Welcome to Civil Engineering at the University of Waterloo

Civil engineers design and maintain the massive infrastructure which today's society depends upon: roads, buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels, levees, sewer systems, and water treatment plants.

Guiding the future of our infrastructure, Civil Engineers currently direct the spending of more than one tenth of Canada's gross national product, more than any other professional group. The Civil engineering program at Waterloo is both challenging and fulfilling, with a great deal of flexibility: students get to customize their degree with a large number of technical electives in structural, transportation, geotechnical, and water/environmental engineering.

News

A professor in the Faculty of Engineering has been recognized for more than a decade of hands-on, inclusive teaching that has reshaped how students in civil and environmental engineering experience foundational concepts.

Dr. Rania Al-Hammoud, Professor, Teaching Stream, and Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received the 2026 Distinguished Teacher Award — the University of Waterloo’s highest honour for teaching excellence, awarded to those with a sustained record of excellence spanning at least five years.

The University of Waterloo’s ITE student chapter has won the 2026 Outstanding Student Chapter Award, marking its third straight win after a strong post-pandemic comeback.

Led largely by undergraduates and with a more diverse membership, the chapter has grown through community-building, creative events, and strong industry connections. It’s now recognized as a leading student organization in transportation.

University of Waterloo Civil and Environmental Engineering students earned third place at the CSCE National Capstone Competition for a unique project tackling invasive species in the Kawartha Lakes. Their turbulent velocity barrier combined fluid dynamics modeling with ecological design, showcasing the power of interdisciplinary engineering. The achievement highlights both technical excellence and the perseverance behind five years of study, marking a strong finish to their undergraduate journey.