Civil Engineering BSE
A civil engineering degree leads to an in-demand profession that addresses the infrastructure of society and impacts many aspects of your everyday life.
From the roads and bridges you use every day to the drinking water that comes out of your tap, to leveraging technological breakthroughs to improve mobility services and enable smart and connected communities, UWM’s civil engineering major provides you with the tools to develop safer, more efficient and sustainable improvements to our infrastructure.
Program Type
Major
Program Format
On Campus
Career Outlook
Our students have gone on to lead departments of transportation, launch their own companies and make positive impacts locally and farther afield.
A civil engineering degree has manny other benefits.
U.S. News & World Report lists civil engineer in the top 10 Best Jobs in the engineering sector for 2025, for higher salaries, ample job opportunities and avenues for promotion.
In 2023, the median annual wage for civil engineers was $95,890*
*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
What to expect
Increased speed to graduation
Our new and redesigned curriculum makes it easier and faster for you to complete your degree. You’ll also find greater flexibility in the electives available to customize your experience.
Wisconsin’s only five-year bachelor’s-through-master’s degree program.
You’ll save time and money by enrolling in UWM’s Accelerated Graduate Degree Program (Integrated BS-MS) as an undergraduate. As a graduate student, by enrolling in the Graduate Internship class, you can count your on-the-job experience towards your degree. Learn more.
In this program, you’ll get a broad technical background in civil engineering with options to develop a strength in one of the following concentrations:
- Geotechnical Engineering utilizes the disciplines of rock and soil mechanics to investigate subsurface and geologic conditions. These investigations are used to design and build foundations, earth structures and pavement sub-grades.
- Structural Engineering uses the disciplines of structural analysis and mechanics to design structures, such as buildings, bridges, pipelines, industrial, tunnels, vehicles, ships, aircraft and spacecraft. Structural engineers need to understand the behavior of materials such as concrete, steel, wood, masonry, alloys and fiber reinforced composites.
- Municipal and Transportation Engineering is the application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation. The goal is to provide for the safe, efficient, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible movement of people and goods.
- Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (Environmental Engineering is also available as a major): Water resources engineering includes engineering for both water supply management and water excess management. Environmental engineering uses the principles of engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems.
Best Part About the Program?
“How kind and helpful all the professors are.”
–Civil & Environmental Engineering Student
Honors
You will be eligible for these honors in the major during your studies and upon completing your civil engineering degree.
Students at UWM have many opportunities to earn honors recognition.
UWM’s College of Engineering & Applied Science program provides many opportunities to pair classroom learning with hands-on experiences outside the classroom. The college’s location in Wisconsin’s largest city, with a broad network of industry partnerships, gives you easy access to well-paid internships and co-ops, as well as other important opportunities to enhance your resume.
Did you know?
- 97 percent of our graduates launch their careers or continue their education upon graduation.
- $78,000 average starting salary
- SOURCE: UWM First Destination Survey for the College of Engineering & Applied Science, 2021-2023

My co-op experience with Foth has allowed me to become more confident in my abilities as an upcoming engineer.
We’re Here to Help
Our dedicated Center for Student Experience & Talent (SET) works with our students to prepare them for a career after graduation.
What You’ll Do
You’ll find Civil Engineers in all levels of government and throughout the private sector.
Civil engineers typically split their time between working indoors and outdoors, planning, designing, building and managing both public works and private enterprise projects. They are also good stewards of the natural environments in which they construct manmade environments—putting them in an excellent position of serving society.
Some career possibilities:
- Design and maintenance of public works like bridges, tunnels, roads, railways, dams, and airports.
- Private sector opportunities in design of industrial facilities, factories, refineries and housing.
- Oversee and manage infrastructure projects.
- Plan and implement public water-supply systems.
- Develop smart mobility technologies, including using big data analytics.
Alumni Stories
Hear from a few of our notable alumni who have gone on to start and or lead engineering firms and make a difference in our community.

Carrie Bristoll-Groll, BS Civil Engineering ’94, started her own business and is now EVP at Aqualis.

Advising
- Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Advising
- Students with last names M-R
- wisnowsk@uwm.edu
- 414-251-5368
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences 386
- Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Advising
- Students with last names A-E
- brandonc@uwm.edu
- 414-251-9253
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences E386
- Senior Advisor, Undergraduate Advising
- Students with last names beginning F-L
- Prospective Transfer Student Liaison
- currentt@uwm.edu
- 414-229-2203
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences E385B
- Senior Advisor, Undergraduate Advising
- Students with last names beginning S-Z
- Prospective Student Liaison
- klumpp@uwm.edu
- 414-229-5193
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences E385C
Tutoring Center
- Retention Coordinator, Tutoring
- Student Support Center Coordinator
- Freshmen Orientation Instructor
- Ander675@uwm.edu
- 414-229-3882
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences 386B
Faculty
- Assistant Professor of Engineering Education, Civil & Environmental Engineering
- blackows@uwm.edu
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences 1107
- Scientist II, Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Lab Manager, Bicycle and Motorcycle Engineering Research Laboratory, EMS W301
- adressel@uwm.edu
- 414-229-5357
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences E261
- Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- elhajjar@uwm.edu
- 414-229-3647
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences 910A
- Associate Dean for Research, Engineering & Applied Science Office of the Dean
- andrewjg@uwm.edu
- 414-229-7389
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences 580
- Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- helwany@uwm.edu
- 414-229-4131
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences W236AA
- Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- li@uwm.edu
- 414-229-6891
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences E321
- Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- liao@uwm.edu
- 414-229-4228
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences E363
- Lawrence E. Sivak '71 Professorship
- Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Director, Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation (IPIT)
- Founder and Director, Safe and Smart Traffic Lab
- qinx@uwm.edu
- 414-251-8866
- Northwest Quadrant 4414B
- Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- adeeb@uwm.edu
- 414-229-2860
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences 315
- Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Founder and Director, Automated, Connected & Electric Mobility Systems Lab
- tomshi@uwm.edu
- Northwest Quadrant 4420
- Lawrence E. Sivak '71 Faculty Fellowship
- Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- sobolev@uwm.edu
- 414-229-3198
- Engineering and Mathematical Sciences 1255
- Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Director, Structural Engineering Lab
- ht@uwm.edu
- 414-229-5166
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences E332
- Lawrence E. Sivak Faculty Fellowship
- Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- hanititi@uwm.edu
- 414-229-6893
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences 1139
- Lawrence E. Sivak '71 Professorship
- Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- wang292@uwm.edu
- 414-251-6446
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences E371G
- Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- jzhao@uwm.edu
- 414-229-2330
- Engineering & Mathematical Sciences W330A