Curriculum in Civil Engineering

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
1114 Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory
205 North Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-8038

For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Civil engineering is a profession that applies the basic principles of science in conjunction with mathematical and computational tools to solve problems associated with developing and sustaining civilized life on our planet. Civil engineering is one of the broader of the engineering disciplines both in terms of the range of problems that fall within its purview and in the range of knowledge required to solve those problems. Civil engineering works are generally one-of-a-kind projects; they are often grand in scale; and they usually require cooperation among professionals of many different disciplines. The completion of a civil engineering project involves the solution of technical problems in which uncertainty of information and myriad non-technical factors often play a significant role. Some of the most common examples of civil engineering works include bridges, buildings, dams, airports, highways, tunnels, and water distribution systems. Civil engineers are concerned with flood control, landslides, air and water pollution, and the design of facilities to withstand earthquakes and other natural hazards.

Educational Objectives and Outcomes

The career paths available to the civil engineer are many and varied and can involve a wide range of activities, tools, situations, clients, and venues-from conceptual design of facilities that do not yet exist to forensic study of facilities that have failed to performed as expected, from advanced simulation of complex systems to the management of people and projects, from private consulting to public service. The civil engineer must be as well prepared for a career that traverses this considerable professional breadth as for a career focused on a single professional activity. The civil engineering curriculum is designed specifically to meet this educational challenge by emphasizing fundamental knowledge, transferable skills, and lifelong learning.

The civil engineering program comprises seven main disciplines: construction engineering and management, construction materials engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental hydrology and hydraulics, structural engineering, and transportation engineering. Although each discipline has its own special body of knowledge and engineering tools, they all rely on the same fundamental core principles. Civil engineering projects often draw expertise from many of these disciplines.

The civil engineering curriculum is designed to develop engineers who have a strong background in mathematics and science, engineers who are articulate, and engineers who understand the nature of their special role in society and the impact of their work on the progress of civilization. The curriculum is designed to guarantee a certain breadth of knowledge of the civil engineering disciplines through a set of core courses and to ensure depth and focus in certain disciplines through primary and secondary areas of specialization. The curriculum develops the basic engineering tools necessary to solve problems in the field of civil engineering.

Program Review and Approval

To qualify for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, each student's academic program plan must be reviewed by a standing committee of the faculty (the Program Review Committee) and approved by the Associate Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering in charge of undergraduate programs. This review and approval process ensures that individual programs satisfy the educational objectives and all of the requirements of the civil engineering program, that those programs do not abuse the substantial degree of flexibility that is present in the curriculum, and that the career interests of each student are cultivated and served.

Monitoring and Assessment of Educational Outcomes

The faculty advisor plays an important role in the development of a student's program of study, in monitoring the progress of the student, and in giving general advice on the role of the program in career development. The advising system in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering helps to assure that the educational objectives of the program are met to the best of the ability of each student. The department Undergraduate Advisor and the Associate Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering in charge of undergraduate programs provide assistance and information to faculty advisors and provide additional advising support for students.

Overview of the Curriculum

The curriculum requires 133 hours and is organized into required courses, math and science electives, civil engineering technical courses, and other electives. Details of the curriculum are contained in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook. A brief summary of the program follows:

Required Courses

The required courses establish the fundamental knowledge in mathematics, physics, and chemistry required for the study of civil engineering. The required courses also include instruction in written communication, graphical communication, and computation, as well as planning of and uncertainty in civil engineering systems. Required courses total 68 hours.

Mathematics, Basic Science, and Engineering Science Electives

Each student must select at least 6 credit hours of elective courses in mathematics, basic science, or engineering sciences. These electives allow the student either to gain additional depth in math or science or to gain breadth in math or science essential to specialization in one of the branches of civil engineering (e.g., organic chemistry is important to environmental engineering but is not contained within the required science courses). Courses acceptable within this program requirement are specified in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Civil Engineering Technical Program

The civil engineering technical program is designed to give each student a broad background in the disciplines of civil engineering through the core courses and to allow each student to develop a focused program through advanced technical electives in chosen primary and secondary areas of emphasis. The fundamental principles of civil engineering design and the behavior of civil engineering systems are emphasized throughout the program. Required courses total 35 hours.

Civil Engineering Core Courses

Take five courses, at least 15 hours, from the following list. Required and recommended core courses for the primary and secondary areas of emphasis are listed in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Advanced Technical Electives

Primary area of emphasis

Take at least 12 hours. The courses in the primary area of emphasis are chosen to be an appropriate program of study within one of the seven disciplines of civil engineering. Preapproved programs in each of the areas are listed in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook. Deviations from the preapproved programs are possible, but are subject to the program review process.

Secondary area of emphasis

Take at least 6 hours. The courses in the secondary area of emphasis are chosen to complement the primary area and add breadth to the program of study. Preapproved secondary programs are listed in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook. Secondary programs outside of civil engineering are possible but are subject to the program review process.

Engineering Design Requirements for the Technical Program

The courses selected in the technical program must contain at least 16 hours of cumulative engineering design content (including 3 hours for CEE 201 and CEE 202). Every CEE course contributes to the student's education in engineering design. Each student must complete at least one course that has an integrated design project required to complete the course. The number of hours of design content in each course and a list of courses that meet the integrated design requirement are detailed in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Humanities, Social Science, and Free Electives

Humanities and social science courses (18 hours) and free electives (6 hours) are selected within the general guidelines of the College of Engineering. These courses can be selected to meet the campus general education requirements. The civil engineering curriculum specifically requires that each student take ECON 102 or ECON 103. The department recommends ECON 102.

Suggested Sequence

First year

Second year

Third year

Fourth year

1. Offered in the fall semester only and should be taken no later than the first or second semester of enrollment in Civil Engineering.

2. RHET 105 may be taken in the first or second semester of the first year as authorized. The alternative is GE 101.

3. Each student must satisfy the 18-hour social sciences and humanities requirements of the College of Engineering and the campus general education requirements for social sciences and humanities.

4. MATH 415 may be substituted for MATH 225.

5. MATH 386 may be substituted for MATH 385.

6. Mathematics, basic science, and engineering science electives are selected in accord with recommendations for the chosen primary and secondary fields of study in civil engineering as outlined in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

7. Advanced technical electives are selected to correspond with chosen primary and secondary fields of study in civil engineering as outlined in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.