The growth of civilization goes hand in hand with the growth in the infrastructure of a country. Civil engineering is the mother of all engineering branches. The history of Civil Engineering can be traced back to the beginning of civilization when man started building huts for living and invented wheel for transport. Over the years, this field has evolved into a branch of engineering which involves the application of physical and scientific principles for solving problems of the society. Civil engineering is a wide ranging profession, including several separate specialized sub-disciplines; its history is linked to knowledge of structures, materials science, geography, geology, soils, hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.

Civil Engineers play a very important role in improving the living standards of a society. Civil Engineers are involved in three areas of activity, namely, Designing, Construction and Maintenance. They contribute to design and construction of bridges, tunnels, roads, railways, airways, dams, pipelines and major buildings. In addition, Civil Engineers safeguard the environment against pollution of air, land and water, by implementing proper treatment techniques and managing the natural resources for future generation.

Civil engineering is the second-oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it is defined to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering. It is traditionally broken into several sub-disciplines including architectural engineering, engineering, geotechnical, geophysics, geodesy, control engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, earth science, sciences, forensic, municipal or urban engineering, water resources engineering, materials engineering, offshore engineering, surveying, coastal, surveying, and construction engineering.