and supervision of the construction site. Civil Engineering is one of the popular branches of engineering, which covers various aspects of planning, building, and implementing large infrastructure projects.

Structural Engineering and Civil Engineering are two closely related fields of engineering or to be specific, it is a branch of Civil Engineering that focuses on building and infrastructure development. Although, these two branches have unique differences in terms of their scope, courses, eligibility, fees, career options, and salaries.

Structural Engineering vs Civil Engineering: Course Curriculum

Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering courses are offered in both BTech and MTech degree programmes that cover a broad range of topics such as designing, constructing, and maintaining infrastructure. Some of the major topics that are included in the Civil Engineering course curriculum are:

  • Mechanics of Soils
  • Structural Analysis
  • Transportation Engineering
  • Irrigation & Environmental Engineering Drawing
  • Engineering Geology
  • Construction Management
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Structural Engineering

Structural Engineering is a specialised branch of Civil Engineering. It focuses on analysing and designing structures to ensure they can withstand various forces and loads. Structural Engineering emphasises the safety and durability of structures like buildings, towers, and bridges. Some of the subjects covered in the structural engineering course are:

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  • Advanced Mechanics of Solids
  • Structural Dynamics
  • Energy and Environment
  • Offshore Structural Engineering
  • Analysis And Design of Tall Structures
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Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering: Eligibility Criteria

Civil Engineering course is offered in both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, and Structural Engineering course is offered in postgraduate programmes. Structural programmes are offered by top IITs and NITs. The eligibility criteria for both the courses are at UG and PG level is similar.

Undergraduate Programme:

  • Candidates must complete their 10+2 in the Science stream, with major subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
  • They need to score at least 50 per cent on their board exam.
  • Candidates need to appear for the entrance exams, such as JEE Main, JEE Advanced.
  • They need to appear for JoSAA counselling process after clearing the JEE Main entrance exam.

Postgraduate:

Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering: Colleges and Fees

Civil Engineering courses are offered by a lot of private and government colleges in India. In the table below, we have mentioned a few BTech and MTech Civil Engineering colleges and their fees.

Civil Engineering CollegesCivil Engineering Fees

IIT Madras

Rs. 5.58 Lakhs

SLIET, Longowal

Rs. 64,500

IIT Indore

Rs. 9.91 Lakhs

BIT Mesra

Rs. 15.74 Lakhs

Mahindra University, Hyderabad

Rs. 20 Lakhs


Structural Engineering course is mainly offered at the postgraduate degree level. In the table below, we have mentioned the Structural Engineering colleges and their fees.

Structural Engineering CollegesStructural Engineering Fees

IIT Kharagpur

Rs. 45,850

IIT BHU

Rs. 55,380

NIT Trichy

Rs. 2.18 Lakhs

IIIT Hyderabad

Rs. 8 Lakhs

NSS College of Engineering, Palakkad

Rs. 19,980

Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering: Career Options and Salary

Civil Engineers can join a diverse field, having opportunities in both public and private sectors. The civil engineering salary is Rs. 7.4 LPA. Some of the major job roles after pursuing civil engineering are:

The structural engineering course provides knowledge of structural safety and design. The structural engineering salary is Rs. 11 LPA. Graduates can work as structural engineers and design engineers:

Conclusion

Structural engineering is a specialised profession that focuses on creating long-lasting sturdy structures, while civil engineering is a more general field with a variety of applications in infrastructure development. Candidates should choose one course based on their interests and professional objectives, as both disciplines provide great career options.

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Questions related to B.E /B.Tech

Have a question related to B.E /B.Tech ?

Hello,

I can keep you posted about the date of the upcoming BE/BTech exams, and as and when necessary, update you on other information; however, if you seek continuous, up-to-the-minute information relevant to your engineering exams, then it would be a good option to subscribe to services provided by Careers360. It provides broad coverage in respect of entrance exams regarding college admissions; this is well-come for notification, registration date, the final application form submission dates along with a schedule and important dates pertaining to several tests including those for Engineering including JEE Main and Advance, BITSAT, VITEEE, and those of their state versions that include MHT CET as well as AP EAMCET.

  • Latest all upcoming BE/B Tech Entrance exams and related data from the portal of www.Careers360.com to its alert and its eNewsletter.
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  • That follows reliable education websites and portals which also include in-depth timelines and updates.

I can assist you with specific exam overviews, syllabus, and preparation strategies whenever you need it.

Hello there,


IIT Delhi offers a variety of B.Tech and dual degree programs across multiple engineering disciplines. As of the latest information, here are the undergraduate programs available at IIT Delhi:


1. B.Tech Programs:

- Computer Science and Engineering

- Electrical Engineering

- Mechanical Engineering

- Civil Engineering

- Chemical Engineering

- Engineering Physics

- Production and Industrial Engineering

- Textile Technology

- Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology

- Mathematics and Computing (B.Tech and M.Tech Dual Degree)

- Engineering and Computational Mechanics


2. Dual Degree Programs (B.Tech + M.Tech):

- Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology

- Chemical Engineering

- Electrical Engineering (Power and Automation)


These offerings can change, so it's always good to check the latest information on the official IIT Delhi website or the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) portal.

Hello there,


IIT Kanpur offers a variety of B.Tech and dual degree programs across different departments. As of the latest information available, the following B.Tech and dual degree (B.Tech-M.Tech) programs are offered at IIT Kanpur:


1. Aerospace Engineering (AE)

2. Biological Sciences and Bioengineering (BSBE)

3. Chemical Engineering (CHE)

4. Civil Engineering (CE)

5. Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)

6. Electrical Engineering (EE)

7. Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

8. Mechanical Engineering (ME)


Additionally, IIT Kanpur offers dual degree programs (B.Tech-M.Tech) in some of these disciplines, allowing students to earn both bachelor's and master's degrees.


For the most accurate and up-to-date information, you can check IIT Kanpur's official website or the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) counseling brochure.

Hi there,

hope you are doing fine

Yes, you can apply for any M.tech colleges in computer science field through GATE exams, some of the requirement you need to see that you must have Under graduate degree, Pursuing BE doesn't affect your eligibility, You may check some of the specific eligibility criteria of the colleges like IIT's in which you are interested, as some of them may have additional requirements.



With an SC category rank of 41,715 and a CRL rank of 570,173 in JEE Main, getting into NITs or top-tier IITs for B.E./B.Tech may be challenging. However, you might find options in state engineering colleges in Maharashtra, as they often have seats reserved for SC candidates with lower cutoff requirements compared to NITs. Look into state-level entrance options like MHT CET or other reserved category seats in Maharashtra’s government and private engineering colleges for better chances.



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