Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

The College of Engineering’s Civil Engineering major educates students to become leaders in this important and in-demand profession. The Civil Engineering major provides students with a broad and well-integrated background in the concepts, theories, and methodologies needed to plan, design, analyze, develop, organize, and manage civil and environmental engineering projects. Students work with state-of-the-art equipment in our new concrete/structures, transportation, environmental/water resources, and soil mechanics laboratories. The Civil Engineering major focuses on the latest advances in the design, construction, and maintenance of society’s infrastructure - roads, railroads, buildings, airports, seaports, tunnels, dams, bridges, pipelines, water treatment and supply networks, and environmental systems. Students study major areas of civil engineering: structural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, water resources engineering, and construction engineering. Students also study alternative/renewable energy, sustainable materials, and green building laws. Civil Engineering students select one of three concentrations starting their junior year. They can select the Civil Engineering concentration, the Environmental Engineering concentration, or the Reservoir Engineering concentration. The first two years of the curriculum are the same for all Civil Engineering students. The selection of courses for the last two years is moderately different depending on the concentration. Note that any concentration leads to a successful career in civil engineering and selection of concentration should be based on personal preference and in consultation of career goals with an academic advisor. Career Opportunities The Civil Engineering concentration provides a solid foundation in major sub-disciplines of civil engineering that leads to employment in both private and public sectors of industry or military. Examples of career opportunities include city/county/state organizations, federal agencies, and small to large private engineering firms. Educational Objectives Our graduates will: Demonstrate a strong fundamental scientific and technical knowledge base and critical thinking skills. Actively engage in lifelong learning related to the civil engineering profession. Plan, design, analyze, develop, organize and manage civil and environmental engineering projects. Demonstrate expertise in major sub-disciplines of civil engineering: structural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental and water resources engineering. Program Outcomes The outcomes necessary to achieve our program objectives are that our students will have: An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering; An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data; An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constrains such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability; An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams; An ability to identify, formulates, and solves engineering problems; An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility; An ability to communicate effectively