Civil Engineering

Prospective Students

Cal Poly Pomona has one of the premier civil engineering programs in the country. Our "learn-by-doing" philosophy of education combines traditional lectures with extensive laboratory experience, design projects, field trips, and other activities designed to prepare students for successful careers as civil engineers.

We have three programs: The undergraduate civil engineering program, the undergraduate construction engineering and management program and the graduate-level master of science in civil engineering (MSCE) program is for students who already have a BS in civil engineering or construction engineering and management, or similar degree and wish to pursue more in-depth studies.

Cal Poly Pomona is ranked very high national and regional rankings. In addition, local employers have strong desires to hire our graduates. Civil engineering is especially well-regarded, and is the largest major on campus.

Undergraduate Students

General Info

Cal Poly Pomona has the largest undergraduate civil engineering program in the country with about 1,200 students, which is the largest major on campus. Students learn the principles of civil engineering, and then learn how to apply these principles to real-world design problems.

The construction engineering and management program currently has about 300 students. Students learn the principles of construction engineering and management, and then learn how to apply these principles to real-world construction problems.

Even though the undergraduate programs have large numbers of students, the class sizes are still small. Most lectures have 25 to 38 students, and laboratory courses typically have 15 to 24 students. We keep these small class sizes by offering multiple sections of each course every year. All lecture and laboratory courses are taught by full-time or part-time faculty, and these faculty are accessible during regular office hours.

The programs are designed primarily for full-time day students, so most of the classes are offered during daytime hours. Some classes are offered in the evenings, but students cannot complete the program by taking only evening classes.

First-Time Freshmen

High school students planning to major in civil engineering and construction engineering technology should take mathematics every year. Courses in chemistry, physics, and English composition also are helpful.

The number of qualified applicants for our civil engineering program exceeds our resources, so our admission requirements are higher than the basic university requirements. In addition to satisfying the Cal Poly Pomona admission requirements, civil engineering program applicants will be screened based on their SAT or ACT Math score, and their eligibility index (EI). Cut scores will be set based on the applicant pool and the number of available seats.

Our construction engineering and management  program currently follows Cal Poly Pomona admission requirements.

First-time freshmen typically enter the program only during fall semester. The application period is during the months of October and November of the previous year.

Transfer Students

About half of students in each graduating class entered the department as a transfer student from another college or university, mostly from one of the California Community Colleges. Some transfer students come from other four-year institutions. We welcome transfer students, and provide special sections of certain courses to help them progress more easily through the curriculum.

Beginning one's studies at a community college, then transferring to Cal Poly Pomona, can be an excellent path to obtaining a civil engineering or construction engineering mangement degree. Fees and expenses at community colleges are lower, and they typically provide an excellent education. However, it is important to take the correct courses in order to make good progress toward completing the degree requirements in a timely fashion. All entering transfer students must have completed at least the following:

  • A minimum of 60 semester units (90 quarter units) of transferable coursework
  • Certain courses and other requirements as outlined in the transfer admission requirements
  • At least one calculus course (transferable to our MAT 1140), preferably more for BSCE .
  • Completion of the Area A general education requirements

The following coursework is helpful for the civil engineering program, but not required:

  • Completion of the entire math sequence (transferable to our MAT 1140, 1150, 2140, and 2240)
  • At least one calculus-based physics course (transferable to our PHY 1510)
  • A computer-aided drafting (CAD) course (AutoCAD or similar)
  • A computer proficiency course (Microsoft office, computer programming, or similar)
  • An elementary surveying course (transferable to our CE 1011)
  • A statics course (transferable to our CE 2041)

The assist.org website is an excellent resource for checking course equivalencies. There is no need to complete an AA or AS degree.

Transfer students who complete the CSU Lower Division Transfer Pattern (LDTP) requirements for the civil engineering or construction engineering and management programs, along with the transfer admission requirements are normally given first priority in admissions.

Transfer students are typically admitted every semester. The application deadlines are posted on the Cal Poly Pomona Admissions website.

Applying for Admission

The best way to apply for admission is online at the CSU Apply website. Additional information is available on the Cal Poly Pomona admission and planning website.

Policies and Procedures for Change of Major to Our Civil Engineering or Construction and Management Programs

Current Cal Poly Pomona students may request a change of major to the civil engineering or construction engineering and management program. The process for doing so is described in the Major Change Polices and Procedures document.

MSCE Students

General Info

Our MSCE program is designed for both part-time and full-time students. All classes are scheduled in the late afternoon or evening in order to accommodate working professionals. This program currently offers options in construction engineering and management, environmental engineering and water resources, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering.

Applying for Admission

Graduate students are typically admitted for fall semester only. Application deadlines and procedures are shown on the Admissions web site. For your information, here is the Guidelines, Policies and Procedures for Graduate Admissions of our MSCE program.