Civil Engineering
What this engineering major studies in college, how to prepare in high school, the licensing exams, and careers open with a bachelor’s degree. Every fact below names its source.
Last checked:
What it is
Penn State's program in civil and environmental engineering is designed to provide the basic undergraduate education required for private practice and public service in civil engineering, or to continue formal education. [1]
Penn State's civil engineering program places emphasis on the fundamentals of civil engineering principles and design techniques. [1]
Typical college courses
ABET-accredited programs in this major must include mathematics through differential equations, probability and statistics, and calculus-based physics; engineering mechanics, materials science and numerical methods; and solving complex engineering problems in at least four specialty areas. [2]
The B.S. requires Statics, Strength of Materials, Structural Analysis, Engineering Mechanics of Soils, Fluid Mechanics and Introduction to Environmental Engineering, among other courses. [1]
The rows below show one named program as an example: the Penn State bachelor of science in this major, 2026–2027 bulletin. Course descriptions are in our own words. Course names and numbers differ at every college; confirm each college’s own list.
| Course | Status | What it covers (example: Penn State bulletin) | Comes after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statics | Required in this example program[1] | Statics (EMCH 211) covers the equilibrium of force systems in a plane and in space, the analysis of frames and trusses, friction, and centroids and moments of inertia. [3] | It comes after MATH 140. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Newton's first law and forces · Newton's second law: net force, mass and acceleration · Friction and inclined planes · Torque, rotation and equilibrium · Vectors: components and operations · Dot product and applications · Vectors and navigation | |||
| Strength of Materials | Required in this example program[1] | Strength of Materials (EMCH 213) covers axial stress and strain, torsion, stresses in beams, how beams bend and deflect, combined stress, and columns. [3] | It comes after Statics (EMCH 211). [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Newton's first law and forces · Torque, rotation and equilibrium · Volume of prisms, cylinders, pyramids and cones · The definite integral | |||
| Structural Analysis | Required in this example program[1] | Structural Analysis (CE 340) analyzes trusses, beams and frames, both statically determinate and indeterminate, for reactions, axial forces, shears, moments and deflections. [4] | It comes after EMCH 210 or EMCH 213. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Newton's first law and forces · Newton's third law and interactions · Torque, rotation and equilibrium · Sine, cosine and tangent · Theorems about triangles · The Law of Sines and the ambiguous case | |||
| Engineering Mechanics of Soils | Required in this example program[1] | Engineering Mechanics of Soils (CE 335) covers what soils are made of and how they are classified, subsurface exploration, ground water flow, stress analysis, compaction, soil behavior, bearing capacity, lateral earth pressure and slope stability. [4] | It comes after EMCH 210 or EMCH 213, with GEOSC 1 before or at the same time. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Minerals and rocks · Weathering, erosion and soil · The water cycle and groundwater · Fluids: pressure, buoyancy and flow · Friction and inclined planes | |||
| Fluid Mechanics | Required in this example program[1] | Fluid Mechanics (CE 360) studies how fluids behave and move through pipes and around objects, how much energy friction takes away, and how to measure flow. [4] | It comes after Dynamics (EMCH 212). [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Fluids: pressure, buoyancy and flow · Momentum and its conservation · Conservation of energy: modeling energy in a system · The derivative as a limit · The definite integral | |||
| Introduction to Environmental Engineering | Required in this example program[1] | Introduction to Environmental Engineering (CE 370) covers the nature and scope of environmental issues, impacts on air, water and land, and the basics and processes of pollution control. [4] | It comes after CHEM 110 and MATH 111 or MATH 141. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Fresh water: supply and use · Water pollution and treatment · Air pollution · Solid waste and the circular economy · Toxicology and environmental health · Chemistry in the environment and engineering | |||
Typical high school preparation
- In addition to university requirements, its applicants need 4 units of high school math, including Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, and pre-calculus/trigonometry or calculus, and 3 units of high school science that must include physics and chemistry, and they must also meet one of its ACT or GPA standards. [5]
- If the minimum admission has not been met, a student may be admitted based on an individual review. [5]
This is one university’s admission list for its engineering college, not a rule for every college. Confirm each college’s own list.
Other engineering majors
Each card opens that major’s page. Compare the courses before you choose, and confirm each college’s own list.
Engineering: the first-year core
First-year courses, ABET accreditation and licensing, with sources.
Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineering prepares students to plan, design, operate and renew the built systems that protect public health and the environment. [6]
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, and it is divided into two broad areas: mechanical systems and thermal systems. [7]
Materials Engineering
Materials such as ceramics, metals, polymers and composites are critical to many industries and key to most engineering disciplines. [8]
Where this degree can lead with a bachelor’s
National figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies by state, setting and experience. This is not a promise of pay or a job.
Examples from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Other careers may need more study after the bachelor’s degree.
Civil engineers
Civil engineers plan, design and supervise the construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects. [9]
The median annual wage for civil engineers was $100,840 in May 2025. [9]
Employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations. [9]
Civil engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field. [9]
Construction managers
Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget and supervise construction projects from start to finish. [10]
The median annual wage for construction managers was $114,990 in May 2025. [10]
Employment of construction managers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. [10]
Construction managers typically need a bachelor's degree in construction, business, engineering or a related field, and they learn management techniques through on-the-job training. [10]
Getting licensed: the FE and PE exams
Overview only. For dates, registration, rules and scoring, see each test maker's own site.
The FE exam
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is generally the first step in the process of becoming a licensed professional engineer (PE). [11]
The FE exam is designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program. [11]
The PE exam
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam tests for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline and is designed for engineers who have gained a minimum of four years of post-college work experience. [12]
NCEES offers more than 20 different PE exams, including five civil exams: Construction, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, and Water Resources and Environmental. [12]
The path to a PE license
To use the PE seal, engineers must earn a four-year degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program, pass the FE exam, complete four years of progressive engineering experience under a PE, and pass the PE exam. [13]
Civil engineers typically need a state-issued license if they provide services directly to the public. [9]
Exam names are trademarks of their owners. NCEES and NSPE are not affiliated with and do not endorse UpOnly Learning.
Questions people search
Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.
What can you do with a civil engineering degree?
Civil engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field. [9]
Construction managers typically need a bachelor's degree in construction, business, engineering or a related field, and they learn management techniques through on-the-job training. [10]
How to become a civil engineer
Civil engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field. [9]
Civil engineers typically need a state-issued license if they provide services directly to the public. [9]
To use the PE seal, engineers must earn a four-year degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program, pass the FE exam, complete four years of progressive engineering experience under a PE, and pass the PE exam. [13]
Your next step
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Sources
- The Pennsylvania State University. Civil Engineering, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/engineering/civil-engineering-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- ABET. Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, 2026–2027. https://www.abet.org/2026-2027_eac_criteria. 2026–2027 review cycle (Engineering Accreditation Commission). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Engineering Mechanics (EMCH) course descriptions. https://bulletins.psu.edu/university-course-descriptions/undergraduate/emch/. current University Bulletins (the MATH and EDSGN course pages show the 2026–27 edition). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Civil Engineering (CE) course descriptions. https://bulletins.psu.edu/university-course-descriptions/undergraduate/ce/. current University Bulletins (the MATH and EDSGN course pages show the 2026–27 edition). Checked .
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln, College of Engineering. Admission Requirements. https://engineering.unl.edu/undergraduate-programs/admission-requirements. no edition stated (page footer © 2025). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Environmental Engineering, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/engineering/environmental-engineering-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Mechanical Engineering, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/engineering/mechanical-engineering-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Materials Science and Engineering, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/earth-mineral-sciences/materials-science-engineering-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Civil Engineers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/civil-engineers.htm. OOH page last modified August 27, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction Managers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm. OOH page last modified August 27, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). FE exam. https://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/. no edition stated. Checked .
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). PE exam. https://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/. no edition stated. Checked .
- National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). What is a PE? https://www.nspe.org/about/about-professional-engineering/what-pe. no edition stated. Checked .
Format: Publisher. Page title. URL. Edition or catalog year. Checked date.