Civil engineers plan, design, construct, operate and maintain the facilities that fill the basic human needs for shelter, transportation, clean air and water. Typical facilities include buildings, bridges, dams, harbors, roadway systems, waste treatment facilities and environmental control systems. All these facilities require building on or in the earth to protect humankind and their environment from the forces of nature.

UT's civil engineering program gives students a broad understanding of four fields: environmental, geotechnical, structural and transportation. You will begin designing projects as early as your freshman year. Student groups develop practical solutions to complex engineering problems and formally present these solutions to practicing engineers in their senior capstone design course. Finally, all of UT's engineering students participate in a minimum of three semesters of co-operative education — which means you'll work full time gaining valuable real-world experience while earning money.

What to expect when you graduate

Due to society's growing needs for infrastructure systems and facilities of all kinds, civil engineers find themselves in great demand in multiple fields. Among these are planning, design, construction, engineering consulting, and environmental management.

Traffic lights were in use before people began driving cars.