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Civil Engineering, BS

As a civil engineer, you can design sustainable facilities that protect the health and welfare of communities and our environment, while also ensuring society’s financial health. Many of our civil engineering graduates serve society through leadership roles in projects to conceive, design and construct public works.


Design your academic journey

The major

Your primary field of study, which defines your core technical curriculum and the degree you earn.

Sample Degree/Major Plan

Fall semester (16 credits)
  • MATH 221 – Calculus And Analytic Geometry 1 5
  • CHEM 109 – Advanced General Chemistry 5
  • INTEREGR 170 OR LIBERAL STUDIES 3
  • COMMUNICATIONS A 3
Spring semester (13 credits)
  • MATH 222 – Calculus And Analytic Geometry 2 4
  • E M A 201 – Statics 3
  • CIV ENGR 159 OR M E 231 2
  • LIBERAL STUDIES or OR INTEREGR 170 3
  • GEOSCI 100 OR GEOSCI 106 3
Fall semester (16 credits)
  • MATH 234 – Calculus–functions Of Several Variables 4
  • E M A 202 – Dynamics 3
  • CIV ENGR 320 – Environmental Engineering 3
  • BIOLOGY ELECTIVE 3
  • STAT 324 – Introduction To Statistics For Science And Engineering 3
Spring semester (13 credits)
  • MATH 319 OR 320 3
  • E M A 303 – Mechanics Of Materials 3
  • E M A/​M E 307 – Mechanics Of Materials Lab 1
  • CIV ENGR 310 – Fluid Mechanics 3
  • INTEREGR 275 – Technical Presentations 2
  • ECON 101 OR ECON 102 OR ECON 111 4
Fall semester (16 credits)
  • CIV ENGR 311 – Hydroscience 3
  • CIV ENGR/​G L E 330 – Soil Mechanics 3
  • CIV ENGR/​G L E 291 – Problem Solving Using Computer Tools 4
  • ETHNIC STUDIES 3
  • INTEREGR 397 – Engineering Communication 3
Spring semester (17 credits)
  • CIV ENGR 340 – Structural Analysis I 3
  • CIV ENGR/​E M A 395 – Materials For Constructed Facilities 3
  • CIV ENGR 498 – Construction Project Management 3
  • CIV ENGR 370 – Transportation Engineering 3
  • PHYSICS 202 OR 208 5
Fall semester (16 credits)
  • CIV ENGR DESIGN ELECTIVE 3
  • ENGR ELECTIVE 3
  • CIV ENGR ELECTIVE 3
  • CIV ENGR 494 – Civil And Environmental Engineering Decision Making 3
  • ENV STUDIES ELECTIVE 3
  • ENGR ELECTIVE 1
Spring semester (16 credits)
  • CIV ENGR 578 – Senior Capstone Design 4
  • CIV ENGR DESIGN ELECTIVE 3
  • ENGR ELECTIVE 3
  • LIBERAL STUDIES 3
  • ENGR OUTSIDE OF CIV ENGR 3

Named options

Dive deeper into your major and earn a formal credential that appears on your transcript.

The Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) option provides construction-focused learning and skill development for students who are interested in the construction industry. You will learn the technical and practical skills necessary to lead and coordinate construction scheduling, budgeting, safety, on-site decision making, availability of materials, legal aspects of projects, and more. You will receive instruction and mentorship from industry professionals who bring real-world experience and project control techniques into the classroom and offer support to secure internships. Beyond coursework, many students expand their learning journey with the Construction Club, ELECTRI Technical Innovation Challenge, and collaborative research with industry partners.

An accelerated engineering master’s program is a great choice if you’d like to earn your master’s degree by adding as little as a single year of study at UW-Madison.

Investing in your future

Value and costs

Based on an average of 12-18 credits per semester for the 2025-26 academic year from bursars office tuition rates workbook.
Tuition is one part of the overall cost of attendance at UW-Madison.  For more information on the cost of attendance, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Wisconsin icon

Wisconsin resident

$7,683

Minnesota icon

Minnesota reciprocity

$10,346

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Non-resident

$23,695

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Non-resident international

$24,195

Scholarships

Our scholarships aren’t just about financial support; they’re about investing in your potential and helping you focus on what matters most: your education and your future as a leader in engineering.
US Dollars 4.4MMillion
scholarships awarded
1,200
undergrad recipients
1,550Plus
scholarships awarded, made possible by the generous support of donors

Outcomes

Here’s what life after graduation could look like for you.
$72,000
FIRST-YEAR MEDIAN SALARY

Key employers

  • J.H. Findorff & Son
  • JP Cullen
  • Kimley-Horn
  • M. A. Mortenson Construction
  • Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Common job titles

  • Civil Engineer
  • Field Engineer
  • Project Engineer
  • Site Engineer
  • Transportation Engineer

Your path to admission

Freshman

Starting college for the first time?

Transfer student

Coming from another college or university?

Cross-campus student

Already at UW–Madison?

Reentry student

Took time off?


Your built-in network

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As an undergrad, you can help pioneer new knowledge or technologies on your own or as a researcher in a professor’s lab. It’s a great opportunity to apply what you’re learning in class, explore a field or topic that interests you, and gain insight into what it’s like to be a graduate student.

Undergraduate research
undergraduate showing research technique in structures lab.

Explore, get involved, try new things and soak up everything our campus and the surrounding environs have to offer.

Student life

The College of Engineering offers services specifically for engineering students, in addition to the services offered campus-wide.

Student services
Four students pose and smile with Dr. Ebony McGee in the IEDE Student Center
undergraduate showing research technique in structures lab.
Our eight renowned academic departments form the heart and personality of our college.

Life as a Badger engineer

See what it’s actually like to live, learn and grow here through the stories of the people who know us best.
“Being a Badger engineering student has been challenging but rewarding. Resources like the Undergraduate Learning Center have been invaluable for exam preparation and coursework support. Additionally, being part of engineering organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, and my STAR Scholarship Program has provided a strong community that supports both my academic and personal growth.”
Wynton Wright BSCE ‘27
Wynton Wright
10
undergraduate ranking among public universities in civil engineering

ABET accreditation

The B.S. in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Program Educational Objectives for the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 

We recognize that our graduates will choose to use the knowledge and skills that they have acquired during their undergraduate years to pursue a wide variety of career and life goals, and we encourage this diversity of paths. Whatever path our graduates may choose, we expect them to be meeting the following objectives at least three to five years after graduation: 

  1. Design and construct both natural and built processes and systems to efficiently meet determined needs using technical knowledge; modern tools; design principles; ethical practice; and communication, leadership, and team skills. 
  2. Investigate natural and built systems by using measurements, experiments, and analysis tools.
  3. Understand, anticipate, and incorporate economic, environmental, political, social, safety, ethical and global considerations in the design, investigation, and construction of natural and built systems.
  4. Engage in lifelong learning to keep pace with the continuous evolution of policies, procedures, technologies and tools for engineering analysis, design, and decision making. 
  5. Serve others through participation in professional and/or civic activities and responsibilities. 

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Program website. (In this Guide, the program's Student Outcomes are available through the "Learning Outcomes" tab.) 

Learning Outcomes

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. 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
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Degrees:

  • Conferred, 2024-2025
    Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering: 61
  • Enrolled, Fall 2025
    Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering: 376

Still exploring?

We have 13 engineering undergrad majors—so you can find the field that’s the best fit for you (even if you decide to switch later).

Compare majors

Select up to three majors to compare.


Questions?

Email questions to our College of Engineering team at FutureEngineers@engr.wisc.edu and someone will get back to you soon.