Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Pennsylvania State University
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    Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America
    United States of America, University Park
    University Rank:#82
    Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    The Civil Engineering at Pennsylvania State University is a Full Time Bachelor program offered across its Any Penn State Campus, University Park, and Harrisburg campuses in United States of America. The program is delivered on campus in English and can be completed in 4 years. Students develop academic knowledge and practical skills that prepare them for future careers in this field. The next available intake starts on June 1, 2027.

    About Bachelor of Civil Engineering

    Civil engineering is one of the oldest and most socially-relevant engineering disciplines. Grounded in mathematics and science, civil engineers make a lasting impact as they plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain the everyday, yet critical, infrastructure systems needed in our daily lives. In this challenging and diverse field, civil engineers also find solutions for critical environmental issues, including slowing the progress and mitigating the effects of climate change, eliminating the causes and treating the effects of environmental pollutants, and providing access to clean water. In recent years, the rapid application of new technologies has fostered the development of autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, smart structures, advanced materials, and new forms of renewable energy.

    You Might Like This Program If...

    • You want to design and build large-scale projects that last a long time.
    • You care about the quality of the water that comes out of the faucet.
    • You are interested in the operations and safety of future transportation systems.
    • You try to find sustainable solutions for every challenge, big or small.
    • You would like to use your technical skills in an exciting, people-serving profession.

    The program in Civil and Environmental Engineering is designed to provide the basic undergraduate education required for private practice and public service in civil engineering and/or continue formal education. Emphasis is placed on the fundamentals of civil engineering principles and design techniques. Students utilize basic engineering science concepts in several of the different specialty areas (e.g., construction/management, environmental, materials/pavement design/geotechnical, structures, transportation, and water resources). Finally the students are able to choose an area of specialization for professional practice or graduate studies.

    The program is broadened by courses in communication, arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, as well as other engineering disciplines. Students gain experience in working as members of a team and using interdisciplinary approaches to solve problems. These experiences, as well as those related to engineering principles and design, are provided through exercises in the classroom, laboratory, and field. The program culmination is a capstone design course wherein the students' knowledge and skills are applied to actual engineering problems.

    The objective of the Civil Engineering program is to prepare students for a wide range of career paths that use civil engineering principles and methodologies. A curriculum is provided that prepares our recent graduates to:

    • begin and sustain a career in consulting, industry, or state and federal government agencies, such as the departments of transportation and departments of environmental protection;
    • lead and work in interdisciplinary teams needed to design sustainable and resilient infrastructure through knowledge and application of environmental, geotechnical, materials, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering;
    • engage in life-long learning opportunities, including graduate school; and
    • obtain and maintain professional licensure

    Program Outcomes (Student Outcomes)

    The undergraduate program will provide students with:

    1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;
    2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data;
    3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability;
    4. an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams;
    5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems;
    6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility;
    7. an ability to communicate effectively;
    8. an understanding of the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context;
    9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning;
    10. knowledge of contemporary issues in civil engineering;
    11. an ability to use modern engineering techniques, skills, and tools necessary for engineering practice.

    Disciplines

    Penn State Harrisburg The Capital College

    Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Entry Requirements

    Penn State requires the submission of specific academic credentials to complete your application. Review the secondary and post-secondary requirements for your country below.

    If you are a first year student applying to Penn State:

    Click Apply to start your Penn State application. Before starting, you can also review the Applying Online Worksheet for more details and helpful hints about the application.

    Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the Save and Continue button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

    After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). As you begin the SRAR process, a new window will open allowing you to complete your SRAR. SRAR will focus on your high school coursework. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. Therefore, have a copy of your secondary school records available as you complete your SRAR. You will need to enter every class and every grade earned for the last three years, as well as those classes in progress.

    After completing your SRAR, you will be directed back to the Penn State application in order to complete the Program of Study portion of the application. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for first-year students.

    After completing this section of the application, you will provide some additional information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

    If you are a transfer student applying to Penn State:

    All international transfer students will be required to submit official high school transcripts in order to complete the application. International transfer students will not complete the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) for either their high school or college coursework.

    If you have accepted your offer of admission to Penn State:

    If you completed SRAR and are accepted to Penn State, please provide the following for grade verification:

    • Official transcript from years 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the transcript is issued in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.
    • Official copy of the Tawjihi, accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.

    English Requirements

    • IELTSMin 6.5
    • TOEFLMin 80

    Career Opportunities after Completing Bachelor of Civil Engineering

    Civil engineers are responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the critical systems that support society and protect the environment. Graduates of the civil engineering program are prepared to be innovative leaders in a diverse range of industries. Students are routinely recruited for positions in the public sector with government agencies or in the private sector at consulting firms or construction companies. Students may also choose to continue their formal education by pursuing advanced degrees, and many remain in academia upon graduation.

    Our graduates work in a variety of fields to develop solutions for challenges in design, construction, research, and education. Civil engineering graduates work in the public sector for government agencies or in the private sector at consulting or construction firms. Some civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions, while others pursue careers in design, construction, or education.

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAM
    CAREER RESOURCES FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

    Opportunities for Graduate Studies

    In our graduate programs, students learn in the classroom and the laboratory, finding a broad network of mentors and collaborators. After graduation, many career options await.

    • The one-year Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) program gives you a strong foundation and leads to advanced professional practice.
    • The Master of Science (M.S.) program blends advanced coursework and research, producing highly sought-after graduates.
    • The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program provides a comprehensive educational and research opportunity, challenging students to be leaders of their fields.

    What could you achieve with an advanced degree from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Penn State?

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES
    GRADUATE DEGREES AND REQUIREMENTS

    Professional Resources

    • American Concrete Institute
    • American Society of Civil Engineers
    • PSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Professional Organization Student Chapter List

    Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Application Fee 75

    How to Apply for Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Pennsylvania State University

    Step 1: Choose Your Application Method

    Apply through MyPennState

    The first step of the application process is to create a Penn State account, if you do not have one already. MyPennState is where future students can access the online application.

    If you are new to MyPennState, you will need to establish a Penn State User ID and password, which you will access during the MyPennState profile creation process. Once you have your log in information, you can sign in to begin work on your application.

    When creating the profile, please use the name that is on your passport. Because materials are filed alphabetically under the family name on the application, it is important that all correspondence and records consistently use the same name (family and given) and spelling. If this name does not match your academic records, please notify us of the difference. Please note: In the U.S., the family name is usually referred to as the last name, and the given name is referred to as the first name.

    Additionally, Penn State requires a current, valid email address, as that is our primary means of communication with international students. To ensure deliverability, please make Penn State (psu.edu) an eligible sender to the account.

    Applying through the Common App

    Applying to Penn State via the Common App is available to first-year (freshman) international students. If applying through the Common App, Penn State will create a MyPennState profile when the application is submitted and you will receive instructions on how to access your profile. If you intend to apply with the Common App, you do not need create a MyPennState profile prior to submitting your application.

    Step 2: Access the Application and Review Important Dates

    While you can create a MyPennState profile at any time, the application for admission becomes available on the following dates:

    Fall/Summer Admission: August 1

    Spring Admission: June 1

    The application submission dates vary by applicant type and intended program of study. Some programs have specific deadlines or admissions requirements. Please refer to our Dates & Deadlines for more information about application deadlines, as well as our Admissions Requirements to review information about any additional materials required for your intended program of study.

    Step 3: Start Your Penn State Application

    If applying through MyPennState:

    Click Apply Online to start your Penn State application. 

    Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the "Save and Continue" button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

    After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR), unless otherwise directed. You will be directed to enter information about your secondary school coursework. Please have a copy of your secondary school records as you complete SRAR. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. You will need to enter every grade for every course you have taken in the last three years, as well as your current schedule of classes.

    Students educated in South Korea will not complete SRAR. The document requirements for South Korea can be found by reviewing our International Credential Requirements.

    After this section, you will be directed back to the Penn State application to complete the Program of Study portion. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for either first-year students or transfer students.

    After this portion, you will provide some additional application information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

    If applying through the Common App:

    Complete the Common App, which will then direct you to MyPennState to complete SRAR. Applicants using the Common App may feel that they provided their high school record via the Common App, but Penn State requires the completion of SRAR via MyPennState. We strongly encourage you to obtain an official copy of your high school transcript to ensure accurate entry of your coursework completed and grades earned. The SRAR will include all of your high school coursework from your last three years of work and your current year schedule. If your final year grades are available when you enter SRAR, you can enter them at that time.

    Step 4: Submit Your Application

    The application requires a nonrefundable application fee of $75 for international students. Be sure to complete the last step after Summary and Review, which finalizes payment of your fee, and be certain it is successfully submitted. Once the application is submitted, you can verify its completion by accessing your MyPennState profile.

    Step 5: Submit Required Application Materials

    In order to complete your Penn State application, we need the following materials:

    • Application
    • Secondary school record
    • Post-secondary school records (if applicable)
    • First-year applicants only: Official test scores: SAT (code #2660) or ACT (code #3656)

      Writing Component and Subject Tests

      Please note: The writing component of standardized tests (SAT or ACT) is not required. The writing component will not be used as part of our evaluation. If your test scores include the writing component, by all means, have those scores sent to Penn State. Additionally, we do not require SAT Subject Tests.

    • English language proficiency, if your native language is not English

    Please see the admissions requirements for international students to review the details about the required application materials. Some programs require additional items to complete your application. Please review our Admissions Requirements for those details.

    Penn State does not require letters of recommendation, nor are they used in a student’s evaluation (unless required for a specific program).

    Step 6: Check Your Application Status in MyPennState

    You can always check the status of your application in MyPennState. We will communicate with you via MyPennState and through a series of emails regarding the missing items for your application. When everything has arrived, you will see a status in MyPennState confirming the completion of your application.

    Please note: It is your responsibility to check on the status of your application and send us any missing materials.

    Step 7: Receive Your Admission Decision

    Once we have reached a decision regarding your application, we will update your status in MyPennState and provide a printable PDF of your decision letter. Review our Dates & Deadlines to see when you should expect your decision.

    If accepted, you can accept your offer of admission in MyPennState to begin the process of becoming a Penn State student. Visit our Accepted Students section to review the next steps in this process. Once you accept your offer of admission to Penn State, those students completing SRAR will submit their official records for validation purposes as soon as possible.

    Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America

    United States of America, University Park

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