Civil and Environmental Engineering programs comparison chart

  Civil Architectural Environmental Geological
Ontario Universities'  Application Centre Code WE WEA WEE WWG

First-year admission range

 Individual selection from the high 80s
System of study Co-op only
Campus University of Waterloo Main Campus, architectural students spend their third year at the Cambridge School of Architecture
Number of academic terms Eight
Number of co-op terms Five out of six required
Common first year courses

Calculus I and II, Chemistry, Mechanics I and II, Linear Algebra, Computational Methods, Electrical Circuits and Instrumentation
Unique first year courses
  • Civil Engineering Concepts
  • Earth Engineering
  • Concepts Studio
  • Architectural Graphics Studio
  • History of the Built Environment
  • Environmental and Geological Engineering Concepts
  • Earth Engineering
Sample upper year courses
  • Transport Principles and Applications
  • Introduction to Structural Design
  • Civil Systems and Project Management
  • Engineering Biomechanics
  • Engineering and Sustainable Development
  • Structure and Properties of Materials
  • Architectural Engineering Studio
  • Building Structural Systems
  • Economics and Life Cycle Analysis
  • Air Quality Engineering
  • Physico-Chemical Processes
  • Biological Processes
  • Law and Ethics for Environmental Engineers
  • Introductory Structural Geology
  • Differential Equations and Balance Laws
  • Geotechnical Engineering 1
  • Physical Hydrogeology
Available specializations
  • Geotechnical 
  • Structural
  • Transportation
  • Water resources
  • Building Structures
  • Building Systems
  • Energy
  • Hydrology
  • Pollution Treatment and Control
  • Geology
  • Hydrogeology
  • Soil, Rock and Structures
Sample co-op opportunities
  • Field technician
  • Quality control technician
  • Diagnostics civil engineering
  • Transportation planner
  • Concrete lab technician
  • Esimator/project manager
  • Structural engeeering student
  • Consulting firms specializing in structural and/or architectural design
  • Building performance consulting firms
  • Construction companies and developers
  • Regulatory agencies
  • Building owners and operators
  • Drainage design engeering assitant 

  • Environmental engineering assistant

  • Technical writer

  • Tides and water levels assistant

  • Field engineering/project coordinator

  • Industrial wastewater engineering

  • Program developer

  • Geotechnical engineering assistant

  • Field engineering/project coordinator

  • Industrial buildings inspector

  • Mining/energy engineering student

  • Rock mechanics assistant

  • Water - wastewater project assistant

  • Geotechnical & materials technician
Sample careeer opportunities
  • Tunnel engineering - GHD
  • Structural engineer - AECOM
  • Engineer - MMM Group
  • Structural design engineer - Stephenson Engineering

  • Building design consulting firms, of all sizes, that house the various specialists the currently undertake building design under the same roof (i.e. interior designers, architects, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers).

  • Government public works departments

  • School boards and hospital authorities
  • Environmental consultant – Pottinger Gaherty Environmental Consultants
  • Water resources specialist – Golder Associates
  • Environmental specialist – Public Works & Government Services Canada
  • Project coordinator – David Schaeffer Engineering

  • Geological engineer – AMEC

  • Geotechnical design – Shell Canada

  • Rock mechanics engineer – Glencore, Kidd Creek Operations

  • Geological engineer – BGC Engineering 

  • Water specialist – Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association
Ideal for students who...

  • Want to design and maintain the massive infrastructure on which society depends

  • Would like to pursue a flexible degree with numerous subfields 

  • Want to learn about the built components that make up our urban environments (roads, transit, buildings, bridges)

  • Want to learn about many aspects behind good building design (structural aspects, energy efficiency, sustainable building design, smart/green building design)

  • Are interested in building design from a structural engineer’s perspective as well as an architect’s perspective

  • Are interested in physics, chemistry, biology, and geology

  • Want the technical rigour of an engineering degree combined with scientific know-how and environmental insights

  • Are interested in cleaning up existing pollution from our water and soils, developing technological solutions to reduce pollutants from future human activities

  • Want a career that allows to frequently work outdoors

  • Are interested in strengthening Civil Engineering infrastructure using Earth Sciences knowledge

  • Are interested in combining laser/GIS/seismic technology and the outdoors

  • Are interested in designing foundations for all kind of structures on Earth or Mars
Examples of projects in Waterloo region and Canada

  • ION light rail transit in Waterloo, Ontario

  • Confederation bridge in Prince Edward Island

  • THEMUSEUM in Waterloo, Ontario

  • CN tower in Toronto, Ontario
  • Columbia Lake in Waterloo, Ontario
  • Southern rockies watershed project in Alberta
  • Sustainable nickel mining in Sudbury, Ontario
Examples of projects globally
  • Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates
  • Goldate gate bridge in the United States
  • Eiffel tower in France
  • The Colosseum in Italy
  • Drinking water treatment in developing countries
  • Three gorges dam in China
  • English Channel tunnel in the United Kingdom