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Civil Engineering Degree
Bachelor of Science
The Civil Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. It provides a broad background of courses in science, engineering, and the humanities. Graduates are prepared to enter the consulting industry, the military, the business world, or graduate and professional schools.
Opportunities are available for independent study during both the academic year and the summer. The department conducts a program of undergraduate research based upon the interests and qualifications of individual cadets supported by the advice and guidance of the experienced faculty. All of our full time, fully-promoted faculty have Ph.D. degrees and are registered professional engineers.
Laboratory experience is vital to the education of an engineer and the departmental laboratories are equipped with a wide array of both instructional and commercial testing devices. Each cadet participates in laboratory work that demonstrates principles, develops skills, and provides experience with current methods in testing and measurement.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
The CE curriculum includes 140 credit hours of which approximately one-half are for CE courses. The non-CE courses include 16 credit hours of mathematics, 12 credit hours of chemistry and physics, and 12 credit hours of required English and History. Other credit hours are required for ROTC and Human Performance and Wellness, and 6 credit hours are required for approved civilizations and cultures electives. A current list of these is available from the Civil and Environmental Engineering office.
Sub-Disciplines
Construction Management is the application of engineering to time, material, labor, cost, and quality management of construction projects including the complex coordination of construction events, conformance with design specifications, and design and contract modifications to meet project-specific field conditions. Examples are highways and sports stadiums.
Environmental Engineering encompasses a wide spectrum of activities to help protect human health and promote environmental quality. Issues addressed include air quality and air pollution, municipal and industrial solid waste, hazardous waste, risk assessment, soil and groundwater contamination, water and wastewater treatment, water quality monitoring and protection, and others. Examples are clean rivers and clear air.
Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulic Engineering address the properties and analysis of fluids for applications in static and dynamic systems such as pressure on immersed objects, hydraulic machinery such as pumps and turbines and conveyance of water and other fluids. Examples are submarines and hydroelectric power plants.
Geotechnical Engineering involves soil and its properties relevant to groundwater flow, bearing capacity for foundations, settlement and compaction, slope stability, tunneling and mining, and a variety of other issues associated with activities on or below the ground surface. An example is the “Leaning Tower of Pisa.”
Hydrology & Water Resources Engineering focuses on surface and groundwater quantity and supply, storm water runoff and control, canals and river channels, reservoirs, flood control, irrigation supply, water policy, and many other related activities. Examples are Hoover Dam and the Colorado River.
Structural Engineering is the branch responsible for the design of bridges, buildings, dams, and other structures to withstand static and dynamic forces. Structural engineers determine the required size of members built out of concrete, steel, wood, and other materials. Examples are skyscrapers and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Transportation & Planning Engineering applies to the efficient movement of people and goods by planning, designing, building, and maintaining facilities such as highway, rail, airport, and mass transit systems. These systems are the infrastructure backbone of much of the developed world’s economy. Examples are the U.S. interstate highway system and your local mass transit system.