COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & SCIENCE

Civil Engineering

Program Highlights

Civil engineers design, build and maintain the fundamental systems critical to a sustainable and resilient society, including buildings, bridges, roads, railroads, airports, channels, levees, pipelines, power grids, water treatment and other systems. Generally, civil engineers fall into two types: consulting engineers and contracting engineers. Consultants complete the design work for projects, while contractors implement the designs during construction. Civil engineers usually work in six sub-disciplines: construction, environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resource engineering. Civil engineers also have the option to become professional land surveyors. Civil engineering work can take place in the public sector from municipal to national governments, and in the private sector from individual homeowners to international companies.

The Louisiana Tech Civil Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org. To find out more information about the program mission, educational objectives, student outcomes, and enrollment and graduation data, go to our Accreditation & Enrollment page.

Employment Opportunities

There continues to be a growing need for civil engineers in the job market. The multitude of options and job pathways in civil engineering is one of the advantages of the profession. Graduates of the Civil Engineering Program at Louisiana Tech have worked with companies like Halff, Dashiell Corporation, Power Engineers, Trade Construction, L.L.C., CASE International, Fenstermaker & Associates, L.L.C., Hunt, Guillot & Associates and many others. Civil engineering graduates have also worked for government entities including the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Louisiana Department of Transportation and other federal, state and local government organizations. Professionally licensed civil engineers have even formed their own design consulting and construction firms.

Starting Salary Range of Recent Graduates: $60,000 – $80,000

Job Opportunities

  • Consulting civil engineer
  • Contracting civil engineer
  • Construction manager
  • Design engineer
  • Sustainable design and construction consultant
  • Hazard mitigation and design consultant
  • Public works engineer
  • Coastal engineer
  • Environmental engineer
  • Transportation engineer
  • Geotechnical engineer
  • Engineering geologist
  • Quality surveyor
  • Building control surveyor
  • Building services engineer
  • Site engineer
  • Structural engineer
  • Water resources engineer
  • Nuclear engineer
  • Earthquake design engineer
  • Wind design engineer
  • Forensic engineer
  • Research scientist
  • Engineering educator

Other Opportunities

Interested in becoming a professional surveyor? At Louisiana Tech, you can earn 30-hours of credit through a Professional Land Surveyor Undergraduate Certificate to complete the educational requirement for surveying licensure through the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Unlike minors, undergraduate certificates do not need to be completed concurrently with an undergraduate degree and can be pursued as a stand-alone credential.

There are also undergraduate certificate opportunities at Louisiana Tech that allow you to specialize in Six Sigma Green Belt and Six Sigma Lean. Learn more about these opportunities!

 

Interested in Joining Our Program?

Whether you’re interested in joining our program or just have questions, we’re here to help.

Faculty

Civil Engineering

Dr. Shaurav Alam P.E.

SWEPCO Endowed Professor, Associate Professor, Associate Director of Research

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Trenchless Technology Center

Office: BOGH 246

Phone: 318.257.2053

Email: shaurav@latech.edu

James Walt Ballard P.L.S.

Adjunct Instructor

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology

Nia Collins

Administrative Coordinator 3

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering

Office: BOGH 253

Phone: 318.257.2357

Email: collins@latech.edu

Dr. Jason Howell

Lecturer

Departments: Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Trenchless Technology Center

Office: IESB 127

Phone: 318.257.5121

Email: jhowell@latech.edu

Dr. Arun Jaganathan

Associate Professor

Departments: Center for Applied Physics Studies, Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Molecular Science and Nanotechnology

Office: BOGH 247

Phone: 318.257.2905

Email: arun@latech.edu

Dr. John J. Kraft IV

Lecturer

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology

Office: BOGH 252

Phone: 318.257.2744

Email: jkraft@latech.edu

Dr. Elizabeth Matthews

Associate Professor and Program Chair for Civil Engineering, Associate Director MALT Center

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, MALT Center

Office: BOGH 251

Phone: 318.257.3350

Email: ematt@latech.edu

Dr. John Matthews

Director Trenchless Technology Center, Professor

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Engineering and Technology Management, Trenchless Technology Center

Office: EA 203

Phone: 318.257.2852

Email: matthews@latech.edu

Dr. Hadi Salehi

Assistant Professor

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Institute for Micromanufacturing

Office: BOGH 243

Phone: 318.257.2210

Email: hsalehi@latech.edu

Dr. Roya Solhmirzaei

Assistant Professor

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Institute for Micromanufacturing

Office: BOGH 242

Phone: 318.257.5115

Email: solhmirz@latech.edu

Dr. Jay Xingran Wang P.E.

Civil Engineering, Professor – Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology

Office: BOGH 250

Phone: 318.257.2934

Email: xwang@latech.edu

Dr. Nazimuddin Wasiuddin

Professor

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Molecular Science and Nanotechnology

Office: BOGH 245

Phone: 318.257.2392

Email: wasi@latech.edu

Dr. Leland Weiss

Director – Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering; Professor – Mechanical Engineering

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Institute for Micromanufacturing, Mechanical Engineering, Molecular Science and Nanotechnology

Office: BOGH 253A

Phone: 318.257.5113

Email: lweiss@latech.edu

Trenchless Technology Center

Dr. Shaurav Alam P.E.

SWEPCO Endowed Professor, Associate Professor, Associate Director of Research

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Trenchless Technology Center

Office: BOGH 246

Phone: 318.257.2053

Email: shaurav@latech.edu

Dr. Jason Howell

Lecturer

Departments: Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Trenchless Technology Center

Office: IESB 127

Phone: 318.257.5121

Email: jhowell@latech.edu

Dr. Shaik Hussain

Research Scientist, Adjunct Instructor

Departments: Construction Engineering Technology, Trenchless Technology Center

Office: SC 101

Phone: 318.257.5303

Email: hshaik@latech.edu

Carrie Kelly

Research Assistant

Department: Trenchless Technology Center

Office: EA 201

Phone: 318.257.4072

Email: ckelly@latech.edu

Dr. John Matthews

Director Trenchless Technology Center, Professor

Departments: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Engineering and Technology Management, Trenchless Technology Center

Office: EA 203

Phone: 318.257.2852

Email: matthews@latech.edu

Fredda Wagner

Grant Administration Specialist, Office Manager

Departments: Center for Applied Physics Studies, Office of Sponsored Projects, Trenchless Technology Center

Office: EA 201

Phone: 318.257.3204

Email: fredda@latech.edu

Quade Wells

Laboratory Manager and Property Inventory Custodian

Department: Trenchless Technology Center

Office: SC 101

Phone: 318.257.5303

Email: jqwells@latech.edu

Student Spotlight

Ashtyne Monceaux

Why did you choose to study Civil Engineering at Louisiana Tech?

I have always been drawn to science and math, and the field of Civil Engineering combines these interests with my desire to improve the world around me. My decision to study at Louisiana Tech was solidified after my on-campus tour during my senior year of high school. From the moment I stepped on campus, I felt at home. Not only was everyone so kind and welcoming, but I was very impressed with Tech’s engineering program and the hands-on experience that came with it. I am grateful every day that I decided to study Civil Engineering at Louisiana Tech!

What opportunities has studying Civil Engineering at Louisiana Tech provided you?

Studying Civil Engineering at Louisiana Tech has provided me with many opportunities to advance myself academically and socially. I have been able to pursue leadership opportunities through officer positions within our American Society of Civil Engineer’s Student Chapter. Through ASCE, I have been able to travel to other universities across the country to participate in regional and national ASCE competitions. Louisiana Tech and the College of Engineering and Science provide many opportunities for students to interact with industry professionals, and it was at the Tech career fair that I secured a summer internship my sophomore year! Through collaborative group projects and labs, I have gotten hands-on experience in designing and creating. Not only do the professors push you to be the best, but I have also made so many friends within the Civil Engineering program! 

Featured Alumni

Mason Macaluso

Mason Macaluso, E.I., B.S. Civil Engineering, 2023

Engineering Intern at C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates

“The Civil Engineering Program at Louisiana Tech University I feel has helped to prepare me immensely for my career in the Civil Engineering industry. During my time at Tech, I found the professors to have a wealth of knowledge to share with us. My favorite aspect of the program was the hands-on experience that I received in the civil engineering labs. Getting to perform these labs exposed me to the testing methods that are often the first steps in a civil engineering project. It is these results that we use as designers when making choices that will influence a project, being able to understand how these results has allowed me to make responsible design choices on the projects that I have worked on. They also have very active American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter, where I found many of my close friends working on student competitions such as concrete canoe, steel bridge, and surveying to name a few. Overall, I would highly recommend anyone considering a future career in Civil Engineering to consider Louisiana Tech for their college education.”