Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering

WPI was the lead university as part of the Oculus Team that competed in the Solar Decathlon Africa 2019 competition in Morocco. Learn more.

Not too hot, not too cold: WPI researchers awarded grant to find just the right classroom environment for learning. Learn More 

Environmental quality could affect your driving performance. Learn More.

Model of Shanghai, in the Museum of Urban Planning Exhibition Center in Shanghai. The world’s population will become increasingly urban this century, accentuating civil engineering challenges in a changing climate.

Students, faculty and collaborators working together on the Solar Decathlon Africa project in 2019. Learn more.

WPI students, faculty, and President Leshin touring the Third Set of Locks expansion project in Panama, which has doubled the shipping capacity of the Panama Canal and incorporates many sustainable features.

For the period 2016-2026, Civil Engineers are #1 in U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections for new jobs and total employment in engineering.

Civil Engineering and its subfields are 5 of the top 6 jobs in the 2020 U.S. News and World Report listing of “Best Engineering Jobs”

Civil Engineering is #5 in Kiplinger’s listing of top 25 majors overall in the U.S. for most lucrative careers; our subfields are also in the top 25.


The Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering (CEAE) at WPI empowers students to become global stewards of the planet and work toward a better, sustainable tomorrow. CEAE’s flexible, project-based curriculum lets students explore multiple disciplines, emphasizing civic responsibility and leadership.

Working with our world-class faculty and using WPI’s state-of-the-art facilities, our students conduct research with global implications in areas like structural design, construction, infrastructure, health monitoring, sustainability, water resources, and pollution prevention and remediation. This important work moves outside our walls to Project Centers in Panama City and with Stantec Inc. as students address real-world civil engineering problems, such as maintaining sustainable infrastructure and protecting the earth’s resources.


We spend 93% of our time in buildings or vehicles, and only 7% outdoors!  The built environment touches all of us more than other engineered aspects of our lives, the more so for climate change, infrastructure renewal, and energy transition. Join us—​the built environment needs our best engineers!


Degree is also offered online.
Area of Study Bachelor Minor Certificate Master PhD
Architectural Engineering bachelor minor
Civil Engineering bachelor master phd
Civil Engineering (MEng) master
Community Climate Adaptation master
Construction Project Management certificate master
Environmental Engineering bachelor master
Undergraduate Research Projects Showcase

Undergraduate Research Projects Showcase

A celebration of research, design, and creative theses—a requirement of every graduating senior through the Major Qualifying Project—takes place each spring on campus. Student teams representing all academic departments present their work to their faculty advisors, external sponsors, and the community-at-large, and the public is invited.

Meet Our Students

Emmanuel Vargas ’24, MS ‘25
Emmanuel Vargas ’24, MS ‘25
BS in Civil Engineering, MS in Fire Protection Engineering

Emmanuel uses his leadership skills as a part of fraternity life to give back to the community and learn new ways of problem-solving.  [...]

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Aseel Kambal ‘25
Aseel Kambal ‘25
BS in Civil Engineering, minor in Environmental & Sustainability Studies

Aseel applies what she learns from her research and coursework to deepen her network of connections on campus. [...]

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Erin Bryan ’23
Erin Bryan ’23
MS, Community Climate Adaptation

A conversation with Professor Sarah Strauss helped Erin combine her academic and personal interests in climate change into a meaningful degree path[...]

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Hannah Schulz '21
Hannah Schulz '21
BS, Civil Engineering and Environmental & Sustainability Studies

Hannah has taken advantage of all the opportunities WPI has to offer, from volunteering and extracurriculars to project work[...]

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From the University Magazine

fire

Fire Safety as a Human Right

Danielle Antonellis founded a nonprofit to reduce risk in vulnerable communities around the world.

sustainability

Sustainability of the Built Environment

Researchers seek solutions for a source of 40 percent of carbon emissions worldwide—human-made infrastructure.

Alumni Success Story

Kristophe Zephyrin '21

Even as a child, Zephyrin had grand ambitions to save the world and improve the human condition, starting with a dream of creating urban green spaces in his hometown of Houston, Texas. 

Donor Profile

Arthur and Roberta Bodwell '64

 “We knew how the financial help I received as a student impacted the quality of our lives,” Arthur says, “so we established the Arthur R. and Roberta M. Bodwell Scholarship as our way of offering gratitude to the university.”