Welcome to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University. On this website you can learn about our exciting undergraduate and graduate programs in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering. You can also learn about the cutting edge and interdisciplinary research carried out by our world-renowned faculty and by our graduate and undergraduate researchers.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is housed, along with other departments of Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, in the Technological Institute. The Technological Institute and the McCormick School provide first class research and teaching facilities. The close proximity of other departments, including many of the science departments at Northwestern, fosters a climate of collaboration and most of our faculty are involved in interdisciplinary research.
This is a time of great opportunity for civil and environmental engineers. Civil and environmental engineers play ever-increasing and visible roles in shaping our future and the world we live in. They deal, not only with the technical and scientific aspects of their work, but also with its societal and economic impact. They seek creative solutions to complex issues facing the world today: engineering sustainable cities; designing, building and renewing the world's infrastructure; meeting growing energy and water demands; and preserving and protecting the environment.
Our emphasis on science and engineering fundamentals, along with design and communication, prepares our graduates for lifelong learning and for diverse and stimulating careers in the field. We offer undergraduate degrees in Civil Engineering and in Environmental Engineering. Our students avail of opportunities to participate in research and in design competitions. Many play active roles in the student chapters of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Water Environment Federation; others are members of Engineers for a Sustainable World, seeking lasting solutions for reducing poverty, and working to improve environmental, social, and economic sustainability worldwide.
Graduate students carry out research in the areas of Environmental Engineering and Science, Geotechnics and Environmental Geotechnics, Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Project Management, and Transportation Systems Analysis and Planning. The Civil Engineering Graduate Student Association is active in promoting graduate student affairs and social interaction between faculty and students. Graduate students take courses and carry out research with internationally renowned faculty (five of our faculty are members of the National Academy of Engineering and two are also members of the National Academy of Sciences).
Our alumni are leaders in their profession, owning or managing construction, geotechnical, or environmental engineering firms, for example. They contribute to society through participating in policy making decisions at the local and national levels. Some have pursued careers in law, medicine, or in the world of finance. Others, at the graduate level, have gone on to become leading researchers and educators at academic institutions.
If you are interested in undergraduate or graduate study in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern, we would love to hear from you. We hope you will find much of interest in these web pages and we encourage you to browse and explore. If you would like additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Brian Moran
Professor and Chair
b-moran@northwestern.edu
