Civil Engineering

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil Engineering is one of the oldest and broadest branches of engineering, focused on the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure. This includes bridges, roads, dams, buildings, tunnels, water systems, and more. Civil engineers ensure the built environment is safe, sustainable, and efficient. It requires knowledge of materials science, structural analysis, fluid dynamics, and geotechnical systems.

What you Learn… How?

In Civil Engineering, you learn to plan and design large-scale infrastructure projects. Through a combination of lectures, labs, and group projects, you develop skills in structural analysis, fluid mechanics, transportation systems, soil mechanics, and sustainability. Design projects and fieldwork are common, and co-op/internships help apply concepts to real-world engineering challenges. You also gain experience with tools like AutoCAD, Revit, and MATLAB, and understand legal and environmental standards.

Examples of First Year Courses

Introduction to Civil Engineering
Engineering Design and Problem Solving
Calculus I for Engineering
Linear Algebra
Statics and Mechanics of Materials
Chemistry for Engineers
Technical Communications

Sample Employment and Average Salary

Structural Engineer ($85,000)
Transportation Engineer ($82,000)
Water Resources Engineer ($84,000)
Geotechnical Engineer ($90,000)
Project Manager ($100,000)
Construction Site Engineer ($75,000)

How To Get In?

Prerequisites

4U Calculus & Vectors
4U Advanced Functions
4U Chemistry
4U Physics
4U English
One 4U or Mixed Course

General Statements

Civil is slightly less competitive than Software or Biomedical, but still selective at Tier 1 schools
NO GAURENTEE of admissions when meeting criteria
ECs involving building, STEM fairs, CAD, or project leadership are valued highly

The NaviGrad Tiering system for Civil Engineering is as follows:

Tier 1

UWaterloo, UofT

Tier 2

Queens, McMaster, uOttawa, Carleton

Tier 3

Western, Guelph, Ontario Tech

Tier 4

TMU, York, Windsor

Tier 5

Others

Tier Requirements

Tier 1

Mid to High 90’s for best chances

Low 90’s or even High 80's with excellent ECs or portfolio

Waterloo

Very Strong Civil Engineering Program

Access to infrastructure research and real-world projects

Average acceptance range: 95–97%

Requires AIF and optional video interview

Acceptance rate: ~5–6%

UofT

Civil Engineering is among the oldest and strongest in Canada at UofT

Requires a supplemental application and video interview

95–97% for typical entry

Acceptance rate: ~7–8%

Tier 2

McMaster

5-Year Engineering & Management program

Start in General Engineering, then add management degree

90–93% average recommended

Queens

Hardest Tier 2 to get into

Low to Mid 90’s, with good EC’s

Main track engineering first year

Acceptance rate of about 10-12%

University of Ottawa / Carleton University

Co-op programs with infrastructure and municipal partnerships

87–90% averages usually accepted

Make sure you have some good extracurriculars

Tier 3

High 80’s usually sufficient

Good for civil-focused programs with practical learning

Tier 4

Low to Mid 80’s

Used for backups or good foundation universities

less research opportunities and access to equipment

Tier 5

Extra Backups if needed

Can range, but usually low 80’s

General engineering programs

May require transfers or postgrad for civil-specific careers

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