Loyola Marymount University, a Jesuit Catholic university in Los Angeles, offers degrees in civil engineering through the Frank Seaver College of Science and Engineering. Civil engineering students can follow the general degree path, which allows students to explore various areas of interest through electives, or they can choose the environmental engineering track. Environmental engineering students take the standard civil engineering courses along with classes like environmentally focused electives in areas like microbiology or waste management. Students may also want to take advantage of LMU's summer abroad program in Bonn, Germany, which allows students to see the scientific and technological innovations being carried out by German engineers.
Civil engineering students at the University of California at Los Angeles enjoy the vast resources of California's largest public research university. As part of the major, students choose two tracks of emphasis from environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and water resources, or structural engineering and mechanics. Students can select electives from the departments of earth and space science, environmental engineering, or mechanical and aerospace engineering to round out their program. Undergraduates also have the opportunity to work with professors on cutting-edge research. Areas of research being conducted by UCLA's civil engineering faculty include seismic monitoring and structural safety, which are crucial areas of study in earthquake-prone southern California.
The University of Southern California, located in Los Angeles, is home to more than 1,800 undergraduates in the Viterbi School of Engineering. All freshmen begin their first semester by taking Freshman Academy, a course where they are introduced to the engineering profession and matched with upperclassmen "coaches" who serve as mentors. Civil engineering students can choose from emphases in structural engineering, building science, construction, water resources, or environmental engineering. Outside of USC, students can choose from a range of study abroad options. The Viterbi School sponsors programs in European cities each summer where students take required engineering courses and go on a variety of cultural excursions. Students who would like a longer international experience can apply to study for a semester at USC's partner universities in Israel, Singapore, or Hong Kong.
The campus for the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo is located 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Cal Poly is unusual among U.S. universities in that all students apply directly to a specific major and no program changes are allowed, so students delve directly into their civil engineering studies beginning in their freshman year. The curriculum allows for 24 credits of engineering electives, allowing students to specialize in geotechnical, structural, transportation, or water resources engineering. Students can put their knowledge to practical use through projects with organizations such as Cal Poly Engineers Without Borders, which sponsors trips to impoverished countries where students help rebuild infrastructure damaged by natural disasters.