Civil Engineering - BS

College of Engineering

About This Degree

Civil engineers plan, design, construct, and maintain public works, such as roads, bridges, and harbors. While they focus on building, they also look at the environmental impact of the structure and the structure’s stability in the case of environmental hazards, such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

What You Will Learn

The coursework in the department covers five different areas: environmental engineering, fluid mechanics and hydraulics, geotechnical engineering, transportation engineering, and water resources engineering. Students must gain proficiency in at least two of these areas. As they prepare for careers as civil engineers, students will learn how to do the following types of things:

  • Design or supervise the construction of bridges, buildings, dams, aqueducts, sport complexes, energy complexes, irrigation and transportation systems (such as highways, canals, rapid transit lines, etc.), and more
  • Develop water resources for municipal, industrial, and recreational use
  • Participate in land reclamation, soil mechanics, and urban planning
  • Maintain water quality through water purification and proper waste treatment
  • Solve problems involving air pollution and solid and hazardous waste management

The civil engineering degree is accredited by the EAC Accreditation Commission of ABET. The job placement rate for students graduating from USU's engineering programs is extremely high.

Concurrent Bachelor's/Master's Program:

The department also offers a concurrent bachelor's/master's program, which allows USU engineering students to begin taking graduate classes during their senior year as an undergraduate and to complete requirements for both the bachelor's degree and the master’s degree concurrently over two years.

The APE is designed to meet the qualifications of the first two years of a Baccalaureate Degree.

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ADVISING

At a Glance

College: College of Engineering

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

USU Locations:

  • Logan campus

Program Requirements

Career And Outcomes

Career Opportunities

With a degree in civil engineering, students can work in the following areas:

  • Construction site or city supervisor/administrator
  • Consultant (designs and plan projects)
  • Public service manager (organize and maintain the construction of roads, bridges, tunnels etc.)
  • Engineering technician (focus on basic engineering principles and technical skills)
  • Air pollution control
  • Industrial hygiene
  • Waste disposal and recycling
  • Radiation protection
  • Hazardous waste management
  • Toxic materials control
  • Wastewater management
  • Storm water management
  • Solid waste disposal
  • Public health
  • Land management

The Career and Design Center provides counseling and information on hundreds of job and internship opportunities and even helps students apply and interview.

Job Outlook

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AND ADVISING

Advising

We will build on your goals and experiences while working together to design an individualized semester-by-semester plan. Your personalized plan will help you see a path from where you are now on to graduation. Even if you are unsure of the major you would like to pursue, we can help with resources and ideas.

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I have not applied or been admitted, even if I've taken a USU Concurrent Enrollment course

I am a current USU student

I have been admitted and plan to attend, or continue attending USU

USU Locations

LOGAN CAMPUS

Admission

Admission Requirements

In addition to Utah State University’s admissions requirements, the civil engineering program has additional requirements:

  • Freshmen: Students that meet the USU admission requirements and meet these minimum requirements can be admitted as a pre-professional civil engineering major.
    • Minimum 3.0 High School GPA
    • 23 ACT
    • 24 or higher Math ACT
    • 73 Admission Index
  • Transfer Students: Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU must meet these requirements to be admitted as a pre-professional civil engineering major.
    • MATH 1210: Calculus I completed with a C- or higher
    • 12 credits of science, engineering, and math coursework with a 2.7 GPA or better
    • Pre-Professional GPA of 2.7 or higher
    • no grades less than C-
    • no more than 2 repeats. The 2 repeat requirement includes courses that are audited or receive a Passing grade. Retaking a course multiple times counts as multiple repeats.
  • Recommended high school courses: two or three years of algebra, one year of geometry, one-half year of trigonometry, four years of English, and courses in chemistry, physics, and mechanical drawing are preferred.

International students have additional admissions requirements.

Program Requirements

Students in this program are recommended to purchase and use a graphing scientific calculator (must be able to do integration, vector mathematics, and have a numerical solver).

Students majoring in civil engineering must complete a capstone design project during their senior year.

Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering examination, which is the first step in becoming a licensed professional engineer, is required for graduation.

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