The department will be a pioneer in innovation and an effective driving force for economic development through quality education and applied research coupled with service and professional partnerships within the community, the region and beyond.

The Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Tennessee State University thrives to provide students with a supportive learning environment, hands-on experiential opportunities, and a culture of scholarship and research. The department enables students to develop careers to become successful technical and design managers and leaders. The department also prepares the students to become life-long learners, skillful communicators, and effective practitioners, and leaders in a global community.

The Civil Engineering Program includes the planning, designing, construction, and maintenance of structures and altering geography to suit human needs. Some of the numerous subdivisions are transportation (eg, railroad facilities and highways); hydraulics (eg, river control, irrigation, swamp draining, water supply, and sewage disposal); and structures (eg, buildings, bridges, and tunnels).