Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, management and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings. Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it was defined to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering. It is traditionally broken into several sub-disciplines including environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, municipal or urban engineering, water resources engineering, materials engineering, coastal engineering, surveying, and construction engineering. Civil engineering takes place on all levels: in the public sector from municipal through to national governments, and in the private sector from individual homeowners through to international companies.

The educational mission of the Civil Engineering undergraduate program is to provide students with an multidisciplinary curriculum that is fundamental, yet broad and flexible, to produce graduates who are well-grounded in mathematical, scientific, and technical knowledge; have the ability to analyze, evaluate, and design civil engineering systems; have the ability to communicate effectively; have had meaningful opportunities for undergraduate research; and who have acquired an understanding and appreciation for global and societal issues and are thus prepared for a career path toward leadership in industry, government, and academia.