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Civil Engineering

College of Engineering


Are you interested in the foundations and structures that help the world function? Our Civil Engineering major focuses on the latest developments in the design, efficiency, construction, and maintenance of society’s infrastructure. You will learn about how the world around you is constructed through classroom, laboratory, and internship experiences (including study abroad in China and international collaborative projects, such as Solar Decathlon competitions). With a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, interdisciplinary learning, and green engineering, you’ll have the education to play a role in building tomorrow's framework from the ground up.

Why Choose Civil Engineering?

Our nation’s success has been built on the foundation of our solid infrastructure—much of it constructed decades ago. Today, thousands of public works projects in the United States are in desperate need of repair and many more new infrastructure developments are necessary to keep our country competitive. According to the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking, civil engineering is ranked #5 and environmental engineering is ranked #4 in Best Engineering Jobs. There has never been a greater need for civil and environmental engineers to plan, execute, and lead these important projects.

What Will You Study?

You’ll learn about latest advances in the design, construction, and maintenance of society’s infrastructure, from roads to buildings, and dams to bridges to water treatment plants. You will gain expertise in the major areas of civil engineering through courses in Transportation Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Structural Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction Engineering, and Geotechnical Engineering. You’ll also learn about responsible and sustainable engineering practices through alternative and renewable energy, and sustainable materials. Starting in your junior year, you have the option to choose a concentration in Environmental, Reservoir, or Railway Engineering.

We also offer a Five-year BS/MS in Civil Engineering to accelerate your studies to achieve your personal goals. Students can also choose to further their education after the completion of their bachelor's degree in our Master of Science in Civil Engineering program.

Program Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes

Educational Objectives

Our graduates will:

  • Demonstrate a strong fundamental scientific and technical knowledge base and critical thinking skills.
  • Actively engage in lifelong learning related to the civil engineering profession.
  • Plan, design, analyze, develop, organize, and manage civil and environmental engineering projects.
  • Demonstrate expertise in major sub-disciplines of civil engineering: structural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental, and water resources engineering.

Student Outcomes

The program has documented student outcomes that support the program educational objectives. Attainment of these outcomes prepares graduates to enter the professional practice of engineering. Student outcomes are listed below:

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Enrollment and Degree Statistics

Enrollment
 
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Full-time
31
50
67
73
88
93
78
71
81
79
Part-time
1
1
2
2
4
2
3
2
0
3

Bachelor's Degrees Awarded
Academic Year
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
Degrees
-
-
-
12
11
25
21
26
26
26
21

Career Opportunities

Civil engineers work in both private and public sectors of the industry as well as the military. Private sector employers range from small consulting firms and large international engineering companies. Public sector jobs include working in state and local governments, as well as the federal government. Civil engineers also work in the military as commissioned officers or civilian engineers. Furthermore, students graduating from our Civil Engineering program have options to work in or pursue graduate degrees in environmental-related fields, as well as petroleum-related or railway-related fields. Recent graduates have been hired at companies such as Advanced Civil Design, Barr & Barr, Barton and Loguidice, Cimarex Energy, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Connecticut Water, Consigli Construction, Fabbrica, Fuss & O'Neill, General Dynamics, General Electric, Geosyntec, L.K. McLean Associates, Maine Department of Transportation, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Metro-North Railroad, Mott MacDonald, O'Reilly, Talbot & Okun, Pare Corporation, The Dennis Group, Tishman Construction, and Turner Construction.

Internships and Study Abroad

Internships
Students are encouraged to take on internships to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world industry.

Engineering Abroad
Students have many opportunities to study abroad, including a four-week summer trip to China that offers accelerated engineering courses. Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Chinese culture and visit major landmarks, including the Great Wall and Forbidden City.

Research Opportunities

Our students participate in research projects with faculty and collaborate on projects within their majors and beyond. They also have opportunities to travel regionally and nationally to present their design projects and research papers at professional conferences.

Student Competitions

There are several student competitions each year that allow students to present their hard work and go head-to-head with students from other schools. Our students have the opportunity to participate in American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge competitions.

Our students have participated in two Solar Decathlon competitions sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The first Solar Decathlon competition was the 2015 U.S. competition held in Irvine, CA, with Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) and Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana of Honduras (UNITEC) as partner universities. The second Solar Decathlon competition was the inaugural Solar Decathlon Latin America & Caribbean competition held in Cali, Colombia, with UTP as the partner university. In 2018 our students collaborated with faculty and students from Xi’an Jiaotong University to compete in the 2018 Solar Decathlon China competition. 

Most recently the Western New England team reunited with UTP for the Design Challenge Weekend in Colorado.

Labs and Facilities

Civil Engineering students have access to multiple state-of-the-art labs with the most relevant equipment and tools. The Transportation Lab includes industry grade software for designing and precise drawing of transportation projects. The Geotechnical Engineering Lab is equipped with professional instruments that evaluate soil and rocks for use in foundations, embankments, and earth retaining structures. The Structural/Concrete Lab is equipped with a state-of-the-art Universal Testing Machine, as well as a concrete compression machine and other testing apparatuses. The Environmental/Water Resources Lab is equipped with various educational fluid benches and instruments to analyze water quality.

Clubs & Organizations

Civil Engineering students may have interests in: the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the FIRST® Robotics Club, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Many of our students also participate in varsity and intramural sports, special interest groups, and student government.

Clubs and Organizations

Faculty

Our faculty hold PhD degrees from top engineering schools such as University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Cornell University, University of Maryland, and University of Massachusetts Amherst. They will become your mentors, co-learners, career advisors, and project managers. Not only will they facilitate your learning in and out of the classroom, but they will also collaborate on research projects with you.

Faculty

Accreditation

Program leading to BS in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

Unique Learning Opportunities

  • First Year Program

    Design, innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking from day one is the cornerstone of engineering education at Western New England University. Our first-year engineering program teams students up to design, code, and prototype a robot to compete in the Bot Battle at the end of the first semester. In the second semester, data acquisition and processing, ethical standards, communication, and business skills are developed. Student teams design a product to improve lives through the application of smart technology. The prototypes are presented at the Emerging Engineers Expo at the end of the year.

  • Senior Design Project

    Take what you've learned in the classroom and apply it to solve a real industry problem in a Senior Design Project that caps off your engineering education. You'll research, design, and create a project that advances industry knowledge. Regional companies may sponsor and guide you through the completion of your project, which will allow you to leverage the opportunity into a full-time job.