Civil Engineering Undergraduate Program

Civil engineers plan, design, build, and operate the infrastructure of modern society. Civil engineering involves almost anything needed as the basis of modern life, including the environment. UA offers five specializations each with a foundation of the basic understanding of engineering principles.

What can I do with civil engineering?

Civil engineers have careers with government departments, utilities, architectural firms, builders, engineering firms, and consulting, or go on to post-baccalaureate study in engineering or law. Civil engineering is far from your average desk job. Engineers are often on the move, working outdoors at construction sites, sometimes in offices, and sometimes in research labs.

Recent UA grads with a B.S. in Civil Engineering make an average starting salary of $53,120. We have placed graduates at companies including AECOM, ExxonMobil, and Environmental Design Group.

Civil engineering areas of study

• Structural engineering
  Analyze the forces that a structure must resist (its own weight, wind, earthquake, and loads placed upon the structure, etc.). You will learn planning and design of all types of buildings, bridges, power plants, equipment supports, offshore structures, transmission towers, and even space stations.
  
  
• Geotechnical engineering 
  Design and build earth and rock dams, tunnels, retaining walls, deep excavations, and embankments. Also study the effects of earthquakes and other earth forces on man-made structures. This type of engineering has assumed an increasing importance in the cleanup of hazardous wastes.
  
  
• Environmental engineering
  Concerned with protecting humans and the environment, you will design and supervise systems to provide safe drinking water and to collect and treat waste water. Work to prevent and control water and air pollution, manage solid wastes, and mitigate the effects of existing pollution.

• Transportation engineering
  Focus on planning, designing, and maintaining transportation facilities, including highways, streets, mass transit systems of all types, railroads, airports, and ports. Work closely with urban planners in the planning and management aspects of transportation engineering.

Curriculum guides & courses

• CE curriculum guide with co-op
• CE curriculum guide without co-op
• CE courses

Accreditation

The civil engineering undergraduate program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org, and has specific program educational objectives and student outcomes that prepare graduates to enter the professional practice of engineering.