Considered members of the oldest engineering profession, civil engineers design, construct, supervise, operate, and maintain large construction projects and systems, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment. Civil engineering is the broadest of the engineering disciplines, extending across many technical specialties that interact with one another. All civil engineering students must choose one of the eight tracks in the BS in Civil Engineering curriculum: construction engineering and management, coastal and ocean, environmental, general, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources. Regardless of specialty, most civil engineers share a common value – serving their communities by improving the quality of life.
The Construction Engineering and Management Track emphasizes specialized coursework in the fundamentals of construction engineering and project management. The track blends the principles of basic science, engineering, and technology with a strong component of business coursework. The track is appropriate for students interested in a career in the construction industry.
The Coastal and Ocean Engineering Track emphasizes breadth across civil engineering with a focus on coastal and offshore engineering. The focus electives prepare students to analyze and design systems for shallow and deep water environments. The track is appropriate for a career related to coastal and offshore engineering, and for those planning on further specialization in graduate studies.
The Environmental Engineering Track emphasizes specialized coursework in water and waste water treatment, air and water quality management, solid and hazardous wastes, ground water protection and remediation, and environmental policy. The track is appropriate for those wishing to pursue careers in protecting the natural environment from human activities, protecting human populations from the effects of adverse environmental factors and improving the environmental quality for human health and well-being.
The General Civil Engineering Track emphasizes breadth across the civil engineering field. Students take courses in all major sub-disciplines of civil engineering with an advanced focus elective allowing deeper learning in one area. The track is appropriate for a career in any area of civil engineering, with particular relevance for those interested in public works, land development, and general civil, and for those planning on further specialization in graduate studies.
The Geotechnical Engineering Track emphasizes specialized coursework in applied soil mechanics and foundation engineering, as well as civil engineering sub-disciplines with strong geotechnical engineering connections such as structures, water resources, construction, transportation, environmental, coastal and ocean engineering. The track is appropriate for those wishing to pursue careers in engineering design and management of infrastructure in a wide array of sectors that can include energy, transportation, and water resources.
The Structural Engineering Track provides coursework in the areas of structural mechanics and structural analysis that equip the student to analyze and design the frameworks that support buildings, bridges, offshore installations and civil infrastructure projects. This track is appropriate for those with strong analytical and computing skills wishing to apply them in the design of engineered facilities. Structural engineers create simulation models of structural systems and use them to properly proportion the beams, columns and floor systems found in buildings and other civil projects to safely resist the forces found in their environment.
The Transportation Engineering Track emphasizes specialized coursework in transportation engineering areas of planning, design, and operations, as well as civil engineering sub-disciplines with strong transportation connections such as water resources, construction, and geotechnical. The track is appropriate for those wishing to pursue careers in engineering related to the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of various elements of the transportation system, including roads, rail, transit, and aviation.
The Water Resources Engineering Track emphasizes specialized coursework in applied hydraulics and hydrology as well as civil engineering sub-disciplines with strong water resources connections such as environmental, transportation, geotechnical, and coastal engineering. The track is appropriate for those wishing to pursue careers in engineering design and management for water quantity and quality issues.
What do you want to do with Civil Engineering?
Construction Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Structural Engineer, Transportation Engineer, Civil Engineer, and more
Remember: Your major does not equal your career! For more ideas about how to put your education to work, talk with your specific Career Advisor.
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