Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Colorado School of Mines is strongly built around practical, team-based engineering, with students gaining experience through Cornerstone Design, a three-week sophomore Field Session, and a two-semester senior Capstone Design project. Students also work with professional surveying equipment, real-world digital terrain data, specialized laboratories, research centers, industry partners, and civil engineering competition teams, allowing them to connect classroom theory with actual infrastructure challenges.

Students gain hands-on experience through:

• Cornerstone Design: During the first two years, students work on project-based design activities that develop problem-solving, teamwork, project planning, and understanding of the civil engineering design process.
• Engineering Field Session: After the sophomore year, students complete an intensive three-week engineering surveying field course, collecting real-world data and subsequently performing digital data manipulation.
• Surveying technology: The Field Session provides practical experience with 3D laser scanners, GPS units, and Total Stations for collecting and manipulating digital terrain data.
• Senior Capstone Design: Students complete a two-semester, team-based, client-driven civil engineering project integrating structural, geotechnical, water resources, and construction engineering.
• Industry projects and internships: Connections with Kiewit, Martin Marietta, and AECOM, along with the ASCE Student Chapter, provide opportunities for site visits, professional mentorship, and internships.
• Structural Engineering Laboratory: Students can gain hands-on experience testing material and structural performance in the Structural Engineering Laboratory.
• Advanced Water Technology Center (AQWATEC): Students can engage with research and hands-on work related to water reuse and desalination technologies.
• PFAS@Mines: This research initiative focuses on PFAS-impacted soils and drinking water, including environmental behavior, human exposure, and treatment technologies.
• Center for Underground Construction and Tunneling (UC&T): Students have access to a research environment focused on soil conditioning, tunnel boring machine techniques, and underground construction and tunneling.
• Colorado Center for a Sustainable WE2ST Water Technology Hub: The hub supports academic-industry collaboration to develop, test, and validate technologies for municipal and industrial water challenges.
• Engineering competition teams: Students can apply their civil engineering knowledge through the ASCE Concrete Canoe team and AISC Steel Bridge team, working on practical fabrication and design challenges.
• Research opportunities: Civil engineering undergraduates have access to laboratories and research facilities spanning the program's core and specialized areas, creating opportunities to participate in applied research alongside faculty. 

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Colorado School of Mines can move into careers across structural, geotechnical, water resources, environmental, transportation, and construction engineering. The program also prepares students for professional engineering pathways and further study, with the curriculum mapped to the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and requirements associated with Professional Engineering (PE) licensure.

Typical job roles: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Water Resources Engineer.

Career development and industry opportunities:

• Career services: The Mines Career Center provides recruiting, interviews, career resources, employer connections, and access to DiggerNet, while Mines reports that 1,290 employers actively recruited students and employers posted 1,552 jobs in the 2024–25 reporting period.
• Employment and salary: The Civil Engineering program reports a $70,000 median starting salary and 99% graduates with positive career outcomes.
• Graduation outcomes: For the 2024 Civil Engineering graduating class, Mines reports 68% employed, 30% pursuing further education, and 1% in military service one year after graduation.
• Technical work experience: Across Mines undergraduate programs, 75% of bachelor’s students graduate with technical work experience, supported by 651 organizations partnering with Mines for internships and technical experience opportunities.
• Industry partnerships: Civil Engineering students benefit from ties with Kiewit, Martin Marietta, and AECOM, including opportunities for site visits, professional mentorship, and internships that can lead to full-time employment.
• Professional accreditation value: Mines states that the Civil Engineering curriculum is intentionally aligned with the FE exam and PE licensure requirements, giving graduates a structured foundation for pursuing professional engineering credentials after meeting the applicable experience and licensing requirements.
• Graduate-level opportunities: Mines offers Master’s Non-Thesis, Master’s Thesis, and PhD programs in Civil and Environmental Engineering, with areas including environmental and water engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and hydrology.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor’s degree, students can continue into Mines’ MS in Civil Engineering or PhD in Civil Engineering, or pursue related graduate programs such as Environmental Engineering and Science, Hydrologic Science and Engineering, and Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering. Mines also offers a combined 4+1 BS/MS pathway, allowing eligible undergraduates to work toward a master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s program.