Bachelors of Science in Construction Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Purdue University West Lafayette

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering (BSCNE) at Purdue University West Lafayette prepares students for professional careers in the construction industry by combining engineering design, construction practices, project management, and leadership. The program is particularly suited to students who want to manage people and projects as well as apply engineering principles, with a curriculum that Purdue describes as approximately 80% construction engineering and 20% management and that is taught by faculty and industry-connected professionals.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students begin through Purdue’s First-Year Engineering Program, developing the mathematics, science, computing, communication, and engineering foundations needed for advanced construction engineering study. This stage introduces engineering problem-solving and prepares students to transition into the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering and the BSCNE curriculum.

Year 2: Students move into construction-specific subjects such as CEM 20100 – Life Cycle Engineering and Management of Constructed Facilities, which introduces the construction industry and the life cycle of facilities, alongside CEM 30100 – Project Control and Life Cycle Execution of Constructed Facilities, which develops knowledge of planning, scheduling, resource management, and project monitoring. Students also begin the program’s structured Construction Internship experience, connecting academic learning with professional construction practice.

Year 3: Students develop more advanced technical and managerial capabilities through courses such as CEM 30200 – Practical Applications for Construction Engineering, CEM 32400 – Human Resource Management in Construction, and CEM 32100 – Construction Engineering Materials Lab. These subjects strengthen practical construction knowledge while developing students’ ability to manage resources, people, materials, and technical activities.

Year 4: The final year emphasizes professional-level application through courses including CEM 40100 – Critical Thinking in Construction Engineering, CEM 42500 – Construction Practice Project, and CEM 42501/CEM 42502 – Construction Engineering Capstone I and II. Students can further tailor their preparation through subjects such as Design-Build Project Delivery Method for Engineers, Temporary Structures in Construction, Legal Aspects of Construction Engineering, and Construction Business Management.

Focus Areas: Construction Engineering, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and Management, with the BSCNE curriculum integrating engineering and management and offering students an emphasis in Building Information Modeling or Management.

Learning Outcomes: Complex engineering problem solving, engineering design, effective communication, ethical and professional responsibility, teamwork and leadership, experimentation and data analysis, and lifelong learning and application of new knowledge.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): ABET-accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the Program Criteria for Construction and Similarly Named Engineering Programs; Purdue also notes that many BSCNE graduates go on to become registered professional engineers.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): 100% job placement rate for Construction Engineering (CNE) is reported by Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering for its 2025–26 school facts. Purdue Engineering also reports that more than 850 unique employers visit Purdue annually to recruit students for internships and full-time careers.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The B.S. in Construction Engineering at Purdue University West Lafayette is strongly practice-oriented, combining engineering coursework with hands-on laboratories, construction technology, computing, internships, and team-based project work. Students have access to Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering facilities, including more than 20 research and undergraduate teaching laboratories, while the Construction Engineering program requires 36 weeks of experiential learning through internships, co-op experiences, or approved research/independent study. Students can build practical skills in construction operations, BIM, digital technologies, surveying, materials, safety, and project management through these dedicated facilities and experiences:

Required internships: The Construction Engineering plan of study requires 36 weeks of experiential learning, historically completed through three internship periods: CEM 29199, CEM 29299, and CEM 39399. Semester-based co-ops can also satisfy the experiential-learning requirement, and approved undergraduate research or independent study may qualify.
Construction capstone: Students complete Construction Capstone II, which includes a laboratory/site component and provides an opportunity to apply construction-engineering knowledge to practical projects. Purdue's curriculum also emphasizes real-world applications through its senior design experience.
Lyles Family Ideas to Innovation (i2i) Laboratory: This undergraduate teaching laboratory combines lectures, hands-on experimentation, and computer simulation, allowing students to connect engineering concepts with practical testing and digital analysis.
D. Dorsey Moss Construction Lab: Students can engage with research and emerging AEC technologies including Building Information Modeling (BIM), advanced computing, cyber-physical systems, IoT, automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital twins.
Design and Construction Integration (DCI) Lab: The 24-workstation laboratory provides construction and design students with software packages supporting the design and management of built structures.
Lennar Foundation Construction Lab: Students gain hands-on experience assembling and disassembling masonry walls, concrete forms, and a two-story steel structure, with access to a 2-ton remote-operated crane and current construction tools and technology.
Trimble Technology Lab: The lab provides surveying equipment, software, and hardware used for construction layout and construction surveying, giving students exposure to technologies used in professional construction environments.
Caterpillar Simulator Lab: Students can practice operating heavy construction equipment in a controlled simulation environment before working with equipment on an actual jobsite.
Computing and CAD resources: Civil and construction engineering students have dedicated computing facilities, including the Olson Senior Design Lab, Lyles 1212 Computing Lab, and ITaP Instructional Lab. These facilities support senior design and coursework with high-end PCs, CAD software, course-specific software packages, large-format plotting, scanning, and other digital-production resources.
Engineering research laboratories: Students can potentially participate in research alongside faculty through Purdue's research environment, with facilities covering structural behavior, geotechnics, hydraulics, geomatics, environmental engineering, and civil engineering materials.
Industry experience: Purdue's Construction Engineering internship process connects students with company-sponsored internships, with assignments matched to interests such as construction type, project, and geographic area.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.S. in Construction Engineering at Purdue prepares graduates for professional careers spanning construction operations, project management, estimating, scheduling, and field engineering, with the program reporting a 100% job-placement rate for its graduates. Purdue’s construction engineering curriculum combines approximately 80% construction engineering and 20% management coursework, while required industry experience helps students develop the technical and professional skills needed for construction careers.

Typical Job Roles: Construction Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Manager, Construction Estimator

Career Support & Industry Opportunities:

Career services: The Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering provides an Industry Opportunities Portal where students can search full-time, internship, and co-op positions, post resumes, review employers, and participate in on-campus interviews.
Internships: Students complete three paid 12-week internships as a required part of the construction engineering curriculum. The program connects students with hundreds of industry partners, with internships covering field operations, office operations, and project management.
Employment outcome: Purdue reports a 100% job-placement rate for construction engineering graduates, a rate it says has been maintained since the program's first graduating class in 1979.
Salary: Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering reports an average starting salary of $70,516 for undergraduate students across the school. The university does not identify this figure specifically as the B.S. Construction Engineering starting salary, so it should not be treated as a program-specific salary.
Industry partnerships: Purdue’s construction engineering program works with hundreds of industry partners, including companies such as The Walsh Group, GCI, Pankow, Barton Malow, Kiewit, Mortenson, Related, and Traylor. These relationships support internships, professional mentoring, career connections, and curriculum-based experiential learning.
Professional accreditation: The B.S. in Construction Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the criteria for Construction and Similarly Named Engineering Programs, providing an externally recognized accreditation framework for the engineering degree.
Professional engineering pathway: Purdue notes that many Construction Engineering graduates go on to become registered professional engineers, providing a pathway toward longer-term professional licensure where applicable.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor's degree, students can continue into Purdue's M.S. in Civil Engineering with a Construction Engineering specialization, including the professional Civil Engineering with Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Management (CE-LEM) pathway. Purdue also offers an M.S. in Construction Management Technology for graduates seeking advanced construction-management knowledge, while the Civil and Construction Engineering graduate program offers additional areas such as Construction, Structural, Materials, Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, Geotechnical, Environmental, and Hydraulics and Hydrology Engineering.