土木工程是最古老的工程学分支。罗马的渡槽和埃及的金字塔是土木工程的早期例子。最初，使用Civil来区分这种民用项目和军事项目。今天，土木工程涵盖了广泛的项目和活动，以提高公众的福利和安全。土木工程师负责桥梁，建筑物，公路，交通控制系统以及供水和废水处理设施等项目的规划，设计和施工。土木工程师也参与解决危险废物和空气污染问题。土木工程学科的专业领域包括结构工程，建筑工程，运输工程，环境工程，水资源工程和基础工程。土木工程师还活跃于城市规划和航空航天工程等各种领域。
Civil Engineering is the oldest branch of engineering. The Roman aqueducts and the pyramids of Egypt are early examples of civil engineering works. Originally, the name "civil" was used to distinguish this type of "civilian" project from those done for the military. Today, civil engineering encompasses a wide range of projects and activities for the welfare and safety of the general public. Civil Engineers are responsible for the planning, design, and construction of such projects as bridges, buildings, highways, traffic control systems, and facilities for the treatment of water supplies and waste water. Civil Engineers are also involved in solving the problems of hazardous waste and air pollution. Specialized area within the discipline of civil engineering include structural engineering, construction engineering, transportation engineering, environmental engineering, water resources engineering and foundation engineering. Civil Engineers are also active in such diverse fields as urban planning and aerospace engineering.