Mission and Educational Objectives -- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina

Undergraduate Program

Currently Enrolled Undergraduate Student Information

Civil engineering is the planning, design, and construction of projects that define a civilization. Civil engineers have built landmarks that now stand as tributes to the profession's creative spirit and ingenuity. Civil engineering is everywhere: the buildings in which we live and work, the roads on which we travel, the water we drink, the bridges we cross. Civil engineers design industrial and commercial buildings, bridges, towers, dams, tunnels, and mass transportation facilities. They manage urban planning and public works projects, perform air quality monitoring, and plan and design waste collection and handling systems.

Educational Objectives

The objectives of the civil and environmental engineering undergraduate program are to prepare our graduates with the knowledge and skills needed for:

Successful entry to civil engineering practice and/or post baccalaureate education
Life-long learning and continuing professional development

The first two years of the undergraduate curriculum form the necessary foundation in mathematics, computer programming, the physical sciences, and basic engineering sciences, together with courses in the liberal arts, to provide the student with a well-balanced educational experience. The upper-division civil engineering program includes the study of construction materials, structural analysis and design, soil behavior, systems analysis, water supply, and pollution control. The department offers elective courses through which the student can specialize in such areas as geotechnical engineering, water resources and environmental engineering, structures and transportation engineering.

The civil and environmental engineering graduate is prepared to enter the job market with federal, state, and municipal agencies, with private consulting firms involved with aspects of planning, design, construction, or environmental control. Students may, following graduate study, also pursue careers in teaching and in research and development.

Student Outcomes

The Civil Engineering Program emphasizes eleven outcomes for assessing the learning experience and competency of students. These outcomes, labeled as items a through k, reflect the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Criteria for accreditation (ABET, Inc., October, 2010).

Upon graduation students will demonstrate:

An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering

An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data

An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability

An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams

An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

An ability to communicate effectively

The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context

A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning

A knowledge of contemporary issues

An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Program Criteria

The CEE curriculum components and the student outcomes ensure that the lead professional society (ASCE) engineering program criteria are satisfied. These criteria require the program to demonstrate that our graduates are prepared to:

Apply knowledge of mathematics through differential equations, calculus-based physics, chemistry and at least one additional area of basic science

Apply knowledge of four technical areas appropriate to civil engineering

Conduct civil engineering experiments and analyze and interpret the resulting data

Design a system, component or process in more than one civil engineering context

Explain basic concepts in management, business, public policy, and leadership

Explain the importance of professional licensure

(www.ABET.org)

Undergraduate Curriculum

The CEE undergraduate curriculum has a total of 129 hours. Students who enrolled in the Civil Engineering program for the Fall 2008 semester or later must follow the curriculum approved in Spring 2008. Students who enrolled in the Civil Engineering program prior to the Fall 2008 semester may choose between the curriculum approved when they enrolled in the program or any newer curriculum. Please consult your academic advisor to discuss this decision and whether the current curriculum is suitable to your situation.

For a copy of the most recent Civil and Environmental Engineering Curriculum download the Fall 2010 Curriculum with Approved ECIV/ESM/Liberal Arts Electives.{click here}

Students that enrolled under a previous curriculum should consult with their advisor as to whether the current curriculum is more suitable for your situation.

Bachelor's/Master's Accelerated Program

A combined B.S./M.S. or M.E. degree program is available to undergraduate civil and environmental engineering students with GPAs of 3.50 or above and 90 or more hours earned toward their baccalaureate degrees. Up to six credit hours of 500-level or above courses may be applied toward both the B.S. and M.S. or M.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering degree requirements. The approval of the student's advisor and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate director are required. Questions about this program may be directed to the Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate director.