Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering

Who is this program for?

The bachelor's degree program in Civil Engineering is perfect for students interested in designing and building infrastructure that supports communities, from bridges and highways to water treatment facilities. With skills in structural analysis, geotechnics, and environmental engineering, graduates are prepared for careers as structural engineers, urban planners, or project managers, contributing to the sustainable development and resilience of public infrastructure.

Program Overview

The Civil Engineering program at the University of Kentucky prepares students to design and manage the infrastructure that supports our daily lives—from roads and bridges to water systems and sustainable buildings. With a curriculum grounded in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, students gain the technical knowledge and problem-solving skills needed to address real-world challenges. Through hands-on learning, research opportunities, and strong connections with faculty and industry partners, students are supported in reaching their academic and career goals. Civil engineering students graduate ready to pursue careers in areas like construction management, urban planning, structural design, and environmental engineering. If you're interested in building a better, more resilient world, civil engineering at UK offers the tools and support to help you get there.

The First Year Engineering Experience

All first-year Engineering majors participate in the First Year Experience Program offered by the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. The First-Year Engineering (FYE) Program is designed to orient students to the wide range of engineering disciplines and allows students to take engineering classes on day one. FYE classes present foundational knowledge from all our undergraduate majors and equip students with the confidence to pursue any degree program they are interested in.

Our Accreditation

ABET

This program is accredited by ABET, the recognized global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. This accreditation ensures that our programs meet the highest standards of quality and prepare students to enter the global workforce as well-qualified engineering professionals. Read more about this accreditation.

Related Careers

Civil engineers are employed in a range of industries including:

  • Construction
  • Engineering or Architectural Firms
  • Utility Companies
  • Energy Companies
  • Telecommunications Businesses
  • Manufacturing
  • Consulting Firms
  • Railroads
  • State and Federal Governmental Agencies

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These events are designed to answer your questions and give you a glimpse into what it’s like to be a part of our program.

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What You'll Learn

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering program focuses on the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure systems that support modern society. Students study core areas such as structural engineering, transportation systems, geotechnical engineering, water resources, and construction management. The curriculum emphasizes analytical thinking, problem-solving, and hands-on experience with modern engineering tools and techniques, preparing students to address real-world challenges in the built environment. Expand the menu below to view a sample curriculum plan.


Degree requirements, course descriptions and academic policies for all programs are detailed in the University Catalog.

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Transfer in using our KCTCS Pathway

This program has a degree pathway from KCTCS, allowing students a seamless transfer process to obtain their bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky.

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University of Kentucky Accelerated Master's Pathways

Get a Head Start with an

Accelerated Pathway

This program is part of the Accelerated Master's Pathways program. If you plan to obtain a related master's degree, this program can save you time and money with dual credit hours when you sign up.

Get Your Head Start

"I ended up getting a summer co-op with Messer Construction after my freshman year, which made me realize that I had made the right choice by choosing civil engineering for a major."

Sarah Schweitzer

2017 Civil Engineering Graduate

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Explore Financial Aid Options

Undergraduate degree-seeking students have access to a variety of financial aid options, including scholarships, grants, work-study programs, and student loans, designed to make education more affordable.

Expand Your Learning

Student Organizations

Student organizations are an outgrowth of student interest and serve the needs of a variety of students. Many provide programs that supplement the classroom experience and extend into areas of service for the community. All provide learning and leadership training for participating students. Student organizations that are typically of interest to civil engineering students include:  American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineers Without Borders, RailCats, Chi Epsilon, Institute for Transportation Engineers, Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, and Tau Beta Pi.

 

Co-ops

The civil engineering program offers numerous opportunities to obtain hands-on experience through summer internships and co-operative education programs with many companies throughout the U.S. These experiences often lead to full-time engineering professional positions upon graduation. For those interested in research, the program offers numerous undergraduate research opportunities in each of the specialized areas of civil engineering. 

The Engineering Career and Co-op Center is a valuable resource for assisting you with developing job and co-op search skills; participating in education-abroad programs and participating in research endeavors and career network development so you can secure a rewarding career in your chosen field of study.


 

Students participate in a career fair.
Students meet with student org representatives at an outdoor involvement fair.

Get Involved!

Students who get involved in activities outside of the classroom tend to do better academically and develop meaningful relationships with others at UK. Our network of student organizations and activities has something for everyone, from academic to professional to fun!

Learn About Student Organizations & Activities

Join the Engineering Living Learning Program

The ELLP provides a welcoming community for engineering and computer science students to be supported academically and establish meaningful connections with other students.

This residential experience complements classroom expectations by integrating students into the engineering community with programs centered on professional development and academic support. In addition, the ELLP provides students with opportunities to interact with College of Engineering faculty, alumni, industry partners, academic advisors, engineering student organizations, and Peer Mentors. Peer Mentors are hand-selected to support new students during their transition to the University of Kentucky.

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Complete the form to get the latest updates on this program, including special events and application deadlines.

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Things to do on this form:
Take away "Term" for Transfers - "Unknown Term"? As well as "Not in High School"
And the same for "Online"

Possibly remove the "Readmit" option.
Feel like it would be pretty easy to see if the person already exists in our system and has a program enrollment record associated with them, which would shift them from "Freshman" or "Transfer" to "Readmit"
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