Prospective Undergraduate Students

The Civil Engineering degree program at Virginia Tech offers two undergraduate majors: Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering. First-time-in-college (FTIC) students typically begin the program in their sophomore year. The curriculum requires basic science, engineering mechanics, and continuing mathematics training. In the junior and senior years, students select fundamental and advanced coursework across several specialty areas within the civil engineering discipline according to their personal interests. Regardless of the specialty areas selected, the required variety in technical content ensures that all students receive a strong education in the fundamentals of civil engineering. There are eight different specialty areas. Additional information about these specialty areas is available within the links below

Admission to Department

All first-time-in-college (FTIC) College of Engineering students are enrolled in the General Engineering program. This provides a common first-year experience. 

In the College of Engineering, the process of changing majors into degree-granting majors (like Civil Engineering or Environmental Engineering) is managed by the Engineering Education Department. Detailed information regarding dates and the process is available here.

Students transferring from outside Virginia Tech are admitted directly into the civil engineering or environmental engineering major.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Each year, the department awards approximately $300k in scholarships to undergraduate students in Civil and Environmental Engineering. These scholarships support the students’ academic and experiential learning opportunities and include merit-based awards, need-based assistance, and industry-sponsored scholarships. More information is available here.

Experiential Learning

Virginia Tech’s Civil and Environmental Engineering programs emphasize experiential learning through hands-on fieldwork, research, internships, service projects, and global opportunities, bridging classroom knowledge with real-world applications. These experiences prepare students with technical expertise, leadership skills, and practical problem-solving abilities to address infrastructure and environmental challenges. Learn more about experiential learning.

Please email prospectivecee@vt.edu with any questions related to the Undergraduate Program.