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 student groups.

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