Direct comparison
Civil vs Environmental Engineering
Civil engineering builds and maintains infrastructure; environmental engineering protects water, air and soil. Compare focus, methods, licensure and funders.
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How do Civil engineering, Environmental engineering compare side by side?
The table below compares Civil engineering, Environmental engineering across 12 procurement-relevant dimensions, from definition through overlap and when to choose.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Civil engineering | Environmental engineering |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and maintenance of the built and natural infrastructure environment: the structures, transportation networks, water systems and land developments societies depend on. | The branch of engineering that applies chemistry, biology, hydrology and civil engineering to protect human health and the natural environment through the design of water, air, waste and remediation systems. |
| Main focus | Structures and infrastructure: buildings, bridges, roads, dams, airports, and water-supply and wastewater systems, designed to perform safely under loads over their service life. | Environmental protection: clean water, drinking-water and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, solid and hazardous waste management, and cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater. |
| Core questions | How will this structure or earthwork behave under gravity, wind, seismic forces, traffic or water pressure? What do the soil and rock at this site allow to be built? How will water move through and around a project? | How much of a contaminant is present, where is it moving and how fast? What physical, chemical or biological process will remove it at the needed scale, and what does that cost to build and operate? |
| Technical core | Statics and structural mechanics, soil and rock mechanics, fluid mechanics and hydrology, and materials behavior (concrete, steel, asphalt, timber). | Mass and energy balances, reaction kinetics and unit-process design, fluid mechanics and hydrology, and environmental chemistry and microbiology. |
| Methods and modeling | Analytical modeling, computational simulation such as finite element analysis, physical or laboratory testing, and field investigation of the specific site, in a design-build-inspect cycle shaped by public-safety codes. | Bench-scale, pilot-scale and full-scale testing of treatment processes; fate-and-transport models; hydrologic and hydraulic models; life-cycle assessment; and exposure and risk assessment. |
| Tools and equipment | Structural analysis and finite element software, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, Building Information Modeling, soil borings and cone penetration testing, surveying with GNSS and LiDAR, materials testing, structural health monitoring sensors. | Treatment-process reactors and membrane filtration rigs, chromatography and mass spectrometry for trace contaminants, spectrophotometry, molecular biology tools, water and air samplers, groundwater monitoring wells, GIS and sensor networks. |
| Typical work | Designing and inspecting foundations, bridges and buildings; planning highways and transit; designing drainage, dams and flood control; managing construction projects. | Designing and operating water and wastewater treatment trains, air emission controls, landfills and waste systems, remediation strategies, and environmental impact assessments. |
| Regulation and licensure | Accredited bachelor's degree (ABET), then the FE exam, qualifying experience and a PE exam administered by NCEES. A PE license is generally required to offer services to the public or submit plans to a public authority, and is especially central because designs affect public safety. | Same general path: an ABET-accredited environmental engineering or civil engineering program, then FE, experience and PE through NCEES, standard for engineers certifying designs for regulated infrastructure. The Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) credential is administered by AAEES. |
| Training pathway | Bachelor's degree is the standard entry credential; master's (thesis or non-thesis) and PhD for research, academic and R&D careers. | Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering, or civil engineering with an environmental concentration; master's or PhD for research and advanced design roles, often in a civil and environmental engineering department. |
| Research funders (US) | NSF Directorate for Engineering (CMMI division), USDOT via FHWA, US Army Corps of Engineers (ERDC), NIST (leads NEHRP), the EPA for water-infrastructure work, plus state transportation departments and industry. | NSF Directorate for Engineering, EPA Office of Research and Development (including STAR grants), NIEHS, the Department of Energy, USDA NIFA, and the nonprofit Water Research Foundation. |
| Professional societies | American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which publishes standards such as ASCE 7, technical journals and certification programs. | Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) for academics; the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of ASCE; Water Environment Federation (WEF); American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES). |
| Overlap and when to choose | Overlaps through water resources (stormwater, watershed hydrology, flood control) and geotechnical and environmental work on soil and groundwater. Choose it for structures, foundations, transportation, construction or the broadest set of specializations. | Overlaps through the same water-resources and hydrology core and shared coursework; environmental engineering is also a civil engineering sub-discipline. Choose it for water and wastewater treatment, air quality, waste and remediation. |
Common questions
Common questions about Civil engineering vs Environmental engineering
What is the main difference between civil engineering and environmental engineering?
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Civil engineering is the broader discipline, covering the design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure including structures, transportation, geotechnical and water-resources work. Environmental engineering focuses on protecting human health and the environment through water and wastewater treatment, air quality, and waste management and remediation. The two share core coursework in fluid mechanics and hydrology.
Is environmental engineering a branch of civil engineering?
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Historically, yes. Environmental engineering grew out of civil engineering's sanitary-engineering tradition, and civil engineering still lists it as a sub-discipline. It has also grown into its own closely related field, and many environmental engineers train within civil engineering departments.
Do both need a PE license?
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The path is the same in the United States: pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, gain qualifying work experience, then pass the Professional Engineer exam administered by NCEES. A PE license is generally required to submit engineering designs to a public authority, which applies to both fields. Rules vary by jurisdiction, so check with your state licensing board.
Which has more job variety?
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Civil engineering spans more sub-disciplines, including structural, geotechnical, transportation, water resources, construction and coastal engineering. Environmental engineering is organized around the environmental medium or problem addressed: water and wastewater, air quality, solid and hazardous waste, and remediation. Civil engineers work across consulting firms, construction companies and government agencies at every level.
Can a civil engineer work in environmental engineering?
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Often yes, because the fields share a core and environmental engineering programs are frequently offered as a civil engineering degree with an environmental concentration. Water resources, stormwater and drinking-water or wastewater infrastructure are common points where the work overlaps.
Who funds research in each field?
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For civil engineering, the main US federal funders are NSF (Directorate for Engineering, CMMI division), USDOT through FHWA, the US Army Corps of Engineers and NIST, with the EPA funding water-infrastructure work. For environmental engineering, NSF and the EPA Office of Research and Development are the primary federal funders, with NIEHS, the Department of Energy and USDA NIFA funding related work, and the Water Research Foundation funding utility-focused research.
How does environmental engineering differ from environmental science?
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Environmental science is primarily observational and analytical, focused on understanding how natural systems and human activity interact. Environmental engineering is a design discipline that builds the systems, such as treatment plants, control technologies and remediation strategies, that change those interactions. The two work closely together in practice.
