Program Overview

Civil Engineering Program

The Civil Engineering program at Cal Poly is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field of civil 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.

Program Overview

The program includes courses designed to ensure students become proficient in construction, structural, transportation, environmental, and water resources. The first three years of the degree program include a broad overview of all the basic areas of civil engineering. During the final year, students can choose one of the following areas of specialization:

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

Laboratories and Research

The program offers various laboratories for coursework and research projects, including:

• 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

Blended Program

Civil engineering majors can participate in a blended program, earning their bachelor's and master's degrees simultaneously. To be eligible, students must have completed all required support and CE/ENVE 300-level classes, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Participation is based on prior academic performance and other measures of professional promise.

Accreditation and Rankings

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.

Hands-on Learning

Through the program, students learn by doing, with hands-on opportunities to plan and design bridges, roads, utility systems, and more. The program focuses on teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and state-of-the-practice analysis and design techniques.

Graduate Outcomes

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