Civil Engineering in USA

Civil engineering majors in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering have two choices within the accredited BSE program: civil engineering and civil engineering with the sustainable engineering concentration. Regardless of choice, the Bachelor of Science in Engineering in civil engineering is accredited by ABET.*

Civil engineering involves the analysis, planning, design, construction, maintenance and application of sustainable practices in all areas of urban infrastructure for government, commerce, industry and the public domain. These include airports, bridges, canals, dams, factories, office towers, roadway systems, schools, tunnels and subway systems and water purification facilities.

Civil engineers are concerned with the impact their projects have on the public and the environment; they coordinate the needs of society with technical and economic feasibility.

Civil engineers design and construct the world’s infrastructure: buildings and bridges; tunnels, dams, and levees; harbors and canals; water-supply and waste-disposal systems; airports, highways, and railroads; pipelines and power lines.

As a Civil Engineering undergraduate student you have many opportunities to plan your curriculum and even more opportunities to build your future in civil engineering!

You can explore the nine areas of study within civil engineering along with selecting the courses to design your own plan of study. You and your advisor can discuss your career goals to tailor a program to meet your goals. 

Instructional laboratories in structural behavior, hydraulics, surveying, and civil engineering materials are offered in the sophomore and junior years. Further study includes 30 credits of technical electives allowing students to tailor their studies to their specialty area of choice. Specialty areas include architectural, construction, environmental, geomatics, geotechnical, hydraulics, materials, structures, transportation, and infrastructure systems engineering.

Senior design projects consist of real-world applications in theoretical role play. Recent projects have included designing possible layouts for the proposed US-231 bypass that will run around the perimeter of campus to connect its north and south ends. Another project explored adding box seats to our basketball arena by raising the roof to make room. Another project explored a reuse design for the Tippecanoe County Superfund Site Sanitary Landfill.  Students participate in these projects from site exploration, to budget management, to mock designs.

Civil and environmental engineers are responsible for the sustainable design of facilities that protect the health and welfare of communities and the environment, while also ensuring society’s financial health. More specifically, they are responsible for the conception, design, and construction of public works such as:

the highways, streets, and bridges that we walk, bike, and drive on

the water systems and earthworks that treat the water we drink, manage the water we swim in and boat on, and protect us and our property from floodwaters

the homes, schools, factories, theaters, and stadiums in which we live, learn, work, and play

the airports, railways, waterways, and harbors that provide additional mobility for people and the materials they produce and consume

the treatment and emission systems that ensure the safety of the air we breathe

the recycling, reuse, and disposal systems used to minimize the production of and also provide for the containment of the solid and hazardous wastes we produce

the production and transmission facilities for the electricity we use, including generation facilities for both conventional and renewable energy sources

Civil Engineering, as defined by the American Society of Civil Engineers, is a profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the progressive well-being of humanity in creating, improving and protecting the environment, in providing facilities for community living, industry and transportation, and in providing structures for the use of humanity. Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, water supply, water and wastewater treatment, and many other systems. Major specialties within civil engineering include structural, geotechnical, water resources, transportation, environmental, and construction engineering. The Mission of the Civil Engineering Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, is to provide an exceptional, practice-based engineering education with ties to industry, enabling graduates to excel in any discipline within the civil engineering profession and serve people throughout Minnesota, across the Nation, and around the globe. Program Objecitves: Within 3-6 years of graduation, Minnesota State University, Mankato civil engineering graduates are expected to contribute to the profession and to society by achieving a combination of the following. • Pursue leadership positions and advanced responsibilities in their profession and/or community. • Become a licensed professional engineer, mindful of the safety, health, and welfare of the public. • Further their education through professional development and/or post-graduate studies. Other important features of a civil engineering education at Minnesota State Mankato include: • Senior students work together as a design team in a full academic year course incorporating multiple civil engineering disciplines in a comprehensive design project.

Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline. The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering prepares graduates to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design and supervision of infrastructure components including: buildings, roads, bridges, dams, tunnels, mass transit systems, and airports. Civil engineers are also involved in environmental studies and the design and supervision of municipal water supplies and sewage systems.

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree program deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of physical structures and modifications to our natural environment that are the foundation of our modern society. Our Civil Engineering degree requires students to complete studies in four sub-disciplines: Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, and Water Resources Engineering.
Develop knowledge in four areas of Civil Engineering: Geomechanics, Hydrology, Structures and Transportation
Access to a wide range of analysis and design software
Practical experience opportunities in an actual workplace that can lead to full-time employment upon graduation
Work with an industry/government partner as an extension of an internship with your choice of 2 disciplines.

With courses ranging from calculus and structural design to construction management and soil mechanics, you will be fully equipped to step onto the job site with confidence in your skills as a project planner, specification wizard and cost estimator. You can literally build a city from the ground up!

Along the way, you'll pick up valuable communication skills that will serve you well in a professional environment—because a plan only works when everyone's on the same page.

You'll graduate with an expertise in projects involving buildings, roads, dams, bridges, airports and wastewater treatment facilities, making you an attractive candidate for jobs with government agencies, engineering consultants, architectural firms or contractors. In fact, the vast majority of our graduates have full-time, permanent positions in their field prior to graduation.

Our Master of Science and Engineering (M.S.E.) Programs develop a sound understanding of the scientific principles upon which engineering research and practice are based. Different aspects of learning are integrated through classroom, laboratory instruction, and independent study experiences. Graduates of the programs possess critical thinking skills, the ability for both independent and team problem-solving, and a sense of the excitement of engineering creativity and design. The programs also develop communication skills necessary for the graduates to function in teams and to deal with other professions in public and private arenas. Their progressive education furthers student understanding of the context in which engineering is practiced in modern society. Our Master’s programs combine fundamental training with real-world experience. Thus, the programs educate leaders for tomorrow, providing the tools and perspectives for a lifetime of learning, opportunities, and professional advancement. Build your knowledge base with coursework in systems, mechanics, structures, computational methods, and uncertainty quantification. Apply that knowledge in our externship program while you network with professional engineers and gain valuable experience with your dream employer.

The B.S. in Construction Engineering gives you a strong fundamental knowledge of engineering design and management principles. You’ll learn how to apply design theory and practices to produce solutions that support public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.

As the only B.S. Construction program offered in the New York tri-state area, your studies will include engineering mechanics and graphics, survey and geomatics, construction materials, building construction, concrete and steel structure design, construction management, cost estimating, planning and scheduling, and project management.

From the challenges of aging infrastructures to the need for green technologies, you will be part of the search for solutions while improving your opportunities for career advancement. 

As a graduate student, you will be equipped with industry-standard software and be encouraged to participate in cutting-edge, applied research in LTU's seven state-of-the-art facilities, including:

• Center for Innovative Materials Research (CIMR): A national resource for the development of innovative materials for infrastructure applications.
• Structural Testing Center (STC): A research and academic laboratory equipped with uniaxial tension machines, fire testing equipment, hydraulic actuators and loading frames and used for testing of various structural elements.

You can depend on the program’s team of professionals to help you plan your career and support your vision. You can choose from six concentrations:

• Environmental Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Construction Engineering
• Transportation Engineering  
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Water Resources Engineering   

For all concentrations except construction, the MSCE program offers three options to a degree:

• Thesis (6 credits) plus 24 credit hours of electives
• Project (3 credits) plus 27 credit hours of electives
• Coursework only, 33 credit hours of electives

Modern civilization requires infrastructure. Civil engineers take infrastructure from dreams into reality. From clean drinking water and safe roadways, to large bridges and the power grid, civil engineers impact every aspect of society. The design of such large infrastructure, as well as the engineered management of natural resources and assessment of environmental impacts, all fall under the purview of civil engineers.

At the T.J. Smull College of Engineering, you’ll gain a solid foundation in all aspects of civil engineering, including environmental systems, geotechnical design, structural analysis, transportation, and water resources. You can pursue a specific area of interest with a variety of upper-level elective courses. We’ve recently added an environmental engineering concentration for those who want to understand more about how to safely manage and conserve our environment.

Civil engineering at Florida Tech is a rigorous, accredited curriculum that prepares students to enter the workforce with a minimum of additional training and a maximum of opportunity or for admission to top graduate schools. The program has six areas of engineering specialization available:

• Construction Management
• Environmental
• Geotechnical
• Structural
• Transportation
• Water Resources

Whether you want to engage in land development or design your dream house, bridges, foundations, water distribution systems, water and wastewater treatment plants, canals, highways, or transportation systems, a civil engineering degree from Florida Tech will help you develop a strong background in engineering with hands-on experience in computer-aided design and construction management.

The Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering degree at the University of Mount Union prides itself on providing individual attention to help students become proficient in structural, hydraulic, and environmental engineering, among others. Our civil engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET and provides students with hands-on experiences and internship opportunities throughout their undergraduate career. (abet.org)

Civil engineering, along with mechanical engineering, are currently offered at the University of Mount Union as four-year ABET accredited degree programs. The University recently added three new engineering programs – biomedical, computer, and electrical engineering.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, consistently ranked as having one of the best graduate programs in the country, offers graduate work leading to master's and doctoral degrees. These are in a variety of specialized areas through departmental and joint programs which are described on this page.

Upon completing the MS degree in the field of Civil Engineering, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a solid foundation in civil and environmental engineering at the graduate level. 
2. Acquire advanced knowledge of the principles of civil and environmental engineering and apply them to advanced technical problems. 
3. Conduct an independent research program. 
4. Demonstrate professional written and oral communication skills. 

The civil engineer may focus in environmental control and in the development or redevelopment of a geographic area through overall planning, as well as in the design, construction, and operation of structures and facilities for public and private use. Included in the broad field of civil engineering are the following: buildings, bridges, and industrial installations; soil mechanics and foundations; transportation, including highways, traffic, airports, and harbors; hydraulic engineering, including irrigation; water resources, including power plants and dams; water supply; waste disposal; air pollution; hazardous and solid wastes; and environmental sanitation. Modern-day requirements have necessitated involvement in the medical and dental fields, oceanography, polar exploration, energy resources, and the space effort.