Civilhawks

"Civil and environmental engineering will provide you with the analytical tools to develop and implement structures, projects, and techniques that reduce the overall impact of the built environment,” says senior Isaac Schrock. “As a student, there are numerous opportunities within the CEE major to learn about, question, and engage with the principles of sustainability and to apply these principles throughout your life, schoolwork, and extracurricular projects. Professionally, the major serves as a gateway for a diverse array of positions from which you can positively impact the world around you."

"A lot of my friends have found jobs already, and I've had no issues getting into graduate school. The professors really want to make sure we have the tools to succeed. My professor not only wrote me a recommendation letter, but also spoke to potential advisors at graduate schools himself on my behalf! He walked me through the entire process, and now I'm going to be attending the University of Minnesota for my PhD, with not only my tuition paid for, but also a research stipend. You can also take some graduate courses as an undergraduate to help prepare you for graduate school."

“Before I came to college, I was worried about finding my niche,” says Katie Langenfeld, a senior and a native of Iowa City, Iowa. “But I really didn't need to be concerned because the university has so many excellent programs in place to help students fit in and find their place, from student organizations to living-learning communities. Personally, I was nervous about the gender ratio at the College of Engineering. The best decision I made was to live in the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) living-learning community. I was surrounded by engineering women who were in most of my classes and I met some of my best friends there."

“Help with coursework is readily available if a student seeks it out. There are multiple ways to get help. Professors and teaching assistants have designated office hours each week — these office hours can be a great opportunity to learn a difficult subject in a one-on-one setting. Likewise, the Student Development Center offers free tutoring for many of the core engineering courses taken during the first two years.”

“The University of Iowa engineering program truly has no classes designed to ‘weed out’ students,” says Kevin Garrone, “Iowa’s College of Engineering expects the highest quality work from all students, no matter what program you enroll in. Regardless, the engineering faculty aim to see that every first-year student becomes a successful graduate, and they put the necessary effort and resources toward this goal, year after year. In fact, most faculty I’ve encountered here relate to our hectic college lifestyle and accommodate homework due dates, projects, and exams accordingly, making sure you have additional time for student organizations, volunteering, and extracurricular activities!”