Civil Engineering (BS)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

North Carolina State University Raleigh

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University develops students’ foundations in mathematics, physical sciences, engineering mechanics, and the technical aspects of civil engineering, while building skills in communication, leadership, professional ethics, and sustainable infrastructure design. It suits students who want to design, analyze, and improve infrastructure, with study spanning areas such as coastal and water resources, computing and systems, construction, environmental, geotechnical, materials, structural, and transportation engineering.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students establish their mathematical, scientific, computing, and engineering foundations through courses including CH 101 Chemistry – A Molecular Science, E 101 Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving, E 115 Introduction to Computing Environments, MA 141 Calculus I, and ENG 101 Academic Writing and Research. The second semester advances into MA 241 Calculus II, PY 205 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I, and E 102 Engineering in the 21st Century, introducing students to the broader role of engineering.

Second Year: Students begin specialized civil engineering study with CE 214 Engineering Mechanics-Statics, CE 250 Introduction to Sustainable Infrastructure or CE 263 Introduction to Construction Engineering, and TDE 220 Civil Engineering Graphics, alongside MA 242 Calculus III and CSC 111 Introduction to Computing and Data Science with AI – Python. They then progress to CE 225 Mechanics of Solids, CE 282 Hydraulics, MSE 200 Mechanical Properties of Structural Materials, and PY 208 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II, developing the mechanics, fluid, materials, and computational knowledge needed for civil engineering applications.

Third Year: Students deepen their technical understanding through CE 332 Civil Engineering Materials or CE 342 Engineering Behavior of Soils and Foundations, together with core and junior civil engineering electives and ST 370 Probability and Statistics for Engineers. Elective choices can introduce areas such as CE 305 Introduction to Transportation Systems, CE 327 Reinforced Concrete Design, CE 337 Smart Infrastructure Systems, CE 383 Hydrology and Urban Water Systems, CE 301 Civil Engineering Surveying and Geomatics, CE 325 Structural Analysis I, or CE 373 Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering.

Fourth Year: The final year emphasizes advanced specialization and design through senior and senior-design electives, with options including CE 401/501 Transportation Planning, CE 404/504 Airport Planning and Design, CE 436/536 Introduction to Numerical Methods for Civil Engineers, CE 437/537 Civil Engineering Computing, CE 488/588 Water Resources Engineering, and CE 487 Introduction to Coastal and Ocean Engineering. Students complete the degree with CE 420 Structural Engineering Project or CE 450 Civil Engineering Project, while the curriculum also provides opportunities for undergraduate research through CE 499 Undergraduate Research Thesis in Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering.

Focus areas: Coastal and Water Resources, Computing and Systems, Construction, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Mechanics and Materials, Structural Engineering and Mechanics, Transportation Systems, and Transportation Materials.

Learning outcomes: Graduates are prepared to function successfully in professional environments using leadership, technical, critical-thinking, and communication skills; pursue lifelong learning, graduate education, and licensure where appropriate; work effectively in multidisciplinary teams; consider societal, economic, public-health, environmental, ethical, cost, and time-management factors; and promote sustainable engineering practice.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The Civil Engineering BS is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, with NC State reporting accreditation continuously from October 1, 1936, and the next comprehensive review scheduled for 2028–2029. NC State also notes that graduation from an ABET-accredited program is the first step toward Professional Engineering licensure.

Reputation (employability rankings): NC State’s official 2027 U.S. News ranking announcement places Civil Engineering #19 nationally and #14 among public universities, while the CCEE department reports that 90%+ of CCEE students launch careers or continue their education before undergraduate commencement.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The BS in Civil Engineering at NC State University is built around learning by doing, with students gaining practical experience through laboratory work, fieldwork, team-based projects, modern engineering tools, internships, and industry-connected experiences. Students can work with real infrastructure data, visit active engineering project sites, conduct experiments, and engage with faculty and professional engineers through NC State’s Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering facilities.

The department also gives undergraduate students opportunities to participate in research and use specialized facilities for structural, geotechnical, construction materials, transportation, water-resources, and environmental engineering. These experiences connect classroom concepts with real engineering problems and can include direct interaction with industry, government agencies, and research teams.

Key experiential opportunities include:

Immersion Experiences Program: Undergraduate students can visit real engineering project sites approximately monthly during the academic year, including mixed-use developments, waste-treatment facilities, and highway interchanges. Students prepare analyses before visiting the site and then receive feedback from engineers at the host firm.
Team-based projects: The CCEE undergraduate curriculum specifically incorporates labs, fieldwork, and team-based projects, allowing students to apply engineering concepts collaboratively to practical problems.
Internships and co-ops: CCEE provides access to internships, co-ops, industry-connected experiences, and twice-yearly Career Connections events where students interact directly with employers.
Research opportunities: High-achieving undergraduates can participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, working with faculty mentors on research in civil, construction, and environmental engineering.
Constructed Facilities Laboratory: The CFL is a 20,000-square-foot research complex with advanced laboratories and equipment for construction materials, structural systems, and geotechnical research. It provides research and training opportunities for undergraduate civil engineering students, with limited undergraduate positions available.
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Labs: Students working in relevant research can encounter large-scale testing chambers, hydraulic actuators, reaction frames, triaxial testing, direct simple shear, resonant column, hydraulic conductivity, consolidation testing, and computer-networked data collection.
Construction Materials Laboratory: The facility includes cement and concrete testing equipment, concrete mixing systems, slump, flow, air-content and unit-weight testing, permeability testing, freeze-thaw equipment, and computer-based analysis of material deterioration.
Hydraulics and water-resources experience: Students can work in the department’s hydraulics facilities and use real water-infrastructure environments on Centennial Campus. Instrumented campus lakes, ponds, earth dams, and laboratory load frames provide opportunities for real-time monitoring, data collection, and potential undergraduate field-study applications.
Computational tools: CCEE research facilities support high-performance computing for complex modeling, simulation, and data analysis, while the department also provides access to the Virtual Computing Laboratory (VCL) and Center for High-Performance Computing for relevant research areas.
Fitts-Woolard Hall: The 225,000-square-foot engineering facility contains flexible laboratories, modern classrooms, open workspaces, and transparent laboratories where students can observe engineering systems and activities in practice.
Industry engagement: CCEE’s industry network connects students with engineering firms and other partners through career events, applied engineering projects, mentoring, and research activities; the department specifically describes its Corporate Affiliates Program as connecting students with real-world projects and professional engineers.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.S. in Civil Engineering at NC State prepares graduates for professional careers designing and improving transportation, structural, geotechnical, water-resource, and community infrastructure. Graduates can enter engineering firms, consulting companies, construction organizations, utilities, and public agencies, or continue into graduate and professional education.

Typical career roles: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Transportation Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer: these roles can lead into specialist engineering, project management, public-sector infrastructure, consulting, or research careers.

Career services: NC State’s Career Development Center provides a Post-Graduation Employment Dashboard with top employers, job titles, salary ranges by major, graduate-school destinations, and degree programs pursued, helping students research career pathways and employment outcomes.
Employment outcomes: CCEE reports 90%+ of graduates employed or pursuing graduate study before undergraduate commencement. The department also reports that 80%+ of undergraduates participate in paid internships or co-ops, providing direct professional experience before graduation.
Salary: NC State’s official salary information reports an average salary of $69,106 for Civil Engineering bachelor’s graduates in its May 2025 salary data.
Industry partnerships: CCEE operates a Corporate Affiliates Program with 31 partner organizations spanning consulting, industry, construction, and local, state, and federal government. Partnerships include priority recruiting, research collaboration, industry engagement, internships/co-ops, and access to CCEE laboratories and workspaces.
Professional preparation: The program’s educational objectives emphasize developing leadership, technical, critical-thinking, and communication skills, together with lifelong learning, professional education, licensure where appropriate, teamwork, and consideration of societal, economic, public-health, environmental, and ethical impacts.
Accreditation value: The Civil Engineering B.S. is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The program’s ABET framework supports preparation for professional engineering practice and continued professional education and licensure where appropriate.
Graduation outcomes: NC State identifies career destinations ranging from federal, state, and municipal agencies to consulting firms, construction companies, manufacturing and processing industries, as well as professional practice, teaching, and research following advanced study.

Further Academic Progression: NC State provides an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s (ABM) pathway through which qualified Civil Engineering undergraduates can complete a master’s degree in 2–3 semesters after the B.S. Students can also pursue graduate study in civil engineering and related fields, while the program specifically identifies graduate education and professional education as pathways for lifelong development and licensure.