Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Florida

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) at the University of Florida is a 128-credit, four-year program that prepares students to plan, design, construct, and operate infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, highways, waterways, foundations, airports, and water systems. Students develop a broad civil-engineering foundation in mathematics, science, engineering mechanics, materials, structures, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, transportation, construction, and design, making the program suitable for students interested in solving complex infrastructure and built-environment challenges.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin with the fundamentals through courses such as CGN 2002 Introduction to Civil Engineering, CHM 2045 General Chemistry 1, and STA 3032 Engineering Statistics. They also build their mathematical and scientific foundation through calculus, physics, chemistry laboratory work, and introductory engineering studies, establishing the preparation required for upper-division civil engineering courses.

Year 2: The second year develops core engineering skills through CGN 2328 Technical Drawing and Visualization, EEL 3003 Elements of Electrical Engineering, and EGM 2511 Engineering Mechanics: Statics, alongside differential equations and additional mathematics and science. These courses introduce students to engineering visualization, statics, electrical fundamentals, and the analytical methods used in civil engineering design.

Year 3: Students move into specialized civil engineering subjects including CGN 3501C Civil Engineering Materials, EGM 3520 Mechanics of Materials, and CGN 4160 Civil Engineering Practice. They then progress into CEG 4011 Soil Mechanics, CES 3102 Mechanics of Engineering Structures, CWR 3201 Hydrodynamics, and TTE 4004C Transportation Engineering, developing knowledge across materials, structural behavior, geotechnical engineering, water systems, and transportation.

Year 4: The final year emphasizes advanced analysis, specialization, and integrated design through CGN 3421 Computer Methods in Civil Engineering and second-level courses such as CEG 4012 Geotechnical Engineering, CES 4702 Analysis and Design in Reinforced Concrete, CWR 4202 Hydraulics, or CGN 4404 Applied Data Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Students complete a comprehensive design experience through CGN 4806 Transportation-Water-Materials Design or CGN 4910 Structures-Geotechnical-Construction Comprehensive System Design, together with approved technical and design electives.

Focus Areas: Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation, Water Resources, Construction Engineering, Civil Engineering Materials, Public Works, Geosensing, Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering, and related civil engineering specializations.

Learning Outcomes: Apply mathematics, science, and engineering principles to civil engineering problems; conduct experiments and interpret data; design civil engineering systems, components, or processes within economic, environmental, social, ethical, health, safety, manufacturability, and sustainability constraints; communicate technical data and design information effectively in writing and speech.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): ABET-accredited — the Civil Engineering BS program 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 also requires students to complete the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination before graduation and prepares graduates to progress toward professional engineering licensure.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): Official program-specific employability ranking: Not stated on the current University of Florida Civil Engineering program page. The university does, however, state that its civil engineering program is designed to meet employer expectations and prepare graduates for professional engineering practice, while UF's current Career Connections Center lists civil engineering internships and graduate-level engineering opportunities.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Florida gain practical experience through hands-on laboratory work, project-based learning, research, field experiences, student design competitions, and senior design. The Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering provides access to specialized structural, materials, geotechnical, transportation, and infrastructure facilities, while the College of Engineering also supports professional internships and co-ops that allow students to apply engineering theory in workplace settings.

Key practical experiences and resources include:

Senior design: Civil engineering students complete a senior design project, providing an opportunity to apply foundational engineering principles to practical civil engineering problems.
Weil Hall Structures and Materials Laboratory: The 15,000-square-foot “Pit” supports student experiential learning and research through structural testing, concrete design, and materials testing. Facilities include a high-bay structures laboratory, concrete mix laboratory, materials testing laboratories, instrumentation laboratory, machine shop, environmental chambers, and teaching laboratory.
Structural testing: Students can learn through equipment such as universal testing machines, structural testing systems, concrete mixers, curing facilities, environmental chambers, and instrumentation used for civil engineering materials and structures.
Powell Family Structures & Materials Laboratory: This 6,000-square-foot structural research facility includes a 30-foot-high laboratory, 4-foot-thick concrete strong floor, 2,000-square-foot machine shop, general laboratory space, wind tunnel, and instrumentation room, supporting research into earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and blast/impact.
Research opportunities: Civil engineering students can engage with research involving structural engineering, materials, geotechnical engineering, sustainable construction, infrastructure health monitoring, computational mechanics, and structural analysis.
Advanced research equipment: UF facilities provide access to technologies including computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, laser particle-size analysis, X-ray diffraction, non-destructive evaluation equipment, advanced sensing technologies, and multi-scale computer modeling for civil engineering materials and infrastructure research.
Student design teams: The Eckhoff Steel Bridge Team and Concrete Canoe Team give civil engineering students hands-on opportunities to design, construct, test, and compete with engineering structures. UF reports that the two teams have won a combined 13 national championships in ASCE competitions.
Internships and co-ops: UF Engineering actively supports industry internships and co-ops, where students apply engineering knowledge in professional settings. Civil Engineering students can also receive academic credit through CGN 4949 Co-op Work Experience.
Civil engineering industry experience: UF's engineering talent pipeline specifically connects students with engineering consulting and infrastructure, including civil infrastructure, structural, water, transportation, and multidisciplinary consulting opportunities.
Professional software and digital tools: Civil engineering internships promoted through UF's Career Connections Center identify tools such as AutoCAD, Hydraflow-Hydrographs, Flow-Comp, HydraCAD, Hydraflow Storm Sewers, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Project for civil site, hydraulic, stormwater, and project-management work.
Specialized research facilities: ESSIE provides facilities including the Geotechnical Centrifuge Laboratory, Powell Family Structures & Materials Laboratory, and Weil Hall Structures and Materials Laboratory, along with centers and institutes such as the UF Transportation Institute and UF Water Institute.
Bridge engineering resources: The Bridge Software Institute is among ESSIE's research centers, giving the civil engineering community access to specialized resources in bridge engineering software.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering prepares graduates for professional work across structural engineering, transportation, construction, water resources, geotechnical engineering, and related infrastructure fields, while also preparing them to pursue Professional Engineer (P.E.) licensure. The University of Florida specifically states that the program is designed to meet the needs of civil engineering employers and support graduates who wish to continue into advanced degrees.

Typical career roles: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Transportation Engineer, Construction/Project Engineer.

Career development and professional opportunities:

Career services: The UF Career Connections Center provides career resources, employment guidance, and access to career fairs, while the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering’s Center for Experiential Learning supports internships, co-ops, undergraduate research, design teams, and other professional-development experiences.
Civil engineering recruitment: ESSIE Evening with Industry is a dedicated job, internship, and networking event for civil, coastal, and environmental engineering students and alumni. The event typically attracts 325–400 students, with 100+ representatives from up to 65 companies and organizations.
Industry connections: The University of Florida highlights established relationships between engineering departments and industry partners. The Kisinger Campo & Associates relationship with ESSIE, for example, includes industry presentations, recruitment, advisory involvement, sponsorship, and connections with UF civil engineering students and alumni.
Internships and employment: ESSIE maintains dedicated job and internship resources, including the ESSIE Job Board, UF Job Board, Gator CareerLink, UF Career Showcase, and company information sessions.
Employment and salary figures: The university does not currently publish a civil-engineering-specific undergraduate starting-salary or employment-rate figure on the official BSCE program page. Therefore, a civil-engineering salary figure should not be substituted with data from another UF engineering program.
Professional accreditation: The Civil Engineering BS is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. UF states that its Civil Engineering program was initially accredited in 1936, providing a long-standing professional accreditation history.
Professional licensure preparation: Before graduation, BSCE students must take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, and the program's educational objectives include progressing toward P.E. licensure.
Graduate outcomes: UF's stated program educational objectives are that graduates meet the needs and expectations of civil engineering employers and proceed toward P.E. licensure, or continue their education and pursue advanced degrees.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BS in Civil Engineering, students can continue into advanced study in areas including structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation engineering, water resources, construction, public works, civil engineering materials, geosensing, and coastal and oceanographic engineering. UF's catalog specifically identifies these areas as available through advanced degrees beyond the bachelor's program, allowing students to develop deeper technical or research expertise.