Civil Engineering
Degree: BS
Campus: Columbus
College: Engineering
To be considered for this major, freshmen applying to the Columbus campus are strongly encouraged to submit their complete admission application by November 1.
Civil engineers plan, design and build the structures and systems essential to American civilization: buildings, bridges, tunnels and dams; harbors and airports; waterways, railways and highways; water treatment plants; irrigation and drainage systems; landfills; and wastewater treatment plants. This is one of the few areas of engineering in which the engineer deals directly with the public in every phase of the job.
Civil engineering at Ohio State offers the prospective student an exciting academic program enhanced by experiences in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. We offer a challenging environment designed to provide students with the resources and background necessary to pursue activities in the many different areas of civil engineering. The department’s professors are internationally recognized as leaders in their respective areas.
Prospective students interested in pursuing engineering at Ohio State must indicate their engineering major of interest on their application. Applicants are reviewed holistically by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Some engineering majors have available capacity and can direct enroll students into the major without an additional application process. Other engineering majors have a pre-major component and require an additional application process.
To learn about admission to specific engineering majors, visit: https://engineering.osu.edu/undergraduate/future-students/
All engineering students have a similar first-year plan of study, the college core, that provides fundamental courses in math, science and engineering.
Civil engineering students take courses in surveying, transportation engineering and analysis, construction management, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, structural design, fundamentals of environmental engineering, and economics and planning.
All engineering students also take additional select core courses and general education courses.
Engineering students have several opportunities for global education, including service learning, semester abroad, international internships, engineering-specific study abroad programs or the Global Option in Engineering program.
Whether it be installing solar panels on Haitian schools, researching biomedical optics in China, devising solutions for sustainable food production in Honduras, or setting speed records on the Isle of Man, Ohio State engineering students venture beyond classrooms and labs to find success in every corner of the globe.
Students work with Engineering Career Services to find both paid internships and co-op jobs across the United States and around the world. About 75% of engineering students participate in a co-op or internship before they graduate.
Honors and Scholars offer students an opportunity to pursue academic rigor (Honors) or foster passion through community (Scholars). Engineering students can enhance their experience by getting involved with one of the following engineering-based programs.
Engineering Honors
The Fundamentals of Engineering for Honors (FEH) Program is an optional course sequence that is offered to University Honors-designated engineering students. This accelerated program is designed to challenge students and provide them with a foundation in engineering principles that are necessary for success throughout their academic careers.
Engineering Scholars
Engineering Scholars contemplate the adoption of socially responsible practices within engineering as a means to minimize health risks and environmental impact and maximize efficiency, feasibility and sustainability.
Humanitarian Engineering Scholars learn about and engage in engineering activities that impact underserved areas by addressing pressing problems.
At Ohio State, engineering students conduct research alongside top faculty from across the university—doctors, physicists, designers, artists and experts in many other fields—to advance our knowledge and improve the world around us. Students enjoy multiple outlets to share their work, including Ohio State's annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum each spring. Learn more about engineering research.
Civil engineering research topics:
- smart bridges and structures
- quality control and risk analysis, construction safety
- airport and aviation system planning, design, operations, and management
- soil mechanics modeling
- beneficial use of coal fly ash
- traffic engineering, highway location and design
Civil engineering students choose from more than 80 engineering student organizations, including American Society of Civil Engineers, Chi Epsilon, Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio, Big Beam Team, Concrete Canoe and Ohio State Steel Bridge Team.
As environmental concerns mount, the technological revolution expands and we pioneer into space, the demand for civil engineers will rise. They will design, build and maintain the facilities essential to our civilization. This demand will be augmented by the effort to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, including highways, bridges, water and wastewater treatment plants, and other public buildings.
Employment in various government agencies, the aerospace industry, consulting, engineering marketing or sales, and private industry provides career opportunities, which are many and varied depending upon the type of civil engineering pursued.
Some employers of civil engineering graduates include American Electric Power (AEP), Burgess & Niple, Corna Kokosing Construction Co., Grunley Construction, Kiewit Corp., Marathon Petroleum Corp., Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Ohio EPA, Turner Construction Co., U.S. Navy, and Woda Group.
Many graduates work with Engineering Career Services to find their first job.
Beginning annual salaries for recent civil engineering graduates average $57,276.