Civil Engineering BS

Total Units Required: 128

Civil engineering students work on a project.

With the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, graduates are well prepared for professional work or graduate school in a broad spectrum of engineering activities. The program is balanced, stressing environmental engineering; soil mechanics and foundations; structural analysis and design; surveying and mapping; transportation and traffic engineering; and water resources and hydraulics. The program emphasizes quality undergraduate teaching with most courses taught by tenure track faculty and active student learning, including extensive use of laboratories and co-curricular activities.

The Civil Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Students should consult with an advisor to ensure selected courses satisfy ABET requirements for humanities, social science, mathematics, base science, and engineering topics.

Civil Engineering Program Mission

The civil engineering program prepares graduates for immediate entry into a variety of professional careers and provides a solid undergraduate foundation in general principles enabling continued education at advanced levels.

Civil Engineering Educational Objectives

Program educational objectives are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve. Graduates of the civil engineering program will be able to

  • Secure a professional position in civil engineering and become a licensed engineer.
  • Attend graduate school in civil engineering or a related discipline to achieve a graduate degree in a specialty area.
  • Engage in lifelong learning through formal and informal professional development.
  • Assume management or leadership roles in their respective organization.
  • Contribute to society through involvement in service activity.

Civil Engineering Program Learning Outcomes

Students completing the civil engineering program must demonstrate the ability to

  1. Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  3. Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  5. Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Civil Engineering Design Experience

The civil engineering program provides an essential balance of engineering science and design. Design content permeates the curriculum, beginning at a fundamental level in the lower division followed by a natural progression to comprehensive design in upper-division courses. Fundamental design problems typically have a unique solution and may involve only a few, simple constraints. Comprehensive design incorporates a multitude of realistic constraints with a variety of possible outcomes commonly referred to as "open-ended" design.

Required courses in the program provide proficiency in civil engineering design, beginning in the first year (CIVL 140) progressing to advanced design in the third and fourth years (CIVL 415, CIVL 431, CIVL 441, and CIVL 461), and culminating with comprehensive design in the capstone (e.g., CIVL 558C, CIVL 561C, etc.). This ensures a breadth of design experience that is further enhanced and focused in elective courses.

American Public Works Association Internship Program

The APWA Internship Program provides civil engineering students with valuable real-world experiences. Participation in the program is elective but can be used for academic credit toward the degree. While students are responsible for finding their own internship opportunities, the Career Center is an excellent resource for locating companies interested in hiring interns. Additional information is available at the Civil Engineering Department website.