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Civil Engineering

College of Engineering


Civil engineers are responsible for building and maintaining society’s infrastructure such as roads, buildings, airports, dams, bridges, water supply systems and sewage treatment.

San Luis Obispo, California

The civil engineering program includes courses designed to ensure you become proficient in construction, structural, transportation, environmental and water resources.

Civil Engineering Curriculum

Opportunities are available for undergraduate and graduate work in many fields of interest, with the following laboratories available for course work and research projects:

  • Advanced Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory
  • Bio-Environmental Engineering Laboratory
  • Building Information Modeling (BIM) Technologies Laboratory
  • Cannon Corporation Water Resources Laboratory
  • Chevron Environmental Protection Engineering Laboratory
  • Clark Pacific Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory
  • Computer-Aided Design Laboratory
  • Computer Laboratory
  • Computer and Senior Design Laboratory
  • Environmental Engineering Chemical Wet Laboratory
  • Hal Cota Air Measurements Laboratory
  • Power Engineering Construction Co. Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory
  • Pavement and Advanced Materials Laboratory

The first three years of the degree program include a broad overview of all of the basic areas of civil engineering. During your final year, you will be able to choose one of the following areas of specialization:

  • Construction Engineering
  • General Civil Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Structural Engineering
  • Transportation Engineering
  • Water Resources Engineering

Civil engineering majors are able to participate in a blended program where you can earn your bachelor's and master's degrees at the same time.

To be eligible for the program, you must have completed all required support and CE/ENVE 300-level classes. Participation in the program is based on prior academic performance and other measures of professional promise, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

BS Civil Engineering and MS Civil and Environmental Engineering

 

About the Program

Cal Poly is the home of one of the nation’s largest and most respected civil engineering programs.

Our modern, design-centered laboratories and hands-on curriculum allow you to experience real-world conditions and learn how to incorporate the appropriate engineering standards. The program focuses on teamwork, communication, problem-solving and state-of-the-practice analysis and design techniques. It prepares you to effectively communicate with other engineers, architects, planners, administrators, government officials and the general public. The program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET and is ranked first in California and third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Learn by Doing

Through this program, you will learn how to plan and design bridges, roads, utility systems and more in California and throughout the world. By working in our water resources lab, you will learn about different aspects of hydraulic theory while in our materials lab, you will learn about concrete mix design, strength and durability. These labs, and other hands-on opportunities, will give you the knowledge and experience to know how to manage construction sites, plan projects and build and test structures.

Civil Engineering students working on concrete canoe

Create a Canoe

Create and build a concrete canoe to be judged at regional and national competitions.

Learn More

Our Graduates

Our program maintains a strong reputation in the civil engineering and construction industries, making our graduates highly desirable. Civil engineering graduates are consistently recruited by top employers and work in planning, design, construction, research and education.