Students interested in designing, building and maintaining the infrastructure that society depends on every day can now major in civil engineering at Wilkes University. The bachelor of science degree offers four concentrations, two state-of-the-art facilities and one job-ready curriculum that prepares graduates for careers in structural, geotechnical, environmental and project engineering.
Those enrolled in the program will explore all facets of foundations and structures, public water and sewage systems, storm water management, and air, solid, water and hazardous waste treatment processes. Emphasizing hands-on learning, small classes and labs, and mentoring under the guidance of dedicated faculty experts, students will learn how to design systems using industry software that is utilized in many professional settings.
Wilkes is also one of the few universities in the country that houses a civil and environmental engineering program, with an environmental science and geology program, inspiring a collaborative learning environment among future engineers and geoscientists.
“With a curriculum designed among faculty experts as well as civil engineers from outside of Wilkes, students will benefit from a job-ready program,” said Brian Whitman, Wilkes professor of environmental engineering. “An industrial advisory council, comprising alumni engineers and other professionals from the region, helps ensure that Wilkes grads are prepared for real-world industry needs.”
Students in the program will choose among four concentrations:
- environmental engineering
- geotechnical engineering
- structural engineering
- water resources and hydraulic engineering
Classes and labs will occur in the state-of-the-art Cohen Science Center and the new Mark Engineering Center. The centers boast two high-performance computing labs, a 3D visualization and printing facility, and the most powerful research computing resource in the area.
Recent engineering graduates have secured careers at CDM Smith, Rettew Associates, Quad Three Group, Inc., Borton-Lawson, Pennoni Engineering, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection or have pursued graduate school. The median entry-level salary for civil engineers was $64,000, according to the 2020 Civil Engineering Salary Report, and the median pre-tax annual salary in 2019 was $115,000.
The program will launch this fall. More information can be found here.
Wilkes University’s College of Science and Engineering offers five undergraduate majors and four master’s degrees in a variety of engineering fields that include bioengineering, electrical engineering, engineering management, environmental engineering and mechanical engineering. The university’s undergraduate programs in electrical, environmental and mechanical engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
