The Field of Civil Engineering

From the pyramids of Egypt to the international space station, civil engineers have always faced the challenges of the future– advancing civilization and building our quality of life. Today, the world is undergoing vast changes- the technological revolution, population growth, environmental concerns, and more. All create unique challenges for civil engineers of every specialty.

The next decades will be the most creative, demanding, and rewarding of times for civil engineers, and now is the best time to find the right career for you. Civil engineers are in the forefront of technology. They are the leading users of sophisticated high-tech products – applying the very latest concepts in computer-aided design (CAD) during design, construction, project scheduling, and cost control.

Civil engineering is about community service, development, and improvement- the planning, design, construction, and operation of facilities essential to modern life, ranging from transit systems to offshore structures to space satellites. Civil engineers are problem solvers, meeting the challenges of pollution, traffic congestion, drinking water and energy needs, urban redevelopment, and community planning.

Our future as a nation will be closely tied to space, energy, the environment, and our ability to interact with and compete in the global economy. You, as a civil engineer, will perform a vital role in linking these themes and improving quality of life for the 21st century.

As the technological revolution expands, as the world’s population increases, and as environmental concerns mount, your skills will be needed. There is no limit to the personal satisfaction you will feel from helping to make our world a better place to live. Whatever area you choose, be it design, construction, research, teaching, or management, civil engineering offers you a wide range of career choices for your future.

Civil engineering is grouped into seven major divisions of engineering: structural; environmental; geotechnical; water resources; transportation; construction; and urban planning. In practice, these are not always hard and fixed categories, but they offer a helpful way to review a very diverse and dynamic field.