Your degree in Civil Engineering

Skills you’ll develop

While studying Civil Engineering, you’re learning to design and build complex infrastructures such as transportation systems, water supply networks, and energy systems. You’ll develop important skills to create reliable structures and sustainable communities. 

These skills may include:

• Analysis, design, and assessment of physical structures such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, and their foundations
• Development of construction plans and schedules that meet specific building codes and regulations
• Conducting feasibility tests, capacity assessments, and environmental impact studies to determine project requirements and identify potential technical risks and public safety issues
• Carrying out geotechnical investigations relating to slope stability, preferential flow, liquefaction, settlement, seepage and deformation, etc.
• Ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams to plan, design, and construct municipal water, stormwater, and wastewater systems and facilities
• Technical skills to perform air, water, and soil quality audits, and analyze topographic, soil, and hydrological field data
• Usage of a wide range of computational tools and software including S-Frame, MATLAB, Excel VBA, Python, CAD, and EPANET

Explore career possibilities

Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including construction management, urban and regional planning, transportation and planning, water supply, geotechnical engineering, waste management, mapping and surveying, environmental protection and rehabilitation, and others.

There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Read through the job titles below for ideas. Some career options may require further education or training.

Visit the National Occupational Classification website to research basic requirements and responsibilities of jobs in your field.

Make the most of your program

Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and clarify your values and interests.

• UBC Civil Engineering Clubs and Chapters
  Check out networking events and professional development opportunities organized by the Civil Club, ITE, CSCE, and ASCE.
• UBC Steel Bridge
  Apply your technical knowledge to a unique steel design challenge and make connections with industry members.
• UBC Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Seismic Design Team
  Apply complex theories of seismic design to a hands-on project and compete in the annual Seismic Design Competition.
• UBC Third Quadrant Design
  Develop your technical skills and work in a team to design high performance buildings and green infrastructure.
• UBC BC Water & Waste Association, Student Chapter
  Attend the annual conference to connect with industry professionals and learn about the latest in water developments.
• Common Energy UBC
  Join a community of students dedicated to making real positive impacts at UBC to achieve a sustainable future.
• Departmental research opportunities
  Reach out directly to faculty members to ask about potential research positions.
• UBC Engineering Co-op
  Gain work experience in civil engineering between study terms.
• UBC Sustainability research opportunities
  Participate in research and project-based roles to advance sustainability at UBC and in the region.
• AMS Sustainability
  Access resources and funding of up to $15,000 to support your sustainability-related initiative or project.
• Ecocity World Summit
  Join over 1,000 delegates worldwide at this biennial event to share knowledge on ecological and sustainable city designs.
• Engineering job board
  Check out engineering employment opportunities.

Build your network

Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.

The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.

• American Society of Civil Engineers
• Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of BC
• Architectural Institute of BC
• Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada
• BC Construction Association
• BC Environment Industry Association
• BC Land Surveyors
• Canada Green Building Council
• Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology
• Canadian Dam Association
• Canadian Institute of Geomatics
• Canadian Institute of Steel Construction
• Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers
• Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors
• Canadian Land Reclamation Association
• Canadian Society for Civil Engineering
• Canadian Society for Professional Engineers
• Canadian Water Resources Association
• Engineering Institute of Canada
• Engineers & Geoscientists BC
• Engineers Canada
• Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
• Institute of Transportation Engineers
• Planning Institute of BC
• Structural Engineers Association of BC
• Technology Registrations Canada
• Tunnelling Association of Canada, BC Chapter
• Urban Development Institute
• Vancouver Geotechnical Society
• Vancouver Regional Construction Association

Connect with alumni on LinkedIn

Find UBC Civil Engineering graduates on LinkedIn to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.

More information

From your Applied Science degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Engineering degree.