Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Stony Brook University SUNY

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering at Stony Brook University (SUNY) is a 4-year, on-campus professional engineering program designed for students who want to work in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure while addressing technical, environmental, economic, and societal challenges. Students build expertise across structural, transportation, water resources, geotechnical, and environmental engineering, supported by modern design software, laboratory work, and professional engineering design projects.

Curriculum structure

First Year: Students begin with the mathematical and scientific foundations needed for engineering through courses such as AMS 151 – Applied Calculus I, PHY 131/133 – Classical Physics I and Laboratory, and CIV 101 – Introduction to Civil Engineering. CIV 101 introduces the built environment through structural, transportation, environmental, water-resource, energy, and infrastructure systems, giving students an early view of how civil engineering affects communities.

Second Year: Students move into core engineering principles with courses including CIV 203 – AutoCAD Basics, CIV 210 – Land Surveying, and CIV 305 – Transportation Systems Analysis I. The curriculum also develops the mechanics, computing, and analytical skills needed to understand and design civil infrastructure.

Third Year: Students deepen their technical knowledge through subjects such as CIV 310 – Structural Analysis, CIV 330 – Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, and CIV 364 – Fluid Mechanics for Civil Engineers. Laboratory-based courses including CIV 340 – Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory, CIV 341 – Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory, and CIV 342 – Civil Engineering Hydraulics Laboratory connect engineering theory with practical testing and analysis.

Fourth Year: The final year emphasizes advanced engineering design and professional preparation through courses such as CIV 412 – Steel & Concrete Design II, CIV 423 – Coastal Engineering Planning and Design, and the two-semester CIV 440/441 – Senior Design I and II sequence. Students can also pursue advanced subjects such as CIV 424 – Stormwater Management and Design, CIV 410 – Principles of Foundation Engineering, or CIV 426 – Introduction to Environmental Biotechnology, depending on their interests.

Focus areas: Structural engineering, transportation engineering, water resources and hydraulics, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, construction management, coastal engineering, infrastructure sustainability, and data science/AI for civil engineering.

Learning outcomes: Students develop the ability to solve complex engineering problems using mathematics, science, and engineering principles; design solutions while considering public health, safety, environmental, social, and economic factors; communicate effectively; work in multidisciplinary teams; conduct experiments and interpret data; apply ethical and professional judgment; and acquire new knowledge throughout their careers.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The Civil Engineering B.E. is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. The program is also registered by the New York State Education Department and meets the educational requirements for professional engineering licensure in New York State.

Reputation (employability rankings): Stony Brook University reports a QS World University Ranking of 468 internationally and 68 in the United States for 2026, while its official rankings page reports a U.S. News national rank of 59 and public-university rank of 24 for September 2026.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering at Stony Brook University combines engineering theory with hands-on laboratory work, computer-based design, surveying, technical analysis, and professional design projects. Students work with industry-relevant tools and specialized facilities in materials, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, structures, coastal engineering, and computational research, while the curriculum also provides dedicated opportunities for a Civil Engineering Internship and Independent Research.

Students can develop practical skills through:

Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory (CIV 340): Students gain hands-on experience testing and evaluating civil engineering materials, supported by Stony Brook’s Construction & Geotechnical Materials Characterization Laboratory, where students can perform industry-standard tests on steel, wood, and reinforced concrete and characterize soils.
Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory (CIV 341): Students work with geotechnical testing methods, supported by the Geosystems Engineering Laboratory, which provides advanced equipment including XRD, XRF, BET, TGA, automated triaxial systems, photoporomechanics, and ring-shear testing systems.
Civil Engineering Hydraulics Laboratory (CIV 342): Students apply fluid mechanics and hydraulics concepts in laboratory settings, including access to the Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering Research Laboratory (CHERL) and its 80-foot combined wave and bi-directional current flume for experiments involving coastal structures, beach morphology, open-channel flow, and marine energy.
Computer-aided design: CIV 203 – AutoCAD Basics introduces students to computer software used to streamline the civil engineering design process, giving students practical digital-design skills.
Land surveying: CIV 210 – Land Surveying provides technical preparation in surveying as part of the undergraduate civil engineering curriculum.
Senior Design I & II: CIV 440 – Senior Design I and CIV 441 – Senior Design II form a two-semester professional design sequence in which students develop a comprehensive engineering solution from concept through final reporting.
Civil Engineering Internship: CIV 488 – Civil Engineering Internship provides an opportunity to participate in off-campus engineering practice; students submit a project proposal identifying the work location, supervisor, project nature, learning objectives, and expected hours.
Independent research: CIV 499 – Independent Research gives qualified students a formal route to undertake civil engineering research alongside the department’s faculty research environment.
Construction and geotechnical facilities: The Construction & Geotechnical Materials Characterization Laboratory supports practical investigation of construction materials and soils, including testing structural elements and geotechnical characterization.
Computational research: The department’s Zagros High-Performance Supercomputing Cluster provides a large-scale computational research environment with 1,216 cores, 9.728 TB of system-wide RAM, and 40Gbps InfiniBand networking.
Structures research: The Lightweight and Multifunctional Structures Laboratory supports experimental work involving composites, metamaterials, lightweight structures, energy-management materials, energy harvesting, and structural health monitoring.
Infrastructure and transportation: The Infrastructure, Transportation and Security Center (ITSC) brings together Civil Engineering and Computer Science to address infrastructure and transportation security across Long Island.
Water technology: The New York State Center for Clean Water Technology connects Civil Engineering with the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and external public-sector partners to develop innovative water and wastewater technologies.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering at Stony Brook University prepares graduates for professional careers across structural, transportation, geotechnical, environmental, and infrastructure-related fields, while also providing a pathway into advanced engineering study. The university’s published outcomes for Civil Engineering show a 79.8% six-year graduation rate, 89.1% working in New York State two years after graduation, and 34.9% continuing education; the reported median earnings are $68,169 one year after graduation.

Typical career roles: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Construction Manager, Environmental Engineer. Stony Brook also lists careers such as Transportation Engineer, CAD Designer, Geotechnical Engineer, Forensic Structural Engineer, and Urban and Regional Planner for Civil Engineering graduates.

Career development and progression opportunities:

Career services: Stony Brook’s Career Center helps students and alumni understand career-development processes and industry options, prepare for internships, co-ops, employment and further education, and connect with hiring organizations.
Employment outcomes: The university reports 89.1% of Civil Engineering graduates working in New York State two years after graduation and 34.9% continuing education.
Salary outcome: The published Civil Engineering outcome data reports $68,169 median annual earnings one year after graduation; the current university outcome page lists five- and ten-year earnings as not available for this major.
Industry connections: Stony Brook identifies recent Civil Engineering employers including New York City School Construction Authority, OHL USA, URS Group, Brown and Caldwell, and Hillcrest Associates, illustrating employment connections across construction, infrastructure, engineering consulting, and public-sector work.
Professional accreditation: The Civil Engineering B.E. is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. Stony Brook states that its ABET-accredited bachelor-level engineering programs satisfy the educational requirements for professional engineering licensure in all U.S. states and territories, subject to the applicable FE/PE examinations and work-experience requirements.
Graduation outcomes: Stony Brook’s Civil Engineering data reports a 79.8% six-year graduation rate and an average of 4.04 years to degree.
Long-term professional development: The program’s educational objectives include establishing a successful Civil Engineering career and pursuing professional licensure, pursuing advanced study, and assuming leadership roles in professional or community settings.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the B.E., students can progress to Stony Brook’s M.S. in Civil Engineering, with advanced study available in areas including coastal and hydraulic engineering, environmental engineering, geosystems engineering, structural engineering and mechanics, and smart infrastructure systems engineering. Eligible high-achieving undergraduates can also pursue the Accelerated B.E./M.S. pathway, which allows up to 6 graduate credits to be double-counted toward both degrees. Stony Brook also offers Ph.D. study in Civil Engineering for students pursuing advanced research.