Wilkes University launching new major in civil engineering

WILKES-BARRE — Wilkes University is introducing a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering, with four concentrations, two facilities and one “job-ready curriculum.”

The program will prepare “graduates for careers in structural, geotechnical, environmental and project engineering,” according to a media release.

“Those enrolled in the program will explore all facets of foundations and structures, public water and sewage systems, storm water management, and air, solid, water and hazardous waste treatment processes,” the release said. “Emphasizing hands-on learning, small classes and labs, and mentoring under the guidance of dedicated faculty experts, students will learn how to design systems using industry software that is utilized in many professional settings.”

Wilkes now boasts of being “one of the few universities in the country that houses a civil and environmental engineering program, with an environmental science and geology program, inspiring a collaborative learning environment among future engineers and geoscientists.”

“With a curriculum designed among faculty experts as well as civil engineers from outside of Wilkes, students will benefit from a job-ready program,” environmental engineering professor Brian Whitman said in the release. “An industrial advisory council, comprising alumni engineers and other professionals from the region, helps ensure that Wilkes grads are prepared for real-world industry needs.”

The four concentrations are environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering and water resource and hydraulic engineering. Classes will be held in the Cohen Science Center and the newly developed Mark Engineering Center.

The program will launch this fall, and could lead to well-paying jobs on graduation. “The median entry-level salary for civil engineers was $64,000, according to the 2020 Civil Engineering Salary Report, and the median pre-tax annual salary in 2019 was $115,000.”