BSE in Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Program Overview

The BSE in Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor is a four-year engineering degree focused on designing, building, and maintaining infrastructure while addressing sustainability, resilience, public safety, and the interaction between the natural and built environment. It suits students interested in solving real-world infrastructure challenges through areas such as structural, transportation, geotechnical, construction, environmental, hydraulics and hydrology, materials, hazards and resilience, and infrastructure systems engineering.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish the mathematical, scientific, computing, and engineering foundation required for civil engineering through courses such as MATH 115, MATH 116, ENGR 100 Intro to Engineering, ENGR 101 Intro to Computers, CHEM 130, and PHYSICS 140/141. The curriculum also introduces students to the engineering profession and develops the quantitative skills needed for later CEE coursework.

Year 2: Students begin the core civil-engineering sequence with CEE 200 Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering, CEE 211 Statics and Dynamics, CEE 212 Solid and Structural Mechanics, CEE 230 Thermodynamics and the Environment or CEE 375 Sensors and Circuits, and CEE 265 Sustainable Engineering Principles. These courses move students from fundamental engineering science into mechanics, sustainability, environmental considerations, and civil-engineering applications.

Year 3: Students develop more specialized technical knowledge through CEE 303 Computational Methods, CEE 373 Statistical Methods, CEE 325 Fluid Mechanics, and program electives such as CEE 312 Structural Engineering, CEE 331 Construction Management, CEE 345 Geotechnical Engineering, CEE 351 Civil Engineering Materials, CEE 365 Environmental Engineering Principles, CEE 421 Hydrology and Floodplain Hydraulics, or CEE 450 Transportation Engineering. This stage allows students to shape their studies around the civil-engineering area most relevant to their interests.

Year 4: The final year emphasizes advanced technical electives and professional design, culminating in CEE 402 Professional Issues & Design, where students undertake a multidisciplinary team design experience considering codes, regulations, economics, sustainability, constructability, reliability, aesthetics, professionalism, and ethics. Students can deepen their expertise through courses such as CEE 412 Matrix Structural Analysis, CEE 413 Design of Metal Structures, CEE 415 Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures, CEE 428 Groundwater Hydrology, CEE 435 Building Information Modeling, CEE 526, or CEE 551/552 depending on their chosen direction.

Focus areas: Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management, Hydraulics and Hydrological Engineering, Materials Engineering, Hazards Risk and Resilience, Environmental Engineering, Infrastructure Systems.

Learning outcomes: Students develop the ability to apply engineering design, communicate effectively, work collaboratively in teams, conduct experiments and interpret data, consider ethical and professional responsibilities, evaluate global/economic/environmental/social impacts, and acquire new knowledge using appropriate learning strategies.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The BSE in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and the Civil Engineering Program Criteria, providing an internationally recognized quality framework for the engineering degree.

Reputation (employability rankings): The University of Michigan’s Civil Engineering undergraduate program is ranked #6 in the U.S. in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings, and Michigan Engineering reports that 99% of CEE graduates are employed directly after graduation or attend graduate/professional school.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The BSE in Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor combines engineering fundamentals with project-based design, computing, laboratory work, research, and industry exposure. Students begin with hands-on engineering design through Engineering 100, develop engineering-computing skills through Engineering 101, and can progress into Civil and Environmental Engineering research involving structures, transportation, construction, geotechnical engineering, materials, water resources, and infrastructure systems. Michigan also provides opportunities to work with faculty researchers, shadow practicing engineers, participate in internships and externships, and gain practical experience through interdisciplinary programs and student teams.

Key practical opportunities and resources include:

Project-based engineering: Engineering 100 gives first-year students a project-based introduction that simulates an authentic engineering environment, while Engineering 101 develops computing skills used throughout engineering study and professional work.
Industry externship: The CEE Undergraduate Externship allows students to shadow civil and environmental engineers at consulting engineering and construction firms, receive mentoring from industry professionals, explore career paths, and build professional networks.
Internships and work experience: Michigan Engineering's experiential-learning framework includes work experience, while CEE specifically provides undergraduate opportunities through research, employment, externships, and professional-development activities.
Research opportunities: Undergraduates can participate in UROP, SURE, and SROP, gaining experience on faculty-led research projects. Civil Engineering students can work on research involving next-generation transportation systems, disaster-resilient structures, infrastructure, materials, water resources, and other areas.
Geotechnical laboratories: Michigan's geotechnical facilities include the Geotechnical Testing Laboratory, F.E. Richart Jr. Soil Dynamics Laboratory, Geoenvironmental Laboratory, G.R.A.V.E.L., and Computational Geotechnics Laboratory, along with a 20-foot-diameter indoor sand pit and field testing equipment.
Field-testing equipment: Students and researchers can work with a 20-ton piezocone penetration testing rig equipped for seismic and vision cone penetration testing, soil sampling, and dilatometer testing.
Construction Engineering Laboratory: The Construction Engineering Laboratory provides computers and networked resources with software for simulation, scheduling, and visualization of construction projects and processes, together with construction documents, plans, specifications, and industry reference materials.
Structural testing: The Structural Engineering Laboratory supports large-scale testing of structural elements and subassemblies under monotonic and quasi-static cyclic loading, giving students involved in relevant research access to advanced structural-testing environments.
Materials and concrete research: The Advanced Civil Engineering Materials Research Laboratory involves undergraduate students in research on advanced materials and infrastructure sustainability, while the Cementitious Composites Laboratory investigates advanced cementitious materials and applications involving buildings, infrastructure, river restoration, flooding, and coastal erosion.
Pavement research: The Pavement Research Center of Excellence is equipped for materials and structural testing of concrete pavements, ranging from microstructural analysis to full-scale slab testing.
Computing resources: CEE students have access to CAEN computer labs, where engineering computers run the CAEN Lab Software Environment on Windows and Red Hat Linux. The College also provides Student Instructional and Student Research software environments, along with academic software that engineering students can install on personal computers.
Construction Management & Sustainability Scholars Program: Eligible junior CEE majors can participate in the CMSSP, an experiential program involving internships, international field trips, conference organization, mentoring, and self-directed projects focused on construction management and sustainability.
Interdisciplinary institutes and research: CEE students can engage with research areas including the Urban Collaboratory, which partners with communities on real-world challenges, and the Center for Smart Infrastructure Finance, which examines digital approaches to deploying capital for smart and resilient infrastructure.
Team-based learning: Michigan Engineering's experiential-learning framework includes Organizations & Teams, Human-centered Design, Research & Teaching, Work Experience, Engineering Abroad, and Leadership Development, allowing Civil Engineering students to extend classroom learning into collaborative projects and professional settings.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BSE in Civil Engineering prepares students for professional careers involving infrastructure, transportation, structures, construction, geotechnical engineering, and urban systems. Michigan Engineering reports that graduates move into roles across industry, government, and nonprofit organizations, while the curriculum also provides a foundation for graduate study.

Typical career roles: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Transportation Planner, Construction Manager.

Career services: The Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC) provides career advising, an engineering career portal, job-search resources, career events, and access to internship and co-op opportunities. Students can also participate in College of Engineering career fairs and the CEE Career Fair organized by student groups.
Employment and salary figures: For Academic Year 2025, Michigan Engineering's Civil Engineering BSE data reports an average full-time starting salary of $76,100, with a median of $77,000, a minimum of $70,000, and a maximum of $80,000. Internship salaries averaged $23.99 per hour, with a median of $24 per hour.
Employment sectors: Recent Civil Engineering graduates have entered civil and construction, automobiles and parts, consulting, utilities, and industrial engineering and transportation. Sample employers include AECOM, ARCO/Murray, Barton Malow, Burns & McDonnell, Hensel Phelps, HNTB, Kiewit, Kimley-Horn, Turner Construction, WSP, and Toyota.
University–industry connections: The CEE department maintains a documented list of employers that have hired its undergraduate students, including AECOM, American Bridge, Arcadis, Boeing, Clark Construction Group, DPR Construction, Delta Airport Consultants, Geosyntec Consultants, Hensel Phelps, and WSP. Employers can also recruit students through CEE and College of Engineering career fairs and internal job-posting channels.
Professional licensure value: The Civil Engineering BSE is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the Civil Engineering program criteria. Michigan notes that many U.S. state licensing boards require an EAC/ABET-accredited bachelor's degree for professional engineering licensure, although individual state requirements vary.
Graduation outcomes: Michigan's CEE program reports that approximately 44% of its undergraduates pursue graduate studies immediately after graduation. The department notes that master's education is increasingly relevant for some CEE specializations, while graduates also enter professional careers in industry, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BSE, students can continue into graduate-level study in civil and environmental engineering or related specializations such as structural engineering, construction engineering and management, transportation, geotechnical engineering, water resources, and environmental engineering. Michigan's CEE department specifically identifies master's and PhD study as pathways for graduates seeking deeper technical specialization, research experience, or expanded professional responsibilities.