As a civil engineer, you will help people get where they need to go and design the spaces where everyone lives, works and plays. You will learn how to design and maintain buildings and other infrastructure essential to modern society while applying the principles of environmentally responsible development.

Build a foundation in sciences, engineering design process and environmental issues in your first two years. In the final two years, you will develop an in-depth knowledge of civil engineering, including further exposure to practical engineering problems through a capstone design project.

Design courses begin in your first year, giving you the chance to engage your creative thinking. You will hone your problem-solving skills as you continue to take design courses in every year of your program.

In technical courses, you will learn about structural design, soil mechanics, geotechnical engineering, transportation and environmental engineering. Develop your professional skills in courses focusing on technical writing, teamwork, project management, professional ethics and engineering economics.

Courses use a variety of methods including group learning, team teaching and the use of modern design suite software.

A hallmark of your UNBC degree is experiential learning, which includes many hands-on laboratories, real-world design projects and undergraduate research projects with our world-class engineering research professors.

Engineers serve society across a wide range of economic sectors in a number of capacities. Engineers require a solid technical and academic background, good communication skills, and the ability to work across a number of disciplines. Engineers design structures; bridges; mines; dams; transit systems; pollution control systems for air, water, and soil; and much more.

UNBC offers three engineering degrees at the undergraduate level – a Civil Engineering degree, an Environmental Engineering degree and a joint Environmental Engineering degree with UBC. (UNBC also offers a graduate degree in engineering. See the Graduate Calendar.) These degrees prepare graduates for a wide range of employment opportunities where their technical expertise and problem-solving skills are required. The program provides graduates with a strong awareness and understanding of environmental issues and problems. Our graduates are prepared for employment with engineering firms of all sizes in consulting, construction and resource industries (e.g. forestry, fisheries, mining, oil and gas, pulp and paper, and the agri-food industry), as well as government ministries and research organizations. Our graduates help shape the new environmental and civil engineering economy.

The Civil and Environmental Engineering degrees start with a similar first year in which the basic sciences and mathematics are emphasized along with an introduction to the engineering discipline. In second year, a number of courses are common in all of the engineering degrees but program requirements start to differentiate between the Civil and Environmental Engineering degrees. In the remaining years, some of the courses are common to both programs while each degree degree develops the in-depth knowledge to allow students to qualify within their discipline upon graduation. The final year exposes students to practical engineering problems.

UNBC offers an integrated approach to civil engineering which is in keeping with the themes of design, lifecycle assessment, sustainable materials, and low-impact development throughout. Today’s civil engineer not only designs the infrastructure essential to modern society (buildings, bridges, highways, transit systems, water and waste treatment facilities, foundations, tunnels, dams, etc.) but also analyzes the effects of deterioration on infrastructure elements while considering system interdependencies and life-cycle impacts. Civil engineers must consider environmental impact and economic sustainability in the development of modern infrastructure.

UNBC offers an Environmental Engineering degree that integrates basic science with modern engineering practices. Environmental and ecological problems are an increasing concern for all Canadians, including in the northern portion of British Columbia due to a primarily resource-based economy. Our graduates are prepared to take on challenges facing modern society, including water, air, and soil pollution control; solid waste management; contaminated site remediation; the protection of society from adverse environmental factors; and the protection of environments from potentially detrimental effects of natural and human activities.

Career Paths
Civil engineer
Municipal engineer
Geotechnical engineer
Construction management
Structural engineer
Transportation engineer
Water resources engineer