What is Civil Engineering?
Civil engineers make a real difference by designing, building, directing, and maintaining construction projects and systems in the public and private sector. Civil engineering is the world of designing and constructing roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, water supply and sewage treatment systems. This type of engineer is required to consider many factors in the design process from the construction costs and design fail factors such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
What Does a Civil Engineer Do?
Civil engineers build things people use every day as a society. There are many specializations they choose from in terms of distinguishing what they do. Specializations include structural engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resource engineering, transportation engineering, construction engineering, and urban planning.
How to Become a Civil Engineer?
Civil engineers typically earn a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, often with a major in one of its specialties like structural engineering or environmental engineering. Programs in civil engineering features coursework in stats, math, and mechanical systems.
Civil Engineering Programs
Undergraduate Civil Engineering Programs are typically designed to enable the students to enter the profession upon graduation. Many universities offer civil engineering degrees, four-year bachelors of science programs as well as some offer a two-year degree as well. Most students go on to earn a Master’s degree as well.
Civil Engineering Careers
There are many jobs available to civil engineers. They often are employed at the national, state or local level. They often are in supervisory or administrative positions (e.g. construction sites need a city engineer). They are also involved in design and research. Some civil engineers teach at the university level as well. The sky's the limit for civil engineers!
Civil Engineering Links and Resources
- American Society of Civil Engineers: represents more than 140,000 members of the civil engineering profession worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society.
- Construction Specifications Institute: a national association of specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, and others who are experts in building construction.
- International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering: provides information on all aspects of planning, design, construction, maintenance, and repair of civil engineering structures.
- International Council for Building Research Studies and Documentation: a worldwide network of members with research, university, industry, or government backgrounds, who are active in all aspects of research and innovation for building and construction.
- Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat: a global organization that is the creator of the criteria upon which tall building height is measured and which provides multi-disciplinary information on tall buildings and sustainable urban environments.
- American Society of State Highway and Transportation Officials: fosters the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.
- American Public Transportation Association: works to ensure that public transportation is available and accessible for all Americans in communities across the country.
At the TryEngineering Summer Institute summer engineering programs for high school students, you’ll explore various engineering fields, such as electrical, civil, mechanical, and aerospace. Our STEM summer course allows you to meet working engineers and experience VIP tours of engineering companies and centers. Learn new skills and engage in hands-on projects that explore how engineers can solve real-world problems.
The TryEngineering Summer Institute is a program from IEEE, the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology. Our more than 417,000 members in 160 countries, including more than 120,000 student members, help us provide the trusted "voice" for engineering, computing and technology information around the globe via highly-cited publications, conferences, technology standards and professional and educational activities. Our curriculum is created specifically for this program by IEEE STEM summer specialists.
In previous summers, some of the exciting field trips our TryEngineering Summer Institute students enjoyed included:
- NASA's Johnson Space Center (Texas A&M students)
- Con Edison power station, New York City (Vaughn College students)
"The overall experience was awesome and I would definitely recommend it to my friends. Some of the highlights: the flight simulator and the field trip to the World Trade Tower and ConEdison. Getting out and about was nice and it took the classroom to the real world." - former student

Our Engineering Program
TryEngineering Summer Institute gives teens the opportunity to explore a variety of engineering disciplines in a fun, hands-on way. The program is ideal for students who are considering a degree or career in engineering, as well as for those that are curious to learn more. Whether your teen is brand new to engineering, or has taken a few classes in school, every student will have fun tackling a variety of engineering design challenges while developing skills in engineering, communication, and consensus-building. The program is designed by IEEE STEM summer specialists specifically for our TryEngineering Summer Institute.
Students participate in team-based, hands-on design challenges, hear from and interact with working engineers, and experience exciting off-campus field trips to local engineering sites.
The program is perfect for those who want to:
- Find out how engineering is applied in the real world, and how it’s shaping our future.
- Participate in multi-disciplinary projects in electrical, civil, mechanical, aerospace and other engineering disciplines.
- Learn to think like engineers while building critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills.
- Experience how engineers work in teams to solve local and global challenges.
- Gain insight into what it’s like to study engineering at the university level.
- Engage with professionals working in your field of interest.
- See real-world engineering projects while learning about future academic and career possibilities through exciting trips and tours.
- Build awesome projects that teach engineering concepts by making things like rockets, remote control cars, drones, trebuchets, building and soldering circuits, and much more.
…All while having fun with new friends on one of our engineering campuses.
Curriculum Overview


Questions about our programs?
Call us at +1 866 397 2267 or email info@tryengineeringinstitute.org
Program Highlights

Hands-On Design Challenges

Exclusive Guest Speakers

Exciting VIP Tours and Field Trips

Access University Engineering Labs and Tech Spaces
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships are available for those that demonstrate financial need. Click the link below to learn how to apply.
Locations
Cleveland, Ohio
July 11 – 24, 2021
College Station, Texas
June 27 – July 10, 2021
July 11 – July 24, 2021
San Diego, California
June 27 – July 10, 2021
July 11 – July 24, 2021
Queens, New York
July 11 – 24, 2021
July 25 – August 7, 2021