Department of Civil Engineering

Civil engineering is the planning, design and construction of projects that define a civilization. Civil engineers have built landmarks that now stand as tributes to the profession's creative spirit and ingenuity. From buildings and roads to water and bridges, civil engineering is everywhere.


The role of civil engineers, in the broadest sense, is to apply technology to develop sustainable solutions to meet society's needs. Civil engineers plan, design, construct, and operate facilities used daily by the public and industry, such as buildings, transportation networks, and water and wastewater systems. They work at the intersection of the built, natural, and information environments. Today's civil and environmental engineers are also called upon by government and industry to provide leadership on complex technical and societal issues such as demands for infrastructure improvement, remediation of hazardous waste sites, energy production, transmission and use, climate change adaptation, provision of safe drinking water, and incorporation of environmental safeguards in new infrastructure designs.