Civil Engineering Concentration

Have you ever driven across a bridge and marveled at its construction? Or perhaps you’ve found yourself at the top of a high-rise building appreciating the view and wondering how anyone could have devised a plan to build such an amazing structure?

If so, you’ve marveled at the work of civil engineers, who plan, design and construct solutions that address the basic needs of everyday human existence. You see their handiwork in highways, bridges and buildings, water purification systems and in environmental impact studies, to name a few. 

Often defined as a “people-serving” profession, civil engineering involves working with public facilities and infrastructure. Areas of specialization cover a wide spectrum of industry, including the transportation sector, construction and civil planning, and structural, environmental, geotechnical and water resources.

Ready to embark on a meaningful career that benefits people and challenges you to develop engineering solutions that have a direct impact on daily life? The civil engineering concentration within our engineering major is for you!

And, if you're wondering about our track record, get this: 100 percent of our engineering graduates have a job or are in graduate school within the first six months after graduation.

Chat with a Current Student

A happy current student

At George Fox, our civil engineering students value their ability to offer Christ-centered service to benefit others, even before they graduate. One way we do this is through our Servant Engineering program, which emphasizes the importance of offering technical skills to improve lives. As part of the core curriculum, students create solutions to significant technical challenges – for instance, designing a bridge at a ranch for fatherless youth in Yamhill, Oregon.

Your spiritual growth is a priority here. Our Christian professors integrate faith and learning throughout the curriculum – ensuring the theory, design, project implementation, and planning for the future rest on a solid faith-based foundation. Our faith is reflected in our emphasis on preparing graduates who will exemplify a lifestyle of service through their work with professional, civic and religious organizations.

Watch video: Life @ Fox: A Day in the Life of a Civil Engineering Major

Why Study Civil Engineering at George Fox?

civil engineering students surveying on the campus quad

What Will I Study?

  • Structural analysis (how structures respond to loading)
  • Geotechnical engineering (how structures interact with the ground) 
  • Transportation engineering (roads and highway systems)
  • Environmental engineering (water and wastewater treatment, environmental processes)
  • Engineering design of steel and concrete structures, water distribution networks and drainage systems, wastewater treatment facilities, foundations and retaining walls, and roadways and other transportation systems
  • How to identify, formulate, and solve open-ended problems
  • Application of science and mathematics to problems of buildings and infrastructure, air and water quality, and transportation systems
Zachery Koppert

Zachery Koppert

George Fox has academically prepared me and other engineers beyond the expectations of the industry. I feel very blessed to have received such a firm understanding of the basics so that I could enter the industry ready to grow even more.

What’s after George Fox

Engineering graduates typically receive the highest starting salary of any discipline. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 8 percent in the next 10 years.

  • Structural Engineer, US Army Corps of Engineers
  • Naval Architect, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
  • Engineering Specialist, Oregon Department of Transportation
  • Civil Designer, KPFF Consulting Engineers
  • Civil/Structural Engineer, Anvil Corporation
  • Project Engineer, Andersen Construction
  • Facilities Analyst, Marion County Oregon
  • Engineer, Parametrix
  • Civil Designer, Westlake Consultants
  • Engineer, RH2 Engineering
  • Structural Designer, Structural Solutions
  • Project Engineer, Walsh Construction
  • Contech Engineered Solutions, Hillsboro, Oregon
  • Andersen Construction, Portland, Oregon
  • Bowers And Kubota, Waipahu, Hawaii
  • Cruz Construction Company, Anchorage, Alaska
  • City of Newberg, Newberg, Oregon
  • Engineering Ministries International, Oxford, UK
  • Yamhill County Public Works, McMinnville, Oregon
  • Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Oregon
  • Linn County Road Department, Albany, Oregon
  • Engineering Ministries International, Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Oregon Department of Transportation, Portland, Oregon
  • Hoffman Construction Company, Portland, Oregon