Within the field of civil and environmental engineering, the opportunities are numerous.
USC students can choose fields of specialized study and research from a variety
of areas.
Environmental Engineering
focuses on improving the environmental quality of air, water, and soils, including
physical and biochemical remediation and treatment, sustainable construction, modeling
of environmental systems, solid and hazardous waste control, air pollution control,
and drinking water system designs.
Geotechnical Engineering
focuses on soil, rock, and engineered geomaterials with specific concentrations
on field and laboratory investigations using standard and novel testing technologies,
design and performance of foundations and earth structures, slope stability analyses,
soil dynamics and liquefaction, pavement design and performance, landfill design
and instrumentation, and geoenvironmental studies.
Structural Engineering
focuses on structural design, material analyses, structural testing, and advanced
modeling techniques, including design of concrete and steel, fiber-reinforced polymer
material analyses, the design of bridges and other highway systems, seismic engineering
and design, material life-cycle analyses, and corrosion resistance and environmental
performance analyses.
Transportation Engineering
focuses on modeling transportation system operations, traffic sensing technologies,
and traffic data analyses, including intelligent transportation systems, modeling
and simulation of large-scale transportation networks, weigh-in-motion systems,
traffic studies, traffic signal simulation, and pavement management systems and
performance modeling.
Water Resources Engineering
focuses on the study and computer modeling of natural and industrial flow and transport
processes, both in the laboratory and in the field, including fluid mechanics, hydraulic
transients, cardiovascular flow, river mechanics and marine sediment transport,
scour; hydrology of landfills, storm water modeling and best management practices,
and modeling of groundwater flow.
NSF-PIRE (Partnerships for International Research and Education) project: Modeling
of Flood Hazards and Geomorphic Impacts of Levee Breach and Dam Failure is an educational
plan that includes the exchange of faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students,
internationalization of water resources curriculum, field visits, and development
of postgraduate courses. Each year 10 undergraduate and 5 graduate students, one
research professor, one post-doctoral fellow, and several American and European
researchers will participate in the project activities.
