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Studies & Degrees in Construction Engineering

Construction engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with how structures are actually built. San Diego State University (SDSU), one of the schools in this list, defines it as the planning and management of the construction of structures such as highways, bridges, airports, railroads, buildings, dams and reservoirs, and adds that such projects require knowledge of engineering and management principles, business procedures, economics and human behaviour. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classes construction engineers as a type of civil engineer: they manage construction projects so that they are scheduled and built according to plans and specifications, and they are typically responsible for the design and safety of temporary structures used during construction.

Students take the mathematics, physics and engineering mechanics of a civil engineering degree and combine them with the subjects of the building site: cost estimating, planning and scheduling, safety engineering, materials procurement, and cost engineering and budgeting.

Qualifications and levels

The name and the length of the degree depend on the country.

  • United States. Construction engineering is a bachelor's degree in its own right at some universities. Purdue University offers a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering (BSCNE) next to its Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, and states that the programme is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. SDSU teaches a B.S. in Construction Engineering and a separate B.S. in Construction Management; admission to the construction engineering major requires set preparatory courses and an overall cumulative GPA of 2.7.
  • Chile. Ingeniería en Construcción is a professional degree. At the Universidad Autónoma de Chile it lasts 10 semesters and leads to the professional title of Ingeniero(a) Constructor(a) and the academic degree of Licenciado(a) en Ciencias de la Ingeniería en Construcción. It is taught in Santiago, Talca and Temuco.
  • Spain. There is usually no separate degree with this name; construction is studied within civil engineering. The bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering (Grado en Ingeniería Civil) of the Escola de Camins of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona takes 4 years and 240 ECTS credits, is taught in Catalan, Spanish and English, and qualifies graduates for the regulated profession of Ingeniería Técnica de Obras Públicas. Graduates can continue to the Máster Universitario en Ingeniería de Caminos, Canales y Puertos.

Because the content of programmes with similar names differs, compare the curriculum and ask whether the degree is accredited or gives access to the regulated profession in the country where you want to work.

Where to study construction engineering

SpainExchange lists 15 active schools for construction engineering. Seven are in the United States, three in Spain and two in Chile; Canada, Denmark and Russia have one each. The US schools include Purdue University, San Diego State University, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Tech University and Oregon State University. In Spain the list has the Escola de Camins and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona and the Badajoz campus of the Universidad de Extremadura. In Chile it has the Universidad Autónoma de Chile and the Universidad Diego Portales. McGill University in Montreal and VIA University College in Horsens, Denmark, are also listed.

Teaching is in English in the United States and in Spanish in Chile. In Barcelona the civil engineering degree uses Catalan, Spanish and English, so check the language of each course group before enrolling.

Careers

Graduates work for contractors, engineering consultancies, developers and public works departments as site engineers, project engineers, planners, estimators and, with experience, construction managers. The BLS describes construction managers as the people who plan, coordinate, budget and supervise construction projects from start to finish; they typically need a bachelor's degree.

In the United States a licence is not required for entry-level civil engineers, but engineers who offer services directly to the public must be licensed. State licensure generally requires a degree from an accredited engineering programme, a pass in the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, several years of relevant work experience and a pass in the Professional Engineer (PE) exam.

The BLS projects employment of civil engineers to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 22,700 openings a year, and employment of construction managers to grow 9 percent over the same period.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between construction engineering and civil engineering?

Civil engineering covers the design of infrastructure as a whole. Construction engineering is the part concerned with building it: scheduling, cost, safety, temporary structures and site management. The BLS treats construction engineers as one type of civil engineer.

How long does a construction engineering degree take?

It depends on the country. Ingeniería en Construcción at the Universidad Autónoma de Chile lasts 10 semesters. In Spain the bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at the Escola de Camins in Barcelona takes 4 years and 240 ECTS credits.

Is construction engineering the same as construction management?

No. Some universities offer both: San Diego State University has a B.S. in Construction Engineering and a separate B.S. in Construction Management. The engineering degree includes engineering design; construction management concentrates on running projects.

Do construction engineers need a licence?

In the United States a licence is not required for entry-level civil engineers, but it is needed to offer engineering services directly to the public. In Spain, the civil engineering degree in Barcelona qualifies graduates for the regulated profession of Ingeniería Técnica de Obras Públicas.