Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Major Concentration in Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Rice University

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Civil Engineering concentration at Rice University is designed for students who want a strong foundation in engineering while retaining flexibility to explore subjects across other disciplines. Students study mathematics, science, engineering computation, mechanics, environmental engineering, structures, and civil engineering while completing a concentration and a specialty focus area tailored to their academic or career interests.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students begin with the mathematical and scientific foundations of engineering through MATH 101 Single Variable Calculus I, MATH 102 Single Variable Calculus II, CHEM 121 General Chemistry I, and CHEM 123 General Chemistry Laboratory I. They also begin engineering-focused study through CMOR 220 Introduction to Engineering Computation and PHYS 101/PHYS 103 Mechanics with Lab and Mechanics Discussion, establishing the quantitative and computational skills required for later civil engineering courses.

Year 2: Students build their engineering mathematics and mechanics foundation through MATH 211 Ordinary Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, CEVE 211/MECH 211 Engineering Mechanics, and CEVE 311/MECH 311 Mechanics of Solids and Structures. The curriculum also introduces environmental and infrastructure perspectives through courses such as CEVE 310 Principles of Environmental Engineering, helping students connect structural and mechanical principles with broader civil and environmental challenges.

Year 3: Students move into more specialized civil engineering study through the Civil Engineering Major Concentration, including courses such as CEVE 312 Strength of Materials Lab, CEVE 315 Urban Water Systems: Sources, Treatment, Distribution, Resource Recovery and Reuse, and CEVE 325 Structural Analysis and Modeling. At this stage, students also begin developing their individually selected Specialty Focus Area, with Rice allowing approved coursework in areas such as civil engineering, architecture, economics, management, environmental science and engineering, or another engineering discipline.

Year 4: Students complete upper-level coursework and deepen their chosen specialization through the Specialty Focus Area, which requires seven approved courses totaling 21 credit hours, including at least four courses within one focused area. The BA requires 120 total credit hours, with 58 credit hours in the Civil and Environmental Engineering major and substantial upper-level study, giving students room to combine engineering with another academic interest.

Focus Areas: Civil Engineering, Architecture, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Economics, Environmental Science and Engineering, Pre-medical, or Any Engineering Discipline; students may also develop their own specialty related to their career objectives in consultation with and approval from a Civil and Environmental Engineering advisor.

Learning Outcomes: Complex engineering problem solving, application of engineering, science and mathematics, ethical and professional judgment, effective communication, teamwork and leadership, experimentation and data analysis, and ability to acquire and apply new knowledge through appropriate learning strategies.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): The BA in Civil and Environmental Engineering is not the ABET-accredited engineering degree at Rice. Rice states that the BS in Civil Engineering (BSCE) is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, while the BA is intended to provide greater flexibility and is recommended by Rice for students interested in graduate study or combining engineering with other disciplines; students seeking a path toward professional engineering licensure should consider the BSCE instead.

Reputation (Employability/Official Statistics): Rice Engineering reports that 60% of undergraduates have significant research experience by graduation, while its published engineering graduate outcomes show 87% entering engineering, 9% medicine, and 4% mathematics, with an average starting salary of $106,618 for the reported engineering graduates. Rice also identifies major employment destinations for recent engineering alumni including Epic, Amazon, Google, Paycom, Meta, Microsoft, Bloomberg, Capital One, Datadog, and GE Vernova.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Rice University’s BA in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Civil Engineering concentration gain practical experience through laboratory classes, field-based learning, design projects, undergraduate research, and opportunities to work closely with faculty. The department specifically highlights field trips to treatment plants, reservoirs, and construction sites, while students can conduct experiments in state-of-the-art laboratories, develop computational techniques, and work on problems involving structures, infrastructure, water treatment, sea-level rise, and severe storms. Rice also provides opportunities to broaden practical experience through study abroad, research programs, student engineering organizations, and the Oshman Engineering Design Center (OEDK), where undergraduates design, prototype, and deploy solutions to real-world engineering challenges.

Practical opportunities, tools, and facilities include:

Senior Design: Students complete CEVE 480 Senior Design with the supporting CEVE 481 Intro. Senior Design, giving the curriculum a dedicated engineering-design component.
Civil Engineering laboratories: Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories where undergraduate researchers conduct experiments and work with faculty on civil and environmental engineering problems.
Field trips: CEE classes incorporate on-site educational experiences including visits to treatment plants, reservoirs, and construction sites, connecting engineering concepts with operating infrastructure.
Structural and infrastructure research: Undergraduate research opportunities include work involving dynamic structures, aging infrastructure, sea-level rise, and increasing risks from severe storms, providing exposure to current engineering challenges.
Water and environmental research: Students can engage with the Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT) Center, which develops modular water-treatment systems, and the Rice WaTER Institute, supporting research in water-related challenges.
Severe-storm and resilience research: The SSPEED Center focuses on severe-storm prediction, education, evacuation, and flood-mitigation technologies, giving civil engineering students exposure to infrastructure resilience research.
Computational work: The department states that students can develop and implement novel computational techniques and run models addressing infrastructure and environmental risks, providing opportunities to apply computational methods to real engineering problems.
Oshman Engineering Design Center: The OEDK provides Rice undergraduates with dedicated space to design, prototype, and deploy solutions to real-world engineering challenges, supporting collaborative project development.
International research experience: The department encourages study abroad, including the NSF Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) opportunity, through which CEE students can participate in research activities and interact with flood experts in the Netherlands.
Student engineering projects: Students can participate in the Rice American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter and Engineers Without Borders, providing additional opportunities for engineering activities, professional interaction, and exposure to practicing engineers and alumni.
Lichtenberger Engineering Library: Rice Engineering students have access to engineering-focused academic resources and study facilities through the university’s engineering library resources.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BA in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Civil Engineering concentration gives students a flexible engineering foundation that can lead toward graduate study in engineering, science, business, economics, law, or related fields. Rice specifically states that the BA is designed for students who want to combine Civil and Environmental Engineering with study in other disciplines, while students interested in becoming licensed practicing engineers are directed toward the BS in Civil Engineering instead.

Typical Career Roles: Civil Engineering Consultant, Infrastructure Analyst, Sustainability/Environmental Consultant, Project or Construction Coordinator.

Career Development & Employment Support:

Career coaching: Rice’s Center for Career Development (CCD) provides individualized career coaching, resume and CV reviews, mock interviews, career-path exploration, internship guidance, and professional-development resources.
12twenty career platform: Students can use 12twenty to search Rice-specific jobs and internships, connect with employers, attend career events, receive career advising, and access salary and employment-pathway information through JobIQ.
Internships and experiential opportunities: Rice supports students through internships, jobs, research opportunities, Owl Edge Externships, and the Summer Experience Fund, giving students opportunities to build professional experience before graduation.
Employer and alumni connections: The Rice Career Ecosystem connects students with employers, industry leaders, and more than 60,000 Rice alumni, while CEE specifically invites industry professionals to participate in industry spotlight luncheons, Rice career fairs, and guest-speaking opportunities.
Employment statistics: Program-specific employment and graduation-outcome statistics for the BA Civil and Environmental Engineering with Civil Engineering concentration are not stated on the official Rice program pages reviewed. Rice’s CCD provides career-outcome data and real-time pathway information through 12twenty, but the university does not publish a BA-specific employment percentage in the sources reviewed.
Salary figures: A BA-specific graduate salary figure is not stated by Rice on the official program pages reviewed. Rice does publish a civil-engineer salary figure of $88,570 on an Engineering Management careers page, but that figure is presented as an external salary benchmark rather than a Rice BA graduate outcome, so it should not be treated as this program's graduate salary.
University–industry partnerships: Rice CEE maintains research and professional relationships involving organizations including the Port of Houston Authority, General Land Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Texas Medical Center. The department also reports collaborations involving the Port of Houston, Harris County Flood Control District, City of Houston, industry consultants, and philanthropic partners through resilience and infrastructure projects.
Research-to-industry exposure: CEE research covers urban infrastructure, hydrology and water resources, structural engineering and mechanics, water quality, environmental infrastructure, disasters and risk, and climate and sustainability, with research centers including the SSPEED Center and WaTER Institute.
Accreditation value: The BA itself is not the ABET-accredited engineering degree at Rice. Rice states that students seeking an engineering degree accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET should follow an accredited BS program such as the BS in Civil Engineering; students pursuing professional engineering licensure should likewise consider the BS pathway.
Graduation outcomes: The BA curriculum is explicitly designed to prepare graduates for graduate school in engineering, sciences, economics, business/MBA, political science, law, or medicine, and selected students may be invited to pursue an accelerated MS/PhD degree in the CEE department.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BA, students can progress to Rice’s Master of Civil and Environmental Engineering (MCEE), MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering, or PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, depending on their academic and research goals. The MCEE is a professional, non-thesis master's requiring 30–32 credit hours, while the MS requires 30 credit hours and the PhD offers Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering & Sciences research tracks.