Civil engineering includes the research, development, planning, design, construction, and maintenance associated with urban development, water supply, structures, energy generation and transmission, water treatment and disposal, and transportation systems. The civil engineer deals with the function and safety of such public facilities as buildings, bridges, dams, pipelines, powerplants, highways, and harbors, and is concerned with the protection of the public against natural hazards of earthquakes, floods, landslides, and fires.<br>The graduate curriculum leading to an M.S. in Civil Engineering provides specialized training in the fields of structural engineering and applied mechanics, soil mechanics and foundation engineering, environmental engineering, water resources engineering, highway engineering, and geomatics engineering.