Civil Engineering is the broadest of all engineering professions, and encompasses the application of science and technology to the planning, design, analysis, construction, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure and natural environment. The U.Va. Civil Engineering program, which was founded in 1836, is now designed to allow students to tailor their undergraduate degrees to their interests and goals, with curricular tracks in infrastructure systems, environmental and water resources, construction engineering and management, and structural engineering. All tracks lead to a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. The program also supports a minor in civil engineering, and graduate degrees at the Master of Engineering, Master of Science and Ph.D. levels.
Civil engineers are the fabricators of modern society and the protectors of our environment. As part of the unique Department of Engineering Systems and Environment, our civil engineering program emphasizes the complex interrelationships between infrastructure, social systems, and the environment. We develop civil engineers who will seek to sustainably and equitably design, management and construct infrastructure systems, and who are prepared to innovate with new materials and create and use digital and virtual technologies. Civil infrastructure is diverse, including many subsystems such as stormwater and drinking water systems, waste management systems, neighborhoods, highways, railways, high-rise buildings and bridges. We develop the insight to anticipate how changes in one subsystem may affect the others and ultimately the environment, energy systems, communities, and the quality of life.
Graduates with a BS degree in civil engineering may opt for employment with engineering and consulting ï¬rms; local, state, or federal governments; contractors or construction ï¬rms; public utilities; or industrial corporations. Many will attend graduate school to create more advanced employment opportunities in government, consulting, construction, or industry, and to introduce new choices, including research and teaching. Our students participate in research on a global scale through the engineering thesis and capstone experience, as well as a variety of exciting experiential programs, such as the minor in engineering business, the Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, study abroad programs, and interdisciplinary study within the School of Engineering and Applied Science and throughout the University.