Major Highlight: Civil Engineering

Why during the summer, is the highway we’re on reduced to one lane—dug up— and equipment everywhere? How do we fix the adverse environmental impact on local residents from an accident involving manufacturing and municipal wastes?

To answer these questions and solve these problems, the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at WPI offers a rich array of programs that engages students’ problem-solving capabilities and develops relevant skills. Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering provide students broad exposure to Construction Engineering/Project Management, Structural Engineering, Urban/Environmental Planning, Environmental Engineering and, uniquely, Pavement Analysis.

Major Qualifying Projects (MQPs) through the Stantec Project Center give seniors the hallmark WPI experience by allowing them to solve real-world engineering problems in the U.S and Canada. Sample projects include a dam renovation and studies of seismic activities on infrastructure.  Other significant civil engineering MQP’s from the class of 2012 touched on wind turbine structure, erosion control, leaching analysis, material transport rates, and even alternative designs of campus structures at WPI.

The Master’s and PhD level research within civil engineering, offering a more intensive and critical view of civil engineering subjects, extends students’ specialties into such areas as highway infrastructure, impact engineering, additional specialties in their work with WPI faculty—and the reason why highway workers are not on site when we are down to one lane—pavement analysis.

If your company is interested in civil engineering talent from WPI, then consider further exploring the capabilities of our students and faculty. Visit the WPI Civil and Environmental Engineering website and ask the WPI Career Development Center staff how you can acquire talented individuals for your organization.