Civil Engineering

Civil engineering

Why Civil Engineering?

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. Because civil engineers' primary client is society, we often must deal with the human impact of engineering, including social, moral and legal issues.

Our Civil Engineering program is designed to produce skilled engineers capable of designing, constructing and maintaining the infrastructure that shapes our world. This program offers a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience, preparing students to tackle the complexities of modern civil engineering projects. You'll learn essential topics such as structural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering and water resources. This ensures a broad and deep understanding of civil engineering principles. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in various sectors, including construction, infrastructure development, environmental consulting and urban planning.

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Courses in Civil Engineering

You’ll take a mix of foundational engineering and mathematics courses in first year. After first year, most of your classes will be Civil Engineering courses covering topics such as geotechnical engineering, structural analysis, project management, hydrology and transportation.

Sample first-year courses

This is a sample schedule. Courses are subject to change.

Fall Term (September to December) Winter Term (January to April)

CHE102 - Chemistry for Engineers

CIVE100 - Civil Engineering Concepts

CIVE104 - Mechanics 1

MATH116 - Calculus 1 for Engineering

CIVE115 - Linear Algebra

ENGL191 - Communication in the Engineering Profession

CIVE105 - Mechanics 2

CIVE199 - Seminar

MATH118 - Calculus 2 for Engineering

CIVE123 - Electrical Circuits and Instrumentation

CIVE121 - Computational Methods

CIVE153 - Earth Engineering

Upper year courses

For information about courses past your first year, check out the Undergraduate Academic Calendar.

Customize your degree with options and specializations

Options

Options are a way to provide you with a path to expand your degree and get a secondary emphasis in another subject or area. Students should decide if they are interested in taking options as they enter second year. Some available options are:

Specializations

A specialization is recognition of selected elective courses within your degree. Specialization offerings are unique to your engineering program and are listed on your diploma. Specializations that are available to Civil Engineering students include:

Co-op for Civil Engineering students

You’ll have an unrivalled opportunity to gain paid work experience before you even graduate. We’ll help you navigate job applications, résumés, and interviews; you’ll have the added benefit of trying out different roles and/or industries to find the one that fits you while building your work experience and reinforcing your in-class learning out in the real world. It all adds up to a competitive advantage after graduation.

Starting in first year, you'll normally alternate between school and work every four months, integrating your classroom learning with real-world experience. You can return to the same employer for a couple of work terms to gain greater knowledge and responsibility or work for different employers to get a broad range of experience.

Year September to December (Fall) January to April (Winter) May to August (Spring)
First Study Study Co-op
Second Study Co-op Study
Third Co-op Study Co-op
Fourth Study Co-op Study
Fifth Co-op Study -


Your first work term will be at the end of first year. Learn more about co-op.

Example co-op positions for Civil Engineering students

  • Field technician
  • Quality control technician
  • Diagnostics civil engineering
  • Transportation planner
  • Concrete lab technician
  • Estimator/project manager

Dominating the field of civil engineering one co-op at a time

Sarra Alhassan, Civil Engineering student

Sarra is a fourth-year Civil Engineering student pursuing the Management Sciences option.

“Being in a male-dominated field can be intimidating at some points. I would sometimes feel the need to go above and beyond the requirements to prove myself. However, my co-op experience at EllisDon was a very positive one, despite the construction industry being largely male dominated. I felt supported by the company’s culture that values diversity and inclusivity, which was reflected in the people I worked with.”

Hear more about Sarra's co-op journey as she reflects on her various co-op positions and discusses how each role shaped her passion for an entrepreneurial, philanthropic and impactful career in the future.

Sarra Alhassan

Example careers for Civil Engineering graduates

  • Tunnel engineer
  • Structural engineer
  • Structural design engineer
  • Field engineer
  • Project manager
  • Transportation engineer
  • Water supply and distribution system design

Capstone design projects in Civil Engineering

Capstone Design is the culmination of the engineering undergraduate student experience, creating a blueprint for innovation in engineering design.

Supported by numerous awards, Capstone Design provides Waterloo Engineering students with the unique opportunity to conceptualize and design a project related to their chosen discipline.

A requirement for completion of their degrees, Capstone Design challenges students teams to push their own boundaries, and apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom and on co-op work terms.  It reinforces the concepts of teamwork, project management, research and development. 

For a full list of previous capstone design projects, see our Capstone Design website.

Lightyear Consulting (Capstone 2024)

Lightyear Consulting capstone team

Mahmoud Abouelhassan, Tayaba Tunio, Eric Wiebe, Khin Htet Htet Zaw

Stage 2 of the ION LRT has a route that requires it crossing over several rivers and roadways. One challenging location is the crossing over Speed River as at this location the elevated guideway must have a curved span. Lightyear Consulting has come up with a tubular truss bridge design that incorporates cost effectiveness, durability, and impact to environment and public to create a guideway for years to come.

Unfolded Solutions (Capstone 2024)

Unfolded Solutions capstone team

Daniel Henstock, Ubelejit Oyet, Abigail Wong, Cassidy Wong

The Canadian Red Cross is experiencing challenges while deploying post-hurricane medical support to communities in the Caribbean. The tents currently in use are vulnerable to the environment and offer limited space to perform lifesaving procedures. To address these concerns, Unfolded Solutions is developing fully enclosed, modular medical structures that are durable enough to withstand a Category 1 hurricane. These units will be lightweight and collapsible to facilitate rapid deployment, with a focus on layout customization and energy independence.

Student design teams

The Sedra Student Design Centre consists of over 20,000 square feet of space dedicated to design teams and student projects. There are more than two dozen design teams, all of which are student-led, and many of which represent Waterloo internationally.

Some examples include:

Steel Bridge Design Team

UW Steel Bridge Design team

The Steel Bridge Design Team's focus is on designing, fabricating, and competing with a modular steel bridge at an annual international competition. The design portion requires creativity and a quick mind, with upper year team members helping to teach technical skills along the way.

F_RMlab

F_RMlab

F_RMlab is a design and research collective engaged in advanced computational design tools in support of new paradigms of public space where dynamic interaction, social responsiveness, regenerative materials and systemic resilience are integral goals in building.

Concrete Canoe Team

Concrete Canoe Team

The UW Concrete Canoe Team designs, builds, and races a canoe made entirely of reinforced concrete for the annual Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition (CNCCC). The competition rules change each year to incorporate new challenges and we are generally evaluated our concrete mix design, hull design/modelling,  and much more.

Civil Engineering alumni

Nathalie Skaf

nathalie skaf

Nathalie (class of 2018), "the combination of my studies and co-ops allowed me to develop a broad and holistic understanding of the built environment."
Read more about Nathalie's time in Civil Engineering

Rob Otway

Rob Otway

Rob (class of 1985), "this was the first time in my life where I made lifelong friends. We came together as a class and supported each other throughout our time together."
Read more about Rob's time in Civil Engineering.  

Kanchan Maharaj

Kanchan Maharaj

Kanchan (class of 1994), "co-op taught me how to function and communicate in a business environment and office with a wide variety of people."
Read more about Kanchan's time in Civil Engineering.

Dylan Dowling

Dylan Dowling

Dylan (class of 2016), "opportunities come up constantly, and they can be a great way to get outside your comfort zone and develop much quicker."
Read more about Dylan's time in Civil Engineering.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between Civil Engineering and Architectural Engineering?

Civil Engineering is a broadly applicable field and the curriculum includes design of large municipal infrastructure components. In contrast, Architectural Engineering focuses heavily on building design. In both programs, you’ll take courses in structural analysis and design (i.e., how to determine forces in structures and size their members, connections, etc.). Architectural Engineering students also take courses on building science and systems (such as HVAC) in the place of courses that Civil Engineering students take on transportation networks, water distribution systems, geotechnical engineering and more.

Architectural engineers work for design consulting firms specializing in the design, construction, renovation, and rehabilitation of buildings. Civil engineers are more likely to get jobs with government, provincial highway authorities, and construction companies. There is certainly some overlap between these programs. However, the Architectural Engineering program was developed to address highly specified issues particular to building construction.

What would make me more suited to Civil Engineering than Architectural Engineering?

The skills required from you in these two programs would actually be similar. We expect it would primarily be interest and future career preferences which would drive you in one direction or the other. In both cases, we hope you'll choose Waterloo if you have a passion for the program and field of expertise to which you’re admitted.