Why Civil Engineering?
“The Scientist explores what is, the Engineer creates what has never been.”
– Theodore von Karman
Engineers apply technology to benefit our global society. They use theory, experiments, experience and judgment to create new devices, to improve and maintain products and processes, to predict performance and develop systems, all within a framework of economics, ethics and sensitivity to the needs and wants of individuals and society. Engineers are constantly searching for cleaner, more affordable energy sources. Engineers are constantly analyzing cityscapes for a better way to organize populations in an ever-shrinking world. Engineers must be able to work on teams with colleagues from a variety of disciplines and must learn how to think across these disciplines in order to solve problems that affect every global citizen and every facet of our planet.
Civil Engineering has traditionally used imagination, judgment, reasoning and experience to apply science, technology, mathematics and practical experience to develop that which was once only a concept. UBC Civil Engineering ties these foundations to a diverse program – one that uses knowledge from a variety of engineering disciplines to work on the complex technical challenges faced by society in the 21st century.
