Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Build upon your passion for creating the safe, sustainable infrastructure of the future as a Civil Engineer. You'll study areas such as structural analysis, thermodynamics, and soil mechanics to solve real-world problems including clean water shortages, earthquake damage prevention, and green city design. Your choice of elective courses on subjects including highway location, hydrology, and the design of steel and concrete structures will build on your goals and interests.
Because civil engineering is a collaborative profession, you'll undertake hands-on projects solving real-world problems with community partners. Faculty advisors will provide personal guidance and mentoring on everything from course selection to career planning. Biannual career fairs with allow you to network with local and national companies for internships, co-ops, and full-time jobs. CEE LEAD at the Charles River Campus allows you to spend a semester interning in the Greater Boston area.
Our graduates embark on careers in design, construction, and management in areas including transportation systems, drinking and waste-water treatment systems, buildings, bridges, tunnels, dams, and wind energy.
Benefits list
CEE LEAD Internship at the Charles River Campus
Spend a semester interning at exciting locations in the Greater Boston area including engineering consulting firms, public agencies, and environmental organizations! Gain practical experience that prepares you for your future career while taking classes and staying on track to graduate on time.
Student Voices
Raul Vera '25 was named a UMass Amherst Rising Researcher for his work on studying how organic matter enters the water supply and seeking solutions to mitigate the presence of potential carcinogens in drinking water.
Explore research areas
At UMass, Civil Engineering is divided into four research areas: Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering and Mechanics, Transportation Engineering, and Environmental Engineering. You can explore each of these areas through your coursework as an undergraduate.
Get involved
Get involved with student organizations such as Engineers Without Borders, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Seismic Design Team, the Concrete Canoe Team, and the Steel Bridge Design Team.
Featured classes
Hydrology, geology, chemistry, and engineering design of groundwater systems. Topics include groundwater and the hydrologic cycle, groundwater hydraulics, groundwater as a resource, natural groundwater chemistry, and contamination and remediation.
Fundamental principles of traffic flow and intersection traffic operations including traffic data-collection methods, traffic-control devices, traffic-signal design, and analysis techniques.
A study of the properties of soil used in engineering. Topics include soil classification, compaction, swelling and shrinkage, permeability and seepage, consolidation, strength and stiffness, and the implications of soil for civil engineering design.
Application information & deadlines
For more Important Dates & Deadlines, including transfer and spring admission, visit the UMass Amherst admissions website.
Fall Admission Deadlines
November 5 for early action; January 15 for regular decision
Civil Engineering
From transportation and water systems to buildings and more, UMass Amherst Civil Engineering students protect natural resources and improve lives.
Accreditation
The BS in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
The educational objectives and student outcomes, as well as enrollment and graduation data, can be found here.