Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of New Mexico

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of New Mexico (UNM) is a 4-year, on-campus engineering program for students who want to design, build, and protect infrastructure while addressing challenges involving sustainability, water, environmental health, transportation, and structural systems. Students gain broad preparation across construction, environmental, geotechnical, materials, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering, with opportunities to develop technical skills through design, laboratory work, research, and advanced engineering electives.

Curriculum structure

First Year: Students establish their engineering foundation through CE 160L – Civil Engineering Design, MATH 1512 – Calculus I, and CHEM 1215 – General Chemistry I for STEM Majors, followed by ENG 130L – Introduction to Engineering Computing, MATH 1522 – Calculus II, and PHYS 1310 – Calculus-Based Physics I. This year combines mathematics, science, computing, and introductory civil engineering design to prepare students for advanced technical coursework.

Second Year: Students move into core engineering analysis through CE 202 – Engineering Statics, CE 283 – Surveying and Geomatics, and MATH 2531 – Calculus III, developing skills in forces, measurement, surveying, and mathematical modelling. ENGL 2210 – Professional and Technical Communication, ME 306 – Dynamics, and STAT 345 – Elements of Mathematical Statistics and Probability Theory further strengthen professional communication and quantitative problem-solving.

Third Year: The curriculum becomes more specialized through CE 302 – Mechanics of Materials, CE 305 – Infrastructure Materials Science, and CE 331 – Fluid Mechanics, combining structural mechanics, materials testing, and fluid-flow principles. Students then study CE 308 – Structural Analysis, CE 335 – Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, CE 360 – Soil Mechanics, and CE 442 – Hydraulic Engineering and Hydrology, developing expertise across structural, environmental, geotechnical, and water-resource applications.

Fourth Year: Students tailor their education through breadth electives covering at least four civil engineering sub-disciplines—construction, environmental, geotechnical, structures, transportation, or water resources—and then develop greater depth through advanced 400-level electives. The year culminates in CE 499 – Design of Civil Engineering Systems, where students bring together their civil engineering knowledge through advanced design work.

Focus areas: Construction, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, water resources engineering, infrastructure materials.

Learning outcomes: Professional and ethical engineering practice, professional licensure preparation, advanced-study preparation, leadership, engineering analysis and design, technical communication, sustainable infrastructure development, and application of civil engineering principles to societal needs.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The B.S. in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, and students are required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination before graduation.

Reputation (employability rankings): UNM reports a 2025 Center for World University Rankings Employability Rank of 1,671 globally and a 2025 U.S. News & World Report global engineering rank of 936.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of New Mexico combines classroom learning with extensive hands-on work in the Centennial Engineering Center, where students can access dedicated facilities for environmental engineering, construction engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering and materials, pavement, surveying, water resources, and hydraulics. Students can develop practical skills through laboratory testing, engineering measurements, GIS visualization, design projects, research activities, and internships, with the department also maintaining connections with national laboratories, local engineering firms, and industry.

Students gain practical experience through:

Infrastructure Materials Science Laboratory: Undergraduate students conduct experiments and testing on steel, concrete, wood, cement, fiber, aggregate, and asphalt, developing practical materials-testing skills.
Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory: Students can work with dedicated facilities for testing metals, timber, concrete, and asphalt, including a high-bay structural testing area, reaction wall, and 100-kip structural frame for large-scale testing.
GIS Laboratory: The GIS Lab provides specialized software and hardware for teaching, research, and visualization, including collaborative research stations and systems for analyzing surface- and groundwater interactions.
Surveying Laboratory: Students gain field-measurement experience using total stations, automatic engineering levels, laser levels, laser distance meters, and mapping-grade GPS units.
Pavement Laboratory: Students and researchers have access to advanced asphalt-testing equipment including Dynamic Shear Rheometers, Bending Beam Rheometers, Direct Tension Testers, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and asphalt analysis systems.
Construction Engineering Laboratory: Practical resources include high-speed computers, teaching equipment, printers and plotters, while construction activities include equipment-operation models and the Construction Productivity Card Game for understanding crew productivity.
Water resources and hydraulics: The department maintains dedicated Water Resources and Hydraulics laboratory facilities, supporting practical study and research in water-related civil engineering.
Internships and professional experience: UNM provides civil engineering students with access to internship opportunities through the department and Engineering Student Success Center, including opportunities connected with engineering firms and organizations such as the Bureau of Reclamation and Sandia National Laboratories.
Civil engineering design: The senior CE 499 – Design of Civil Engineering Systems course serves as the culmination of the civil engineering curriculum, allowing students to integrate their engineering knowledge into a final design experience.
Research opportunities: The department offers undergraduate opportunities to participate in research, supported by specialized facilities and active research areas including environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, construction, and water resources engineering.
Collaborative digital learning: The department's Media Lab supports classes, presentations, meetings, and student study, with large displays, projectors, cameras, and technology specifically supporting visual learning in areas such as BIM and GIS.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering can pursue professional roles across structural, transportation, environmental, construction, and infrastructure engineering, while UNM’s program educational objectives also emphasize professional licensure, advanced study, and leadership development. Typical career paths include Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Project Engineer, and Traffic Engineer; UNM’s civil engineering materials also identify roles such as design engineer, city engineer, county engineer, and civil engineering manager.

Students can build their transition from university to professional practice through:

Career services: UNM Engineering Student Services provides advising, tutoring, networking, scholarship support, and access to Career Services resources, including hundreds of internship, co-op, and postgraduate opportunities, employer information sessions, resume resources, and recruiting events.
Employment and salary information: UNM Career Services lists civil-engineering salary information for the Albuquerque MSA at $89,230 median annually, with a reported range of $55,010–$134,320; the figures are presented as career-information data rather than guaranteed graduate salaries.
Industry and research connections: UNM states that its engineering education includes collaborations with universities, national laboratories, and industry, giving students opportunities to connect academic engineering with professional and research environments.
Professional development: Students can participate in organizations including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and engage with competitions and professional activities connected with civil and construction engineering.
Accreditation value: The B.S. in Civil Engineering is ABET-accredited through the Engineering Accreditation Commission, providing an established quality framework for the engineering curriculum and supporting the professional pathway toward engineering licensure. UNM’s program objectives specifically identify professional licensure and/or advanced study as graduate goals.
Graduation outcomes: UNM provides an institutional Alumni Outcomes Data platform using Steppingblocks and federally sourced Postsecondary Employment Outcomes data to examine graduate employment, earnings, industries, job titles, and career pathways; the university notes that this data is intended to support program-level career advising and institutional analysis.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor’s degree, students can continue into UNM’s graduate programs in Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, including the M.S. in Civil Engineering, Master of Engineering, and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, with opportunities to specialize in areas such as structures, construction, and other civil engineering fields.