Major Profile: Civil Engineering

What can I do with a major in Civil Engineering?

Engineers generally enter the career field with a bachelor’s degree, but advancement becomes more likely with the attainment of a professional engineers license (PE) or structural engineer (SE) license. To learn more about careers in engineering, click here.

Civil engineers usually work in the following eight specialty areas:

Structural: Structural engineers are responsible for creating structures that support weight and the loads they carry. This includes carrying out the planning and design of bridges, buildings, offshore structures, space platforms, amusement park rides, and more.
Environmental: Environmental engineers “translate physical, chemical, and biological processes into systems to destroy toxic substances, remove pollutants from water, reduce non-hazardous solid waste volumes” and more.

Geotechnical: Geotechnical engineers design projects below ground, such as tunnels, foundations and offshore platforms. This field involves analyzing ground properties that may affect the behavior of the structures. Other possible projects involve designing dams, embankments, and retaining walls.
Water Resources: Water resources engineers deal with issues pertaining to the quality and quantity of water in our world. Possible duties include preventing floods, providing water for cities, treating waste water, protecting beaches, or redirecting rivers. These engineers are sometimes involved in the design, construction, or maintenance of hydroelectric power facilities, canals, dams, pipelines, locks, and more.