The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) combines fundamental engineering science with engineering design concepts to study both the built and the natural environment. Programs of study include Architecture and Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geological Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Engineering and the Liberal Arts. Through these programs, students learn fundamental engineering concepts associated with structures, mechanics, materials, and the environment, while being exposed to broader considerations that include large-scale design, optimization, and aesthetics. Sustainability is a common thread that runs through much of the CEE curriculum. Many students address fundamental societal problems centered on urban infrastructure and sustainability in a rapidly evolving global environment.

The programs of study are sufficiently flexible to allow students to participate in study-abroad activities, certificate programs, and pre-med or pre-law. All CEE students are involved in independent research and write a senior thesis. CEE graduates have excelled in graduate and professional schools as well as industry, where civil and environmental engineering is one of the fastest growing technology fields in the global economy.