BS in Civil Engineering

Our industrial and local/state government partners, alumni, and faculty work closely with our career services department, to provide a strong and robust network so students can obtain paid internships during the school year and summer. Along with academic success in the classroom and involvement in extracurricular activities, these internships provide our graduates an added advantage to begin their career as a successful practicing engineer or continuing onto graduate school.

Students have the opportunity to participate in many different civil engineering clubs like the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), Engineers Without Borders (EWB), and Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). As an added bonus, the Construction Institute which is part of the University’s rich academic environment provides meaningful opportunities for students to learn from the Institute’s members through internships, lectures, and career preparation activities.

With our emphasis on undergraduate education, there are also many opportunities for undergraduate students to earn money by assisting faculty with their funded research and opportunities to work on research funded by our industrial partners and government agencies. With the strong support of our alumni, there is a solid network available to help our students with paid internships during the school year and summer. Over $200,000 in merit and need-based engineering scholarships are awarded annually to the college’s top-performing and most engaged students.

The undergraduate civil engineering program seeks to prepare qualified students for entry-level professional practice in civil engineering and for entrance into appropriate graduate programs. During the initial phase of their careers, our alumni

1. will be successful practicing engineers in the areas of design, analysis, and realization of design in one or more of the major areas of civil engineering, including environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources;
2. will successfully apply the fundamentals of engineering analysis and engineering design to the formulation and solution of emerging technical problems as contributing members of multidisciplinary engineering teams.

The engineering design experience is distributed over the entire engineering curriculum. Engineering design continues through the senior capstone design project. The majority of the design work is incorporated into the junior and senior years to ensure that the students have taken sufficient preparatory engineering science courses.

Basic concepts of physics, chemistry, and mathematics are the foundation on which all engineering education is built. Basic tools of engineering, such as graphic communication and computer usage and programming, are also required knowledge. The engineering sciences, such as solid and fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, complete the introductory phase of the program.

Civil engineering is generally considered to consist of several branches:

• Construction
• Structures
• Transportation
• Environment
• Water Resources
• Geotechnical

All civil engineering program graduates are required to complete at least one course in each of the branches except construction. Additional elective courses are available in each of the branches. Through choice of electives, a student may become specialized in one of the branches or remain a generalist.

Extensive laboratory experience enhances the course work. There are several required laboratory courses in the sciences, materials, engineering, and natural phenomena. Written communication of laboratory results is required.

Through participation in the All-University curriculum and in additional elective courses in the humanities and/or social sciences, students are given the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and to take part in the larger learning community of the University. It is imperative that engineers understand and appreciate the special role that technology plays in our society and the interactions between and among the various components of our society.

The student learning outcomes of the civil engineering program leading to BSCE degree are aligned with the student learning outcomes of ABET EAC (1 through 7), and prepare graduates of the program to attain the program educational objectives.

Student outcomes (1) through (7) are articulated as follows:

(1) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics

(2) an ability to 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) an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences

(4) an ability to 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) an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives

(6) an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions

(7) an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

The civil engineering curriculum will prepare graduates to:

(PSC-a) apply knowledge of math through differential equation,

(PSC-b) apply knowledge of calculus based physics

(PSC-c) apply knowledge of chemistry

(PSC-d) apply knowledge of one additional area of basic science 

(PSC-e) apply probability and statistics to address uncertainty

(PSC-f) analyze and solve problems in at least four technical areas appropriate to civil engineering.

(PSC-g) conduct experiments in at least two technical areas of CE and analyze and interpret the    resulting data

(PSC-h) design a system, component, or process in at least two CE contexts

(PSC-i) include principles of sustainability in design

(PSC-j) explain basic concepts in project management, business public policy and leadership

(PSC-k) analyze issues in professional ethics

(PSC-l) explain the importance of professional licensure