JBU Adds Civil Engineering Program to Academic Offerings
SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Feb. 19, 2025) — John Brown University will offer a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering starting in the fall of 2025, preparing students to meet the growing demand for infrastructure development and improvement.
“Civil engineering plays a critical role in shaping the infrastructure that supports modern life, from safe transportation systems to sustainable water management," said John Lee, Ph.D., department chair of engineering. "JBU’s Christ-centered education will prepare students to approach their work with both technical excellence and a heart for serving their communities.”
As the U.S. faces increasing challenges with aging infrastructure, the demand for civil engineers is growing.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6% job growth in civil engineering from 2023 to 2033, outpacing the average for all occupations. In Northwest Arkansas, where rapid population growth is driving new development, the need for skilled civil engineers is even greater.
JBU’s civil engineering program will provide students with a strong technical foundation while emphasizing ethical leadership and sustainable design. The program will cover areas such as structural engineering, transportation networks, geotechnical engineering, and environmental sustainability.
Students will also benefit from collaboration with JBU’s construction management and mechanical engineering programs, leveraging shared resources like the university’s high bay lab.
"This new major won’t just benefit engineering students—it’s also going to be great for the CM program. Many of the areas in civil engineering, like soil mechanics, environmental engineering, and geotechnical engineering, are closely related to construction management," said Rick Faust, department head of the construction management department. "The addition of this major will promote collaboration across disciplines, enrich the student experience, and better prepare our graduates for the complexities of the industry."
Graduates from JBU’s civil engineering program will be prepared for careers in structural, transportation, environmental, geotechnical, and water resource engineering.
For more information about the program, visit jbu.edu/majors/civil-engineering or email Dr. John Lee at jlee@jbu.edu.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 42 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers over 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, business, computer science, construction management, graphic design, family and human services, and engineering. Eighteen graduate degrees are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, and education.
