BS Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Oregon State University

Program Overview

The BS in Civil Engineering at Oregon State University is a 4-year, on-campus bachelor’s program that prepares students to design, plan, construct, and maintain essential infrastructure while building a broad foundation across structures, transportation, water resources, geotechnical engineering, geomatics, and environmental engineering. The program suits students who want to solve practical engineering problems and combines mathematics, science, engineering analysis, communication, and design with extensive upper-division design experiences and team-based projects.

Curriculum structure

First Year: Students establish their engineering foundation through ENGR 102 – Design Engineering and Problem Solving, ENGR 103 – Engineering Computation and Algorithmic Thinking, and MTH 251Z – Differential Calculus, alongside chemistry, physics preparation, communication, writing, and economics. This year develops the mathematical, computational, scientific, and problem-solving skills needed for more advanced civil engineering study.

Second Year: Students begin focused civil engineering coursework with CCE 201 – Civil and Construction Engineering Graphics and Design, CE 202 – Civil Engineering: Geospatial Information and GIS, and ENGR 213 – Strength of Materials. They also study Statics, Dynamics, Applied Differential Equations, matrix algebra, engineering statistics, and calculus-based physics, creating the technical foundation for structural, geotechnical, transportation, and water-resource applications.

Third Year: The curriculum becomes highly specialized through CE 311 – Fluid Mechanics, CE 372 – Geotechnical Engineering I, and CE 381 – Structural Theory I, followed by courses such as CE 313 – Hydraulic Engineering, CE 373 – Geotechnical Engineering II, CE 392 – Introduction to Highway Engineering, and CE 412 – Hydrology. Students also study CE 362 – Reality Capture for Engineering Applications and can choose CE 383 – Design of Steel Structures or CE 481 – Reinforced Concrete I, strengthening their ability to work with infrastructure, materials, surveying, structures, and water systems.

Fourth Year: Students bring their technical knowledge together through CE 418 – Civil Engineering Professional Practice, CE 419 – Civil Infrastructure Design, and CE 420 – Engineering Planning, with additional study in CE 491 – Transportation Engineering and ENVE 321 – Environmental Engineering Fundamentals. The senior curriculum includes technical electives and culminates in an integrated design experience, with CE 418 and CE 419 forming a consecutive-term capstone sequence focused on realistic civil engineering problems.

Focus areas: Structures, transportation, water supply and water pollution control, geotechnical engineering, hydrology, hydraulics and water resources, geomatics, ocean engineering, construction, engineering planning and economics, architectural engineering, coastal and ocean engineering, and environmental engineering.

Learning outcomes: Complex engineering problem solving, engineering design, effective communication, ethical and professional judgment, teamwork and leadership, experimentation and data analysis, engineering decision-making, and lifelong learning.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The BS in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under its General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil Engineering.

Reputation (employability rankings): Oregon State University is ranked #711–720 in the QS World University Rankings 2027; the university also provides dedicated engineering career support and identifies civil engineering among the career fields pursued by its engineering graduates.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The BS in Civil Engineering at Oregon State University combines classroom learning with hands-on projects, laboratory work, field-based engineering, and undergraduate research across areas including geomatics, geotechnical engineering, structures, transportation, infrastructure materials, and water resources. Students can work with industry-standard surveying equipment and software, conduct testing in specialized civil engineering laboratories, participate in research, and gain professional experience through opportunities such as MECOP paid internships.

Students gain practical experience through:

Geomatics Laboratory: Students train with modern Leica Geosystems survey equipment and use Leica Geo-Office, Cyclone, and Maptek I-Site Studio for survey and scanning data processing, giving them experience with tools used in professional geomatics practice.
Geotechnical Field Research Site: Students can gain first-hand experience with geotechnical drilling and sampling, soil testing, Standard Penetration Tests, Seismic Cone Penetration Tests, Dilatometer Tests, Pressuremeter Tests, and geophysical testing methods.
Infrastructure Materials Laboratories: The program is supported by specialized facilities including the Concrete Performance Lab, Kiewit Materials Performance Lab, Green Building Materials Laboratory, Asphalt Materials Performance Laboratory, and Analytical Laboratory for Cementitious Materials. These facilities support testing and research into concrete, asphalt, metals, polymers, wood, coatings, and other infrastructure materials.
Concrete Performance Facility: Students involved in materials research can work with advanced equipment, environmental chambers, 3D printers for cementitious systems, and a curing room to investigate concrete performance, durability, and sustainable materials.
Structural Engineering Research Laboratory: The structural strong floor at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory allows researchers to test structures and materials under forces of up to one million pounds, including simulations of earthquake effects.
Capstone design: CE 419 – Civil Infrastructure Design provides a capstone design experience based on problems and issues encountered in professional civil engineering practice, allowing students to integrate their technical knowledge into a substantial design project.
Internships: Through MECOP, Oregon State students can access paid internships that provide real-world engineering experience, professional networking, and opportunities to apply classroom skills in industry settings.
Undergraduate research: The Kiewit Center for Infrastructure and Transportation supports an Undergraduate Research Symposium, where CCE students with undergraduate research appointments work with faculty mentors, prepare research posters, and present their work.
Transportation and mobility research: The Driving and Bicycling Simulator Lab uses virtual-reality environments to study interactions between drivers and bicyclists and investigate how crashes occur, providing exposure to advanced transportation-safety research.
Innovation Labs: Oregon State’s College of Engineering iLabs provides hands-on technical education, fabrication and manufacturing capabilities, prototyping support, research assistance, and design resources that can support engineering projects.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BS Civil Engineering at Oregon State University prepares graduates for professional roles across infrastructure design, construction, transportation, water resources, geotechnical engineering, and structural engineering, while also providing a pathway into graduate study. OSU’s civil engineering program specifically identifies career directions such as structural engineer, transportation engineer, geotechnical engineer, water resources engineer, and coastal/ocean engineer, with graduates also able to pursue research and advanced study.

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

Career development and industry opportunities include:

Career services: OSU’s Career Development Center provides engineering-specific career support including resume and cover-letter reviews, mock interviews, career counseling, workshops, internship preparation, job-search strategies, and connections to employers through career events and Handshake.
Internships and co-op: The School of Civil and Construction Engineering highlights the CECOP Internship Program, an industry partnership offering six-month internships for OSU engineering students, while OSU’s engineering career resources connect students with internships and employment opportunities.
Employment and salary: Oregon State’s Civil Engineering page reports that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded a $99,590 median annual wage for civil engineers in May 2024 and projects 5% employment growth from 2024–2034. This is an occupation-wide U.S. figure rather than an Oregon State graduate salary.
Industry partnerships: The School’s Civil Engineering Forum/industry network includes organizations and professionals from Kiewit, Skanska, Andersen Construction, Jacobs, Arup, City of Portland, Knife River, Fortis Construction, Hoffman Construction, and Hamilton Construction, among others.
Applied industry experience: OSU states that its civil and construction engineering programs include industry-sponsored capstone projects and courses taught by industry professionals, connecting academic learning with professional engineering practice.
Long-term accreditation value: The BS in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Civil Engineering Program Criteria. OSU’s stated educational objectives include professional development, preparation for professional engineering licensure, lifelong learning, and responsible engineering practice.
Graduation outcomes: OSU’s civil engineering objectives expect graduates within 3–5 years to establish themselves as competent civil engineering practitioners, contribute effectively in business, industry, consulting, government or graduate study, continue professional development, and address infrastructure, environmental and community challenges.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BS, students can continue at Oregon State University through the MEng, MS in Civil Engineering, or PhD in Civil Engineering. Graduate study offers areas including architectural, coastal and ocean, construction, geomatics, geotechnical, infrastructure materials, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering; eligible OSU undergraduates can also use the Accelerated Master’s Platform, which allows up to 22 graduate credits to be applied toward the undergraduate degree and transferred to a participating graduate program.