Geotechnical Engineering is a relatively newer in course India. Though there is still very little awareness about the course in India, with time, the course is slowly gripping the students and more students have started enquiring about the course. Basically, Geotechnical Engineering Courses in India is dedicated to the study of earth, in this stream, students learn about the earth’s resources and how effectively they can be used for better well-being. Geotechnical Engineering is often a part of civil engineering where the students can learn whether the specific part of the land can be used for the specific type of construction or not.
If you are also looking to enroll yourself in the Geotechnical engineering courses online or offline, then this article will help you know about the courses available in India and know whether this is the right choice for you or not.
Geotechnical Engineering: Eligibility and other prerequisites
The first thing that you should be looking for while looking for an ideal course is the prerequisites and eligibility for the course. So, the eligibility for the Geotechnical engineering courses differs according to the stage in which you are taking admission. For the Undergraduate and postgraduate courses for Geotechnical Engineering, the eligibility is different and as a student, it is essential that you know them well and then decide which course you should opt for.
For the undergraduate course for Geotechnical Engineering, the basic eligibility criterion is 12th. The student must have completed his schooling with science and other core subjects. The Minimum aggregate mark for the 12th is mostly 60%. However, it may vary on the basis of the colleges and universities you are considering for yourself.
On the other hand, the minimum qualification for the postgraduate is a graduate degree. The student should have graduated preferably in Geo informatics or others.
Along with this, different states have different prerequisites for engineering courses. There are numerous entrance exams for engineering graduates as well as postgraduate courses. So, be sure that which exam you should clear to be eligible for the course. Some of the engineering entrance exams are JEE, AIEEE, and state engineering entrance tests. For the postgraduate courses, you should appear in GATE and other state entrance exams.
Geotechnical Engineering: Course Details
As said, the Geotechnical engineering course can be treated as a specialized field of civil engineering stream. However, it is denser and more specific than the normal course and if you are really looking forward to work on a project as an engineer, the Geotechnical Engineering course is going to be the best choice for you to go with.
Some core subjects that you are going to learn during the graduate and postgraduate program are Advanced Soil Mechanics, Advanced Engineering Mathematics, Geotechnical Laboratory, Dynamics of Soil and Foundation, and others.
Additionally, you can opt for the Doctorate in the subject to gain more knowledge and make research in the field.
Talking about the course complexity, geotechnical engineering is a bit complex course than the other fields of engineering. If you have some knowledge of Civil and Mechanical engineering and love technology, the course may look a bit simpler than usual but still, the course needs the student to learn lots of theories and theorems that can help them learn the subjects and gain the knowledge of the field.
Apart from the knowledge of the minerals, soil, and others, the Geotechnical engineering course also needs knowledge of the computer and other technical things. You will also learn about Computer Application in Engineering as a subject in the undergraduate program.
Geotechnical Engineering: Fee Structure
Geotechnical Engineering is a relatively newer branch and there aren’t many colleges in India that offer specific courses for the stream. This makes Geotechnical engineering an expensive course to opt for. The UG course for Geotechnical Engineering costs roughly around 10-12lakhs. This makes it one of the most expensive UG courses in India. However, once you have completed the graduation, the PG course fee will cost you around 1-1.15 lakhs.
The fee we have listed here is just a rough estimate. You can find changes in the actual fee and if you are eligible for the scholarships, you can complete the course ata much lower price than the aforementioned fee. However some claims for free geotechnical engineering courses so beware from them. So, be sure to refer to the college and university that you have shortlisted for yourself to get the best and more accurate fee structure for the Geotechnical Engineering course.
What you should know as a Geotechnical Engineer?
Geotechnical Engineering is a great field for students. However, the company recruiting the freshers needs some qualities in the candidates that can help them determine the better candidate than others who can work for the company and provide them better business and profit. Some of the essential things that you should able to do as a Geotechnical Engineer are taking laboratory tests and judge the soil and field area. You will be reviewing the field data and take the crucial decision on the basis of these results. This also includes taking the technical reports of the field like the cross-section calculation and others. Another responsibility as a Geotechnical engineer is to planning and management of Geotechnical investigations. This will help the project managers to build a better projects on the basis of the soil and land type in the area.
Additionally, you may also be asked to examine the water samples to know about the water quality in the area and whether it can be used for different purposes or not.
In other words, the Geotechnical engineer has lots of responsibilities to take on, and what you will be given will be determined by your position in the company and the types of projects your company deals in. So, if you are looking to work in a vast field with lots of excitement and challenges, you should consider Geotechnical Engineering as a career.
Geotechnical Engineering: Job opportunities
Though Geotechnical Engineering is an expensive course to opt for, it rewards the students equally. As the field is new, the competition is almost nil. Also, there are numerous government projects and companies that can hire you for the qualifications. Apart from being hired as a specialized project manager, you can also be recruited as a Technical Officer, and Business Analyst. All the job profiles will help you earn better and you can be assured of having a secured and financially stable life. Just make sure that you have good communication skills and in-depth knowledge of your subject. This will help you get a better job in the top-most MNC and Government projects too.
Another thing that makes the difference in finding a better job is choosing a college that has a better reputation than others. With a widely chosen college, you can easily get the best knowledge of your subjects along with exposure to the subjects and field.
Geotechnical Engineering: What are the options after graduation?
There are colleges and universities that provide graduation courses in Geotechnical engineering. However, if the course is not available in your city, we will suggest you to go for the integrated course and if you prefer, you can do the post graduation course in Geotechnical engineering after completing the graduation in Civil Engineering.
If you have done your graduation, you can opt for the post graduation course in Geotechnical engineering after clearing the entrance test for postgraduate engineering. There are numerous reputed colleges and universities that have post graduation courses in the field and also offer a doctoral degree in Geotechnical Engineering. For this, it is essential that you choose the college and university very carefully. This will help you get better career opportunities after the course along with a better understanding of the concepts of Geotechnical Engineering.
You can consider private colleges in your city to enroll for the Geotechnical course and if you have scored exceptionally well in the engineering entrance exams, you can go with the specific government engineering colleges and IITs to choose the course. BY doing this, you will be assured of getting a direct placement and good education along with knowledge about the field. So, make sure that you have chosen the college carefully and get a secured future.
Is Geotechnical Engineering worth considering?
Some students may think whether this expensive course is worthy enough to be enrolled in or not. So, guys, believe us, Geotechnical Engineering is soon going to be one of the most demanded courses by the companies and the government. If you choose the course now, you can get brilliant job opportunities in your favorite construction company and private firms that deal with these companies on a contract basis. Though it is completely your choice, if you are after the recommendation, we will suggest you to choose a good college and university that has the reputation of having good facilities and course material and enroll for the course. Believe us guys, the course completely worth the money, and you are not going to regret your decision. Try your hands on Geotechnical Engineering and you will not have to worry about your career and future.
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.