School of Engineering and Computer Science
Careers in Civil Engineering
Civil engineers work with private consulting firms, construction companies, large corporations, governmental agencies, research establishments, and universities. They often work as part of a team with other engineers, architects, geologists, city planners, and sociologists. Many civil engineers are self-employed and many can be found in top managerial positions. Depending on responsibilities, a civil engineer may spend most of his or her time in the office or in the field.
As a civil engineer, you will find yourself working in many diverse areas:
- Construction Engineering – plans, coordinates, and supervises the building of facilities. A career in construction engineering requires course in structures, foundations, buildings, bridges, and transportation facilities.
- Environmental Engineering – designs and supervises the construction of systems for waste disposal, for air and water pollution control, and preserves the fragile resources of our planet.
- Structural Engineering – designs and supervises the construction of structures of various forms, such as bridges, buildings, industrial plants, stadiums and dams.
- Water Resources Engineering – designs and supervises the construction of systems for water supply, hydropower, irrigation, drainage, flood control and navigation
- Geotechnical Engineering – designs and supervises the construction of building foundations, tunnels, dams, and retaining walls.
- Transportation Engineering – designs and supervises the construction of systems such as highways, railroads, airfields, canals, harbors and pipelines.
