Everyone in our country is aware of the earning potential of an engineer. Heck, we even have our own genre of Engineering college theme in popular media! There are so many engineering colleges in our country only to cater to the huge demand for higher education in technical fields like Engineering. That said, undergraduate engineering programs have highly competitive entrance programs, are very expensive, and are not a piece of cake to clear either.
Are any of these the reasons that you’ve never seriously considered a future career in engineering? If you’ve always dreamt of having an engineering career earning loads of money, while not having those barriers to entry that Engineering degrees have been known for, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we talk about Diploma in Civil Engineering and its scope in landing you your dream job.
What is a Diploma in Civil Engineering?
A diploma course in civil engineering is a 3-year course that students can opt for after their 10th board level exams, though some polytechnic colleges in Kerala, and elsewhere in the country, do offer these courses at the 12+ level too. In this course, you get to begin studying engineering after completing your 10th board examinations. After 3 years, while the rest of your peers are probably in their first year of college, you have a diploma in your hand that can get you jobs right away. Or get lateral entry to 2nd or 3rd year of a bachelor’s degree course in civil engineering, again ahead of your peers.
On top of giving you an early start in your career, these courses take way less time and money, and are less difficult too, as they build slowly over core concepts. What this does is build your core understanding of engineering concepts, while learning through a combination of experiential, practical, and theoretical learning. Here is a table to give you a quick highlight of the core features of this course.
| Course Type | Diploma |
| Course Name | Diploma in Civil Engineering |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Mode of Examination | Semester |
| Eligibility Criteria | 10th pass with a minimum of 50% marks (read on for other details) |
| Course Fee | INR 10,000 – 5L |
| Average Salary | INR 3-20 LPA |
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for this course in diploma in civil engineering colleges in Kerala, and other states, include the following:
- The candidate must have passed their 10th standard examination from a recognized board with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate
- PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Maths) as mandatory subjects
- Some colleges may require you to sit for entrance exams like Delhi CET, AP JEE, Punjab PET, Odisha DET, etc.
- 5% relaxation for students belonging to reserved categories or as per state government norms
Syllabus
We think that getting into a diploma program at some of the best civil engineering colleges in Kerala can be better than getting admission to a BTech after your 10+2 exams. Especially if you are worried about the famed difficulty of Btech courses in general. Take a look at the typical syllabus of a Diploma course in Civil Engineering if you still don’t believe us.
| First Year (Semesters I & II) | Second Year (Semesters III & IV) | Third Year (Semesters V & VI) |
| Applied Chemistry | Concrete Technology | Earthquake Engineering |
| Applied Mathematics | Strength of Materials | Irrigation Engineering |
| Applied Mechanics | Thermal Engineering | Civil Engineering Drawing |
| Building Materials | Hydraulics | Estimating, Costing, and Valuation |
| Applied Physics | Building, Construction, and Maintenance Engineering | Environmental Pollution and Control |
In addition to the subjects above, there are of course computer courses, professional speaking courses, projects, seminars, workshops, and internships built into the syllabus of these courses in civil engineering.
Scope and Career Opportunities
The scope of a diploma from some of the best engineering colleges in Kerala, like TOMS, is immense. Diploma holders can either choose one of two options:
- Join the industry. Usually, this is as entry-level civil engineers who are involved in the planning, drawing, construction, and maintenance of projects. These junior-level jobs can be on a contractual or full-time basis. A good way to gain experience and rise through the ranks early, we’d say. Here’s a table to give you an idea of how much salary to expect from a career this way.
| Range of Salary | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
| Highest | 20 LPA |
| Lowest | 3 LPA |
| Average | 10 LPA |
- Take lateral entry into a Btech in Civil engineering program. It’ll cost much less than a full degree because you’ll be studying there for fewer years. Plus, the Btech won’t feel so hard because the diploma would’ve already strengthened your core concepts, making everything easier to understand. You can pursue this option after working for a few years to gain experience and save money too.
Common Jobs and their Salaries
Let us now finally take a look at some of the common job roles that diploma in civil engineering holders usually land and their estimated salaries.
| Job Role | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
| Project Coordinator | 6.85 Lakhs |
| Senior Civil Engineer | 8 Lakhs |
| Structural Engineer | 7 Lakhs |
| System Administrator | 3.5 Lakhs |
| Assistant Professor | 4.29 Lakhs |
| Project Associate | 7.50 Lakhs |
| Design Engineer | 8.36 Lakhs |
| Geotechnical Engineer | 18.8 Lakhs |
Conclusion
There is no wrong way to say it – a diploma in civil engineering is one of the best courses one can opt to have an early start into a successful engineering career. With the option to join the workforce early and gain more experience, or leave behind peers in future qualifications, this is one hell of a cheat. If you haven’t considered an engineering career before or always wanted to but couldn’t have, now is the perfect time for you to consider success again.
FAQs
- What are the highest-paying jobs I can get with a diploma in civil engineering?
Some of the highest-paying jobs that you can get with a diploma in civil engineering include those of an Environmental Engineer or Geotechnical Engineer. People in these roles typically enjoy much higher salaries than the average 10 LPA of most civil engineers.
- Can I get jobs abroad with a civil engineering diploma?
Yes. You can get jobs consulting or working full-time abroad as a civil engineer with just a diploma. The average salary for civil engineers with diplomas abroad is around USD 40,612.
- Which are some of the top companies that recruit engineers with diplomas in civil engineering?
Some of the top recruiters of diplomas in civil engineering holders include Shapoorji and Pallonji, L&T, Tata Projects, Unicon Development Construction, Amazon, ISRO, NTPC, etc.
- What are the top countries to work as a civil engineer?
Some of the top countries to work as a civil engineer include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, the United States, etc.
