BS in Civil Engineering

Students in the BS in Civil Engineering at Rutgers University–Newark gain practical experience through laboratory-based courses, engineering design projects, computing tools, internships, and hands-on work connected to real civil and environmental engineering challenges. The program provides access to specialized facilities at the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) and the Engineering Laboratory Building, where students can develop skills in transportation, infrastructure materials, structural engineering, environmental engineering, and related areas. Students can also participate in faculty research, senior design projects, and professional experiences that connect classroom theory with engineering practice:

• Senior design projects: Students complete a Civil and Environmental Engineering Senior Design experience in which engineering knowledge is applied to a substantial design problem, emphasizing professional practice, teamwork, communication, and design constraints.
• Engineering laboratories: Undergraduate students use the Engineering Laboratory Building for hands-on instruction and experimentation in areas such as materials, structures, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, and fluid mechanics.
• Transportation research and facilities: The Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) provides opportunities to engage with research involving transportation infrastructure, pavement materials, intelligent transportation systems, traffic safety, and infrastructure management.
• Computer-aided engineering: Civil engineering coursework incorporates engineering computing and computer-based analysis, giving students experience with digital tools used for engineering calculations, modeling, design, and data analysis.
• Internships and cooperative experiences: Rutgers encourages engineering students to gain professional experience through internships and other experiential opportunities, allowing students to apply civil engineering knowledge in professional settings.
• Faculty research: Undergraduate students can participate in research with Rutgers faculty, including projects connected with infrastructure, transportation, environmental engineering, structural engineering, materials, and water resources.
• Hands-on materials experience: Civil engineering laboratory activities provide exposure to construction and infrastructure materials testing, helping students connect material properties and laboratory measurements with engineering design and construction applications.
• Collaborative engineering work: Design-oriented coursework gives students experience working in teams on engineering problems, including developing solutions, evaluating alternatives, documenting technical work, and presenting results.
• Professional engineering environment: The program's location within Rutgers University–Newark provides access to engineering facilities, research centers, laboratories, and the wider Rutgers engineering community, supporting practical preparation for civil engineering careers.

 The BS in Civil Engineering prepares students for professional roles across structural, transportation, geotechnical, water-resources, environmental, and construction engineering, with Rutgers specifically identifying career paths such as construction engineer, geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, transportation engineer, and water resources engineer. Rutgers–Newark also reports that 92% of graduates were working full-time or continuing post-secondary education within six months in the university’s cited outcomes data, while the Department of Education data used for Rutgers–Newark’s Carnegie recognition reports a $74,500 median salary for qualifying undergraduates who received financial aid and completed their degree within 10 years.

Typical Job Roles: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Construction Engineer, Transportation Engineer

Career development and professional opportunities:

• Career Services: Rutgers–Newark’s Office of Career Resources & Exploration provides career-readiness programming, employer connections, job opportunities, and first-destination outcome information; its outcomes are reported according to NACE standards.
• Employment outcomes: Rutgers–Newark reports 92% working full-time or continuing post-secondary education within six months in its Carnegie-related graduate outcomes data. The university’s current first-destination dashboard also tracks employment, continuing education, employers, starting salaries, and employment locations.
• Salary information: Rutgers–Newark reports a $74,500 median salary for undergraduates who received financial aid and earned their degree within 10 years, based on Department of Education data used in its Carnegie evaluation. This is a Rutgers–Newark-wide figure rather than a Civil Engineering-specific salary.
• Civil engineering employment examples: Rutgers–Newark's career resources have recently listed opportunities such as Civil Project Engineer, Engineering Designer, Entry-Level Bridge Engineer, and Transportation Engineer, demonstrating the range of roles connected with a civil engineering degree.
• Industry connections: Rutgers School of Engineering’s Industry Advisory Board brings together industry leaders and provides strategic planning, program-development input, and connections between the School and business. Members include senior professionals from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Ultra Capital, Northrop Grumman, and Bechtel.
• Civil engineering industry engagement: Rutgers’ transportation-infrastructure initiatives have involved organizations including AECOM, Halmar International, Kiewit, Langan, McLaren Engineering Group, Michael Baker International, and WSP, supporting collaboration around infrastructure research and practice.
• Alumni–industry pathway: Rutgers civil engineering alumna Tam Sillick earned her BS in Civil Engineering at Rutgers, later became a structural engineer at WSP, and serves on the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Industry Advisory Board.
• Long-term accreditation value: The Civil Engineering undergraduate program is ABET-accredited. Rutgers states that ABET accreditation is intended to demonstrate that engineering programs prepare graduates for employer expectations and further study, while the program develops capabilities in engineering problem-solving, design, communication, teamwork, experimentation, ethics, and continuing technical learning.
• Graduation and professional preparation: Rutgers Civil Engineering offers Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management options, giving graduates a pathway to specialize their undergraduate preparation.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BS in Civil Engineering, students can continue into Rutgers’ BS/MS Dual Degree pathway or pursue the department’s Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Doctoral Degree programs. Rutgers also offers civil-engineering specialization options that can provide a foundation for advanced study in areas such as structural, geotechnical, transportation, water resources/environmental, and construction engineering.