Bachelor of Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Auburn University

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Auburn University is a 4-year, on-campus program suited to students who want to design, construct, operate, and maintain infrastructure while addressing practical needs such as transportation, water supply, environmental protection, and buildings. Students build a broad civil engineering foundation before developing deeper expertise through coursework and electives in areas including construction, environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, pavements and materials, site engineering and land development, and water resources engineering.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students establish their mathematical, scientific, computing, and engineering foundation through courses such as MATH 1610 – Calculus I, CHEM 1030 – Fundamentals Chemistry I, and ENGR 1110 – Introduction to Engineering. In the spring, MATH 1620 – Calculus II, PHYS 1600 – Engineering Physics I, and COMP 1220 – Introduction to Computing with Python begin developing the analytical and computational skills needed for later civil engineering study.

Second Year: Students progress into engineering mechanics and fundamental civil engineering practice through ENGR 2050 – Statics, ENGR 2070 – Mechanics of Materials, and CIVL 2010 – Surveying. Courses including MATH 2630 – Calculus III, STAT 3010 – Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, and ENGR 2200 – Introduction To Thermodynamics, Fluids And Heat Transfer strengthen the mathematical and physical principles used in civil engineering analysis.

Third Year: The curriculum becomes distinctly civil-engineering focused, with students studying CIVL 3010 – Civil Engineering Analysis, CIVL 3310 – Geotechnical Engineering I, and CIVL 3610 – Structural Analysis in the fall. In the spring, CIVL 3110 – Hydraulics, CIVL 3230 – Environmental Engineering, and CIVL 3510 – Transportation Engineering broaden students’ ability to analyze infrastructure, water systems, environmental challenges, and transportation systems.

Fourth Year: Students personalize their studies through approved breadth and technical electives, selecting coursework from areas such as construction, environmental, geotechnical, pavements and materials, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering. The program culminates in a Senior Design Project, allowing students to integrate engineering analysis, design, and professional knowledge in an advanced civil engineering project.

Focus areas: Construction Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Pavements and Materials Engineering, Site Engineering and Land Development, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Water Resources Engineering.

Learning outcomes: Civil infrastructure evaluation, planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance; teamwork and professional communication; lifelong learning and progression toward professional engineering licensure; leadership; responsible stewardship; and community and professional engagement.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Reputation (employability rankings): Auburn Engineering was ranked No. 1 in Alabama among public institutions in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs ranking reported by Auburn, while Auburn University is ranked #851–900 in the QS World University Rankings 2027.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Auburn University integrates engineering science and design throughout the four-year curriculum, progressing from fundamental concepts and tools to increasingly realistic analysis and design situations before culminating in a senior capstone design experience. Students can complement classroom learning with hands-on work in Auburn’s dedicated civil engineering laboratories, computing facilities, research centers, and industry experiences, giving them opportunities to work with real materials, infrastructure-testing equipment, engineering data, and professional engineering problems.

Students can develop practical skills through:

Civil Engineering Laboratories: Auburn provides dedicated asphalt and materials, concrete materials, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, and structural engineering laboratories, along with shop and computing facilities.
Hydraulics Laboratory: Students in CIVL 3110 Hydraulics perform hands-on experiments using open-channel flumes, orifices, weirs, sluice gates, hydrostatics equipment, flow-measurement systems, and apparatus for studying laminar and turbulent flow.
Geotechnical Engineering Laboratories: The undergraduate laboratory provides equipment for soil classification, compaction, CBR, unconfined compression, permeability, and dispersion testing, while field equipment includes samplers, a seismic dilatometer, borehole shear equipment, and a dynamic cone penetrometer.
Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory: Students have access to a major structural-testing environment featuring a 120-by-45-foot strong floor, 30-foot-high strong wall, and 20-foot-deep geotechnical chamber for experimental testing of structural and geotechnical systems.
Concrete Materials Laboratory: The laboratory contains more than 5,000 square feet of space for preparing and testing paste, mortar, and concrete specimens, with large-scale testing machines and specialized equipment for studying properties such as cracking, shrinkage, durability, and hydration.
Environmental Engineering Laboratories: Research facilities include instruments such as atomic absorption spectrometers, high-performance liquid chromatographs, gas chromatographs, spectrophotometers, mass spectrometers, ion chromatographs, and fluorescence microscopes, supporting environmental engineering research and analysis.
Computing and digital tools: Auburn Engineering provides specialized computing facilities and access to a broad range of engineering, computational, and programming software through its engineering computing network; the Civil Engineering curriculum also includes COMP 1220 – Introduction to Computing with Python.
Capstone design: The curriculum culminates in a senior civil engineering capstone design experience, where students bring together the engineering science, analysis, and design skills developed throughout the degree.
Internships: Auburn reports that 65% of engineering graduates complete an internship or co-op while at Auburn. Students can also enroll in ENGR 3920, a zero-credit-hour engineering internship course that allows an internship to appear on the academic transcript.
Cooperative education: Auburn’s engineering co-op allows students to alternate classroom semesters with three semesters of full-time paid employment related to their academic program; the university states that co-op students can gain up to one year of professional experience before graduation.
Civil engineering industry experience: Auburn’s co-op program highlights Civil & Environmental Engineering students working with organizations such as the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT), providing a direct connection between the degree and professional civil engineering practice.
Highway Research Center and NCAT: Civil engineering students can engage with Auburn’s infrastructure research ecosystem through the Highway Research Center, National Center for Asphalt Technology, Stormwater Research Facility, Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory, and Transportation Research Institute.
Field and infrastructure research: Auburn’s Highway Research Center conducts projects both in the field and in specialized laboratories, including materials, concrete, environmental, geotechnical, hydraulics, structural, and computing facilities.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Auburn University prepares graduates for professional careers across infrastructure, construction, transportation, environmental systems, and structural engineering, with the curriculum combining engineering fundamentals, design, and practical problem-solving. Graduates can pursue roles such as civil engineer, structural engineer, transportation engineer, and construction engineer, while the degree also provides a foundation for graduate study and professional engineering licensure.

Career development and progression are supported through:

Career services: Auburn Engineering’s Career Development and Corporate Relations team supports students through career advising, résumé development, interview preparation, career fairs, employer events, and connections with companies recruiting engineering students.
Internships and employment: Auburn Engineering provides opportunities for students to connect with employers through career fairs, co-op and internship opportunities, and employer recruiting programs, helping students gain professional experience before graduation.
Employment outcomes: Auburn University’s First Destination Survey provides graduate outcome information covering employment, continuing education, military service, and other post-graduation destinations; program-specific salary figures should be recorded as not stated where Auburn does not publish a current figure for the Bachelor of Civil Engineering.
Industry connections: Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering works with industry through corporate partnerships, employer recruiting, internships, co-ops, and engineering advisory relationships, giving civil engineering students opportunities to interact with practicing professionals.
Professional accreditation: The Bachelor of Civil Engineering program is ABET-accredited through the Engineering Accreditation Commission, providing an important professional credential for graduates pursuing engineering careers and supporting the educational requirements associated with professional engineering licensure.
Graduation outcomes: Auburn’s engineering career resources track graduates’ employment and continuing-education destinations, giving students a pathway into industry or further academic study after completing the degree.
Professional licensure: Graduates can continue toward Professional Engineer (PE) licensure by meeting the applicable education, examination, experience, and state-specific requirements.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the Bachelor of Civil Engineering, students can continue into Auburn University’s graduate engineering programs, including master’s-level study in civil engineering and related specializations, or progress toward professional engineering licensure and advanced professional practice.