The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) defines civil engineering as "the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically, the materials and forces of nature for the progressive well-being of humanity in creating, improving and protecting the environment, in providing facilities for community living, industry and transportation, and in providing structures for the use of humankind". The CE program aims to prepare students with a breadth and depth in the technical knowledge so that they can work immediately in most areas of the profession including geotechnical engineering; hydraulics, hydrology, water resources; structural engineering; and transportation/ traffic engineering.

The ME program is one of the broadest of the engineering disciplines, and, thus, mechanical engineers are the generalists of the engineering profession. Mechanical engineers design, construct, test, and operate many types of mechanical, thermal and biological devices, and they are involved in almost every industry, including aerospace, automotive, bioengineering, communications, electronics, energy, food processing, HVAC, manufacturing, power generation and refrigeration, as well as business, government, and academia. The ME program aims to prepare students with a breadth and depth in technical knowledge so that they can work immediately in most of the areas of the profession.