Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Kansas

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Kansas is a 4-year, on-campus program that prepares students to analyze, design, construct, and operate public and private infrastructure, including highways, bridges, dams, water systems, transportation networks, and environmental facilities. It suits students who want a broad civil engineering foundation with opportunities to develop deeper expertise in areas such as structural, transportation, geotechnical, environmental, and water resources engineering.

Curriculum structure

First Year: Students begin with the fundamentals of engineering, mathematics, science, and professional practice through courses such as CE 101 – Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering, CE 201 – Statics, and ARCE 217 – Computer-Assisted Building Design. MATH 125 – Calculus I, CHEM 150 – Chemistry for Engineers, and introductory physics courses build the analytical and scientific foundation needed for later civil engineering study.

Second Year: Students progress into core engineering analysis through CE 250 – Dynamics, CE 240 – Geomatics, and CE 310 – Strength of Materials, developing skills in mechanics, surveying, and material behavior. CE 320 – Numerical Methods for Civil Engineering, CE 330 – Fluid Mechanics, and CE 331 – Fluid Mechanics Lab introduce computational methods and practical fluid-engineering concepts.

Third Year: The curriculum becomes more specialized with CE 455 – Hydrology, CE 461 – Structural Analysis, and CE 487 – Soil Mechanics, giving students experience with water systems, structural behavior, and geotechnical engineering. Students also study CE 477 – Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Science, CE 480 – Introduction to Transportation Engineering, and materials-focused electives, broadening their understanding of major civil engineering applications.

Fourth Year: Students integrate their technical knowledge through advanced design and professional courses such as CE 501 – Engineering Ethics, CE 562 – Design of Steel Structures, CE 563 – Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures, and CE 552 – Water Resources Engineering Design. Depending on their chosen pathway, students can also take CE 582 – Highway Engineering, CE 588 – Foundation Engineering, CMGT 500 – Construction Engineering, or CE 576 – Municipal Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment, culminating in advanced civil engineering design and preparation for professional practice.

Focus areas: Structural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, water resources engineering, construction management, environmental design and sustainability.

Learning outcomes: Students learn to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems; apply engineering design while considering public health, safety, environmental and economic factors; communicate effectively; work collaboratively in teams; conduct experiments and interpret data; recognize professional and ethical responsibilities; and acquire new knowledge using appropriate learning strategies.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The B.S. in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, and the curriculum includes ABET-aligned engineering science and design requirements; students are also required to provide proof of completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam.

Reputation (employability rankings): The University of Kansas reports that 93% of graduates are employed or earning an additional degree within one year of graduation, with an average salary of $57.5K+ within a year; KU also reports that its engineering programs are recognized in U.S. News & World Report rankings, while its current undergraduate Engineering category is ranked No. 52 among public universities in the 2026 rankings.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Kansas combines classroom learning with laboratory work, team-based design projects, and senior-level professional design courses that simulate real civil engineering design processes. Students can work with specialized facilities and equipment for structural, geotechnical, materials, transportation, water resources, and construction engineering, while undergraduate research and internship opportunities provide additional ways to apply engineering knowledge in professional and research settings.

Students can develop practical skills through the following KU-specific opportunities:

Senior design projects: The curriculum culminates in senior-level professional design courses that simulate the design processes used across major civil engineering areas and prepare students for entry-level engineering positions.
Construction Engineering and Management Laboratory: The CEMLab in Learned Hall supports undergraduate and graduate construction research and includes Primavera, GIS, @Risk, Crystal Ball, smart sensors, and a 3D scanner. Research also covers construction automation and robotics, highway work-zone safety, sustainability, project management, and concrete 3D printing.
Geotechnical and Materials Laboratories: Students have access to specialized facilities including an Asphalt Laboratory, Geotechnical Laboratory, Environmentally Controlled Laboratory, and Mechanics of Materials Teaching Laboratory. Equipment includes asphalt pavement analyzers, gyratory compactors, dynamic cone penetrometers, testing frames, hardness testers, microscopes, and equipment for tensile, flexural, shear, and compression testing.
Structural Testing Laboratories: KU operates three structural testing laboratories supporting component, subassembly, reduced-scale, and full-scale structural testing. The West Campus High Bay Laboratory provides 6,800 square feet of open laboratory space, two 44-kip traveling cranes, and hydraulic testing systems capable of applying loads up to 100 kips.
Transportation facilities: The department provides access to Transportation Laboratories and the KU Transportation Center, supporting practical and research activities connected with transportation engineering.
Water resources facilities: Water Resource Laboratories are part of KU’s civil, environmental and architectural engineering facilities, supporting the water-resources side of the civil engineering curriculum.
Engineering software and digital tools: KU engineering computer laboratories provide access to ESRI ArcGIS Pro, MATLAB with Simulink, Wolfram Mathematica, MathType, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office 365, Teams, VS Code, and OneDrive. Dedicated CEAE computer laboratories are located in Learned Hall rooms 1171 and 3101.
Undergraduate research: Civil engineering students can participate in faculty-mentored undergraduate research through KU’s research opportunities; the Center for Undergraduate Research provides project connections and $1,000 Undergraduate Research Awards each semester for eligible faculty-mentored research and creative projects.
Internships and professional experience: KU identifies internships and industry networking as experiential-learning opportunities for civil engineering students, allowing students to connect their academic preparation with professional engineering environments.
Environmental field research: The Nelson Environmental Study Area (NESA) provides access to more than 3,000 acres of habitats and experimental areas, including more than 100 experimental ponds and aquatic enclosures, an aquatic laboratory, meteorological station, and field-research infrastructure relevant to environmental and water-resources work.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Kansas are prepared for professional engineering practice in the planning, design, construction, and operation of public and private infrastructure, or for further graduate study. KU identifies employment across construction companies, engineering consulting firms, architectural firms, government agencies, industrial corporations, and major manufacturing companies, with civil engineering graduates also prepared for professional licensure through the required Fundamentals of Engineering examination.

Typical job roles: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Transportation Engineer, Environmental/Water Resources Engineer. These roles align with KU’s civil engineering subdisciplines, including structural, geotechnical, construction management, transportation, environmental, and water resources engineering.

Career development and progression opportunities include:

Career services: The KU University Career Center provides internship resources and connects students with opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally; students can use resources including Handshake, Vault, Internships USA, and the Kansas Micro-Internship Program.
Employment and salary: KU reports an average full-time starting salary of $80,700 for civil engineering undergraduates, based on self-reported data from the 2024 KU First Destination Survey of all graduating students.
Industry engagement: KU’s Office of Economic Development works to strengthen partnerships among industry, government, and community partners, while supporting experiential learning, internships, student research, and career readiness.
Professional licensure preparation: The civil engineering degree requires students to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, which KU identifies as part of the process toward registration as a Professional Engineer (P.E.).
Accreditation value: The B.S. in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the applicable General Criteria and Civil Engineering Program Criteria, providing an externally recognized quality framework for the engineering education.
Graduation outcomes: KU states that graduates pursuing civil engineering careers are prepared to engage successfully in professional engineering practice or graduate study, while the department reports graduates progressing into professional practice, research, government and private laboratories, and management roles.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor’s degree, students can continue into KU’s Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Master of Civil Engineering, or specialized graduate programs such as Environmental & Water Resources Engineering. KU also offers Ph.D. programs in Civil Engineering and Environmental & Water Resources Engineering, with civil engineering graduate study allowing specialization in areas such as structural, environmental, water resources, geotechnical, transportation, construction, and engineering mechanics.