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Civil Engineering, BS

Pursue a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with optional environmental specialization and gain expertise to engineer a more sustainable future.

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About this Program

Designing Infrastructure for a More Sustainable & Equitable World

Our ABET-accredited and award-winning civil engineering program will provide you with a strong foundation in mathematics, engineering sciences and the humanities.

You’ll benefit from our low student-faculty ratio as you connect closely with your professors. Faculty are well connected to the professional engineering community and emphasize real-world applications in their courses.

Our curriculum is practical, with hands-on learning and career development built into our programs at every level—from class projects to quarterly advising meetings. Our Seattle location puts you in the center of a region that greatly values students with the skillsets we emphasize. Our graduates work on solving some of the most important problems of our time, including making buildings safe in earthquakes, designing flood management projects that also improve fish habitat, ensuring roadways are safe for pedestrians, and providing clean drinking water in a safe, economical and sustainable way.

Along with excellent engineering skills, you’ll develop leadership potential, ethics and sense of social responsibility in our Bachelor of Civil Engineering program. Our Jesuit and Catholic educational approach emphasizes a well-rounded education. We'll do everything we can to help you chart a path towards work that provides personal meaning while also supporting a more just and equitable society.

Civil Engineering Major at a Glance

Learn how this degree from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will contribute to your career goals. Then, explore course requirements and see how impactful a Seattle University degree can be.

Our B.S. in Civil Engineering emphasizes a diverse skill set crucial for designing solutions to real-world problems. Through standard coursework in engineering mechanics, soils, water resources, environmental engineering and project management, as well as specialized coursework in mechanics of materials and structural analysis, you'll gain the expertise needed to build and maintain the systems that support society. This ABET-accredited civil engineering degree equips you to tackle real-world challenges in areas like structural analysis, transportation, water resources and urban development.

The Environmental Specialization within the BS in Civil Engineering emphasizes civil engineering skills relevant to problems that relate to both the built and natural environments. The program combines our standard coursework in engineering mechanics, soils, water resources, environmental engineering and project management with specialized courses in environmental biology, water supply and hazardous waste. With this ABET-accredited civil engineering degree, you can contribute to cleaning contaminated water, managing critical water resources, addressing challenges of air pollution, reclaiming habitats for endangered species and remediating polluted sites.

Add a minor in environmental engineering and broaden your career impact. This minor is available for students not majoring in civil engineering. To earn a minor, you’ll complete at least 30 credits in this area.

At the time of graduation, students from our civil engineering program are expected to have these skills:

  • Problem Solving: an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  • Design: an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  • Communication: an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  • Professional and Ethical Responsibility: an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  • Teamwork: an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  • Experimentation: an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  • Learning: an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

ABET Accreditation

The civil engineering program is accredited by the Civil Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil Engineering. 

Program Educational Objectives

The program strives to provide a personalized, world-class educational experience, in keeping with Seattle University's Mission, that enables graduates to:

Professional: attain a position in civil engineering or related field,

Technical: be recognized as competent professionals as demonstrated by the completion of professional licensure or specialized certification,

Personal: participate in ongoing personal and professional growth and learning as demonstrated by completion of advanced degrees or through other forms of continuing education, and

Societal: contribute to society or the profession through involvement in professional organizations or other service activity.

Leadership: Contribute to organizations by accepting new responsibilities, seeking leadership opportunities, or leading an initiative or project.

 

What You’ll Learn

Learn about the classes you’ll take as a student here.

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Top 25% in Science & Engineering

Seattle University ranks #40 in the nation —U.S. News & World Report, 2023

51%

Women Civil Engineering Students

Vs. national average of 27% of women civil engineering students. —ASEE, 2022

62%

Of SU Civil Engineering Students

Identify as People of Color vs. national average of 38% —ASEE, 2021

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Senior Projects: Real Projects, Industry Sponsors

Your year-long, industry-sponsored senior design project gives you the opportunity to collaborate with an industry sponsor on a real project—and explore all the complex factors that you’ll encounter on the job. As of 2024, 21 of our design team projects have earned the prestigious NCEES Engineering Education Award for their work.

Senior Projects
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Careers Development from the Start

You’ll be placed on a career development track in your first quarter, with opportunities to explore different careers in civil engineering and connect to employers in Seattle’s engineering community.

Learn More
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Inclusive, Global Education

Our Jesuit values mean we see the world through a global, justice-focused lens. Our strong commitment to diversity and small class sizes help create a forward-thinking, close-knit community where everyone can feel at home—and go on to thrive in a global workforce.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Prepared for Success in Seattle and Beyond

Due to our extensive industry networks and the demand for civil engineers, our program has a high job placement rate. Our graduates work in top private-sector firms and government agencies while some seek advanced degrees.

Hear From Our Student

Brooke Kierzek, ‘25

“My favorite thing about the faculty within the Seattle University Civil Engineering program is that they recognize that each student is unique and has different goals and aspirations. The faculty truly care about teaching and student success, which I feel has contributed to the closeness of my peers and I in my cohort.”

BS in Civil Engineering

Featured Faculty

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