Civil engineering

Civil engineering is one of the broadest areas of engineering—and it has a tangible impact on quality of life, human health, and safety. Our comprehensive curriculum prepares you for a professional career or advanced study. 

Major highlights

5 focus areas: Environmental, geomechanics, structures, transportation, and water resources

Interdisciplinary curriculum: We combine physics, chemistry, microbiology, mechanics, and geology with data collection, analysis, and modeling.

MAST lab: our Multi-Axial Subassemblage Testing Laboratory on the Twin Cities campus, to text the effects of earthquakes and hurricanes, is the largest test system of its kind in the world.

Capstone design: You will partner with local engineering companies to design and manage a project, and potentially network with future employers.

Student groups

There are many you can join as a civil engineering major at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering, including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Interdisciplinary Transportation Student Organization (ITSO). See cse.umn.edu/studentgroups.

Career examples

  • City engineer
  • Construction manager or analyst
  • Structural engineer (buildings, bridges, towers)
  • Transportation engineer (highways, urban transit, airports)
     

For more info on career prospects, visit: What can I do with a major in civil engineering?

 

Related links

Hear from three students in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering (CEGE) at the University of Minnesota.

"There are so many ways to apply the skills you learn in classes.”—Jaron Frank, a recipient of the James Grant Waits Scholarship in CEGE.

Read Jaron's story on our CSE News site.

“This college has a good engineering program and financial aid. I like my civil engineering major because I can work with structures and resources that are used by people every day.” — Fadila Zidani, Class of 2021