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Home / Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate Programs

Get an Education in Creation

Plan, Design and Maintain Structures of All Kinds

Earn a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or architectural engineering at the highly ranked University of Arizona. Gain the vision and skills to design, construct and maintain modern structures – from buildings, roads, airports and mines to energy systems, traffic control systems and water treatment plants.

Prepare for a productive career as an engineer, consultant, supervisor or administrator for a variety of employers, including construction and architecture companies, consulting firms and government agencies.

Look to the future: Be an integral part of your local and global community!

Well-Balanced Academics

Centered on Safe, Sustainable, Resilient Structures

CAEM undergraduate degrees incorporate extensive study in math, physics and chemistry, along with more specific subjects such as fluid mechanics, soils and hydrology. With proven performance results, courses involve collaborative classroom learning and hands-on lab work.

Civil engineering is primarily concerned with structures that are built to last, as well as methods and materials that preserve resources for future generations. Architectural engineering students learn to use their technical expertise to bridge the gaps between architects, engineers and contractors. 

Outside the Classroom

Put Your Knowledge to the Test

UA Engineering students practice their skills and connect with peers and industry leaders in clubs and professional organizations, such as the Design-Build Institute of America and American Society of Civil Engineers. 

Other activities to prepare you for the job of your dreams include high-profile research, professional internships and participation in capstone design courses, where seniors spend a year working hands-on to address complex engineering design challenges.

Professional Licensure 

Get the Most Out of Your Degree 

The title professional engineer, or PE, indicates an elevated level of responsibility and a commitment to promoting health and safety. It appeals to employers and often results in a higher salaries. CAEM helps prepare and strongly encourages all students, beginning their junior year, to start the process for obtaining professional licensure.

Each state licensing board has its own laws regarding engineering licensure, but there is a general three-step process for candidates:

  • Most engineering licensing boards require PE candidates to have an EAC/ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree. Check with your state licensing board, as each one has different educational requirements.
  • Candidates typically must pass the Fundamentals of Engineering, or FE, exam and the Principles and Practice of Engineering, or PE, exam.
  • Most states require four years of acceptable, progressive and verifiable work experience in the industry.

Career Possibilities

Construction, Mining and Public Utilities

Civil and architectural engineers work wherever structural expertise is needed – from the initial planning stages to the supervision of constructing roads and bridges, airports and mines, energy and traffic control systems, and water treatment plants, for example.

More than 90% of CAEM graduates find jobs right after graduation, such as becoming design consultants or working for private construction companies, architecture firms, municipal authorities, and state and federal agencies. 

Apply to the UA Today!

Find Your Match for Club Membership

Learn About Internship Options

Cylan Shaffer
cshaffer@arizona.edu
Fast Facts
$ 65 K
starting salary, civil engineering BS
(Fast Company)
91 %
student job placement on graduation
27 th
UA’s ranking, public colleges and universities
(Center for World University Rankings)

Students in the Spotlight

Fostering Successful Careers

Tina Johnsen, BS 2018, earned the $3,500 Mike Kolling Memorial Scholarship during her senior year. As a project engineering intern at Ryan Companies U.S. Inc., she worked on everything from budgeting to buyout and mobilization.

I’ve been learning a lot about project management and have been putting what I'm learning into practice all summer.

Paying Dues Pays Off

Ana Rapalo-Padilla headed to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Construction Institute Student Days during her senior year. She and her teammates spent three days developing a construction project proposal for the event and were named the 2017 champions.

The networking opportunities at this event were incredible. We met members of industry who extended job offers just for being the dedicated and involved students that we are in ASCE.

Helping Out the Community

The UA chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers conducts community outreach events, including computer-training workshops to teach people how to create a resume and set up email accounts. Jose Aguilar, 2011 club vice president, said the workshops were beneficial for leaders as well as participants.

Seeing the joy the event participants have when they set up a personal email address the first time, something we as engineers use daily and probably take for granted, brightens up my day.

Internships and Scholarships

Heavy civil construction association the Beavers awarded David Rodriguez the 2017-2018 Heavy Civil Scholarship. Rodriguez, who served as project manager for the UA ASCE concrete canoe team, also interned with Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. in Phoenix.

I have been in contact with subcontractors requesting bid proposals, doing take-offs and attending scope-of-work review meetings.
Cylan Shaffer
cshaffer@arizona.edu
  • Employee Resources
The University of Arizona
Department of Civil & Architectural Engineering & Mechanics
1209 E. Second St.
P.O. Box 210072
Tucson, AZ 85721
520.621.2266

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