BS in Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Texas A And M University Kingsville

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville provides a 125-credit-hour engineering education covering mathematics, science, mechanics, surveying, structures, geotechnical engineering, fluids, hydraulics, transportation, construction, and civil engineering design. It is well suited to students who want to design, analyze, and manage infrastructure systems, with opportunities to develop specialized skills through engineering electives such as Environmental Engineering, Foundation Engineering, Transportation Engineering Design, Reinforced Concrete Design, and Building Information Modeling.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students establish their engineering foundation through MATH 2413 Calculus I, PHYS 2325/2125 University Physics I and Lab, AEEN 1310 Computer Graphics, and GEEN 1201 Engineering as a Career. The second semester develops mathematical and scientific preparation through MATH 2414 Calculus II and CHEM 1311/1111 General Chemistry I and Lab, alongside communication and general education coursework.

Year 2: Students begin core civil engineering work with CEEN 2212 Surveying, CEEN 2113 Surveying Lab, and CEEN 2301 Statics, while continuing physics and mathematics. The second semester introduces CEEN 3311 Strength of Materials, MATH 3320 Differential Equations, and MEEN 2302 Mechanics II Dynamics, building the analytical foundation required for structural and other civil engineering applications.

Year 3: Students move into specialized civil engineering subjects including CEEN 3303 Structural Analysis, CEEN 3342 Geotechnical Engineering, CEEN 3390 Fluid Mechanics, and CEEN 3315 Computer Methods in Civil Engineering. Practical laboratory work becomes more prominent through CEEN 3143 Geotechnical Engineering Lab, CEEN 3145 Construction Materials Lab, and CEEN 3167 Hydraulics/Fluid Mechanics Lab, while CEEN 3393 Hydraulic Engineering and CEEN 4359 Principles of Transportation Engineering broaden their technical preparation.

Year 4: The final year emphasizes professional practice, advanced applications, and integrated design through CEEN 4279 Senior Design Project I and CEEN 4289 Senior Design Project II, alongside CEEN 4362 Hydrology and CEEN 4326 Construction Engineering. Students can tailor their preparation with engineering electives such as CEEN 3304 Reinforced Concrete Design, CEEN 3365 Environmental Engineering, CEEN 4368 Foundation Engineering, CEEN 4369 Transportation Engineering Design, or AEEN 3310 Building Information Modeling.

Focus areas: Structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydraulic and water resources engineering, transportation engineering, construction engineering, environmental engineering, materials, foundations, and building information modeling.

Learning outcomes: Students develop capabilities in civil engineering analysis, design, computer-based problem solving, engineering economics, surveying, materials, structural systems, geotechnical systems, hydraulics, hydrology, transportation, construction, and integrated senior design through the program's technical coursework and laboratory experiences.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The B.S. in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil Engineering, providing an established professional quality framework for the degree.

Reputation (employability rankings): Texas A&M University-Kingsville's official 2027 U.S. News & World Report announcement places the university No. 86 nationally for Social Mobility and No. 10 among Texas public universities; the university's official 2024 announcement also reported its College of Engineering at No. 15 among Texas universities and No. 12 among Texas public universities for graduate engineering in the 2023–24 U.S. News rankings. These are university/college-level measures rather than a specific undergraduate Civil Engineering ranking.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The BS in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University–Kingsville combines classroom engineering theory with practical laboratory work, design projects, field-oriented learning, and access to specialized civil engineering facilities. Students develop hands-on skills in areas such as surveying, materials testing, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, environmental engineering, structural engineering, and transportation while working with equipment and software used in civil engineering practice. The program’s senior design experience gives students an opportunity to apply their technical knowledge to a substantial engineering problem.

Practical experience and facilities include:

Civil Engineering laboratories: Students have access to dedicated laboratories supporting geotechnical, structural, transportation, environmental, surveying, and water-resources/hydraulics work, allowing them to apply engineering principles through experiments and testing.
Surveying and geomatics: Practical coursework provides experience with surveying equipment and field measurement techniques, developing skills relevant to land development, construction, mapping, and infrastructure projects.
Materials testing: Civil engineering students gain practical experience evaluating construction materials and their engineering properties through laboratory testing, supporting subjects such as concrete, soils, and other civil engineering materials.
Geotechnical engineering: Laboratory activities allow students to investigate soil properties and behavior and connect experimental results with foundation and earthwork design.
Hydraulics and water resources: Students use laboratory facilities to study fluid behavior and hydraulic systems, applying concepts relevant to water infrastructure and environmental engineering.
Structural engineering: Structural laboratory work gives students practical exposure to engineering behavior, testing, analysis, and design of structural systems.
Senior design project: The curriculum includes a senior design experience in which students work on an engineering design problem and integrate knowledge from multiple areas of civil engineering while developing professional communication and teamwork skills.
Computer-aided engineering: Civil engineering coursework incorporates engineering computing and design tools to support analysis, drafting, modeling, and problem-solving activities relevant to professional practice.
Industry-oriented preparation: The program's applied laboratory and design experiences help students connect engineering theory with the practical requirements of construction, infrastructure, transportation, water resources, environmental systems, and structural engineering careers.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the BS in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville are prepared for professional practice in civil engineering, with the program specifically emphasizing technical excellence, professional licensure, leadership, ethics, and continuing education. The curriculum and senior design experience support careers such as Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, and Transportation Engineer, while the university also provides pathways into graduate study and professional development.

Career pathways: Students can build professional experience through internships, employer events, career services, and the engineering-focused Javelina Engineering Student Success Center (JESSC):

Career services: Career Engagement provides access to Javelina Careers powered by Handshake for internships, part-time positions, and full-time jobs, together with resume reviews, interview practice, job-search assistance, career fairs, and job-skills workshops.
Engineering career support: JESSC specifically supports engineering students with internship/co-op assistance, resume and cover-letter preparation, interview preparation, and job searches. Its internship resources list opportunities with companies including AEP, Aker Solutions, ALCOA, Anadarko, BNSF Railways, BP, Braskem, and Baker Hughes.
Employment experience: The Civil Engineering curriculum includes CEEN 4399 Civil Engineering Internship, which provides industry, government, or consulting-company experience and carries 1–3 semester credit hours for eligible senior students.
Employment and salary figures: Texas A&M-Kingsville reports a $64,200 median salary for bachelor’s graduates with 0–5 years of experience in AY 2023, based on Payscale data; the university notes that this is an institution-wide bachelor's graduate figure rather than a Civil Engineering-specific salary.
Graduate outcomes: The university's strategic reporting states that 79.8% of graduates were found working or enrolled in further education in AY 2021, the most recent year for which that particular outcome measure was available in the cited report.
Industry engagement: Students can meet employers through the Javelina Career Expo, where companies recruit for internships and full-time positions. Career Engagement also maintains an employer partner program specifically designed to connect organizations with TAMUK students.
Professional preparation: The Civil and Architectural Engineering department's Ready, Set, Engineer! Career Readiness Digital Badge includes activities such as a professional-licensure seminar, engineering site visit or field trip, guest-speaker presentation, engineering design competition, resume workshop, Handshake profile creation, career fair participation, and practice interviews using Quinncia.
Long-term accreditation value: The BS in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil Engineering. This accreditation provides an established quality framework for the engineering education and supports the program's professional orientation toward engineering practice and licensure.
Professional progression: TAMUK's Civil Engineering program educational objectives specifically identify professional licensure, career advancement, leadership, continuing education, and technical subject-area expertise as expected areas of alumni development.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BS in Civil Engineering, students can continue into the Master of Science in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, with graduate options including advanced civil engineering topics, graduate research, thesis work, and industry/government/consulting internships. The university also offers a Ph.D. in Engineering, providing an additional route for students who want to progress toward advanced research and engineering specialization.