Bachelor of Science with a Major in Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

George Washington University

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science with a Major in Civil Engineering at George Washington University provides a broad engineering education covering environmental, geotechnical, structural, water resources, and transportation engineering, while emphasizing analytical, experimental, and design skills. It is suited to students who want to work on real-world infrastructure and environmental challenges, with opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to projects involving bridges, tunnels, transportation systems, water treatment, natural hazards, and sustainable infrastructure.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students establish their engineering and scientific foundation through courses such as CE 1010 Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering, CHEM 1111 General Chemistry I, MATH 1231 Single-Variable Calculus I, and SEAS 1001 Engineering Orientation. The second semester introduces CSCI 1012 Introduction to Programming with Python, MAE 1004 Engineering Drawing and Computer Graphics, and PHYS 1021 University Physics I, giving students early exposure to programming, technical graphics, mathematics, physics, and civil engineering.

Year 2: Students progress into engineering analysis and core civil engineering concepts through APSC 2057 Analytical Mechanics I, APSC 2113 Engineering Analysis I, and MATH 2233 Multivariable Calculus, followed by CE 2210 Engineering Computations, CE 2220 Introduction to the Mechanics of Solids, and CE 2710 Introduction to Transportation Engineering. This stage strengthens numerical problem-solving and mechanics while introducing transportation systems and the behavior of engineering materials and structures.

Year 3: The curriculum becomes strongly application-oriented through CE 3110W Civil Engineering Materials, CE 3111W Civil Engineering Materials Lab, and CE 3250 Structural Analysis, alongside CE 3604 Physical Hydrology and MAE 3126 Fluid Mechanics I with its laboratory component. Students then apply these foundations to CE 3310 Reinforced Concrete Structures, CE 3520 Environmental Engineering Design: Drinking Water Treatment, and CE 3610 Hydraulics of Open Channel Flow, supported by dedicated environmental and hydraulics laboratories.

Year 4: Students develop advanced professional capability through CE 4410 Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, CE 4411 Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory, CE 4320 Metal Structures, and CE 4530 Wastewater Treatment Design and Reuse. The final semester includes CE 4721W Traffic Engineering and Highway Safety, SUST 2002 The Sustainable City, and a civil engineering elective that can extend into subjects such as Introduction to Finite Element Analysis, Advanced Hydrology, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in Civil and Environmental Engineering, or Automation and Sensing in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Focus areas: Environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, water resources engineering, transportation engineering, sustainability, materials, mechanics, earthquake engineering, smart cities and transportation.

Learning outcomes: Graduates are prepared to apply mathematics, science, and engineering principles to complex civil engineering problems; design safe, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions while considering public health, safety, environmental, economic, and societal factors; work effectively in multidisciplinary teams; communicate professionally; follow ethical standards; adapt to emerging technologies; and pursue professional licensure, research, or advanced education.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The B.S. in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Reputation (employability rankings): GW Engineering was ranked No. 79 for Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs in the U.S. News & World Report rankings reported by GW in 2024; GW also reported that its School of Engineering and Applied Science rose from No. 88 to No. 74 in the 2025 U.S. News Best Engineering Graduate Schools rankings, although the latter is a graduate-school ranking rather than a ranking specifically for this bachelor's program.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The B.S. in Civil Engineering at George Washington University emphasizes learning by doing, with students applying civil engineering concepts through laboratory work, research, design activities, competitions, and projects connected to real infrastructure challenges. The department gives undergraduates access to specialized facilities for structural, geotechnical, transportation, environmental, hydraulics, and materials research, while GW’s location in Washington, D.C. also provides opportunities to engage with real-world engineering and public infrastructure projects.

Students can build practical skills through these program-specific opportunities:

Structural testing: The High Bay Laboratory contains a reinforced strong wall and strong floor for large-scale structural testing, with a 20-ton overhead crane, concrete mixing room, equipment room, and machine shop. Undergraduate students participate in experimental research conducted in this facility.
Earthquake engineering: The Earthquake Engineering and Structures Laboratory includes a six-degrees-of-freedom shake table and advanced material-testing equipment, allowing students and researchers to investigate how structures and soils respond to earthquake and cyclic loading.
Materials testing: The Structural Testing and Material Science Laboratory is used for undergraduate material and structural-component testing and includes static and dynamic loading equipment, data-acquisition systems, and a 400-kip self-equilibrium testing frame.
Concrete laboratory: The High Bay’s Concrete Mixing Laboratory contains a 9-cubic-foot concrete mixer, rapid freeze-thaw cabinet, portable concrete compression testing equipment, and conventional concrete-testing apparatus.
Geotechnical laboratory: The Geotechnical Engineering Lab provides traditional and advanced equipment for testing geomaterials and is used in undergraduate and graduate geotechnical engineering courses as well as research.
Fluid mechanics and hydraulics: The Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics Lab includes a flow channel, laser anemometry, Schlieren flow visualization, hot-wire anemometry, high-speed photography, a recirculating water channel/flume, and hydraulic testing benches for instruction and research.
Transportation research: Students can engage with GW’s transportation facilities, including the Driving Simulation Lab, Truck Driving Simulation Lab, Virtual Reality Lab, and Traffic & Networks Research Lab, supporting research into transportation systems and traffic behavior.
Real-world environmental projects: Environmental engineering students and faculty use one of the world’s largest wastewater treatment plants as a real-world laboratory to investigate water quality in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Project-based competitions: GW’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) chapter provides hands-on opportunities through project-based teams including Steel Bridge and Sustainable Solutions, giving civil engineering students experience with designing and testing engineering solutions.
Engineers Without Borders: Students can participate in GW’s Engineers Without Borders chapter, which has worked on projects involving clean water, power, sanitation, and education in locations including La Peña, El Salvador, and Rajasthan, India.
Undergraduate research: GW explicitly provides civil engineering undergraduates with research opportunities in departmental laboratories and with faculty, allowing students to participate directly in the process of generating new engineering knowledge.
Digital and computing resources: GW Engineering provides specialized engineering software, computer laboratories, virtual access to CAD environments, and 3D printers for student projects and coursework.
Science and Engineering Hall: Much of the department’s advanced laboratory infrastructure is housed in GW’s Science and Engineering Hall, a 500,000-square-foot, 14-story facility containing engineering laboratories and teaching spaces.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.S. in Civil Engineering at George Washington University prepares graduates for professional careers involving infrastructure, transportation, water resources, structural systems, environmental engineering, and geotechnical engineering. Graduates can pursue roles such as Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Transportation Engineer, and Environmental Engineer, while the program also prepares students for professional licensure, research, and advanced study.

Career pathways: The program connects technical preparation with GW’s career network and Washington, D.C.-based professional environment:

Career services: GW’s W. Scott Amey Career Services Center provides engineering-specific career coaching, resume and job-search support, interview preparation, career workshops, internship guidance, and salary-negotiation preparation. Students can also use Handshake for jobs and internships and attend career fairs, industry expos, employer information sessions, and employer site visits.
Employment outcomes: GW reports that 9 out of 10 undergraduates secured post-graduate plans within six months of graduation across the university. GW also reports 900+ employers engaged on and off campus and more than $200,000 awarded annually to offset unpaid, high-quality internships related to students’ academic and career goals. These are university-wide undergraduate figures rather than civil-engineering-specific statistics.
Salary information: GW’s official career-services pages provide employment and education outcomes and career-development resources, but the official sources reviewed do not state a civil-engineering-specific graduate salary figure. Therefore, a program-specific salary should be recorded as not stated by GW rather than inferred from a third-party salary source.
Industry connections: GW Engineering maintains employer recruitment through its career center, including 340+ global hiring partners, employer recruiting, career fairs, and industry events. For civil engineering specifically, the department highlights professional activities such as the steel bridge competition, Engineers Without Borders, and the American Society of Engineers, while its research and projects address practical infrastructure challenges.
Real-world preparation: Students apply civil-engineering knowledge to contemporary projects involving Gulf of Mexico dead-zone cleanup, bridges and roads designed for natural hazards, and crash protection for children in car seats. The department also conducts transportation research through the GW Transportation Program, including work on intelligent transportation systems and roadway safety.
Accreditation value: The B.S. in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs criteria. This provides an established professional quality framework for the engineering education and supports the program’s emphasis on professional development and licensure.
Graduation outcomes: GW’s civil-engineering educational objectives expect graduates, within a few years of graduation, to apply engineering knowledge to safe, sustainable and cost-effective solutions, contribute to multidisciplinary teams, communicate effectively, and pursue professional licensure, research, or advanced education.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor’s degree, students can continue through GW’s five-year combined B.S./M.S. in Civil Engineering, allowing undergraduate students to progress into graduate-level study as part of an accelerated pathway. GW also offers a standalone M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and graduate certificates in areas including environmental, geotechnical, structural, and smart cities and transportation engineering.