Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2012-2013 
    
Undergraduate Record 2012-2013 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Civil Engineering


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The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering provides the undergraduate program in civil engineering with a degree in civil engineering. Civil Engineering is centered on two main program areas: environmental and water resources engineering and civil infrastructure systems. Incorporating elements of sustainability, each program area features adaptive design with a strong focus on the incorporation of information technology. Civil infrastructure systems, including both the natural environment and built systems to support basic human needs, serve as the very underpinning of society. Improvements in civil infrastructure result in improved human health and quality of life.

Civil Engineering is the broadest of all engineering professions, and encompasses the application of science and technology to the planning, design, analysis, construction, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure and natural environment. The U.Va. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, founded in 1836 as the “School of Civil Engineering,” focuses on two main program areas: environmental and water resources engineering and civil infrastructure systems. The department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering as well as a minor in civil engineering. Graduate students pursue Master of Engineering, Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering with a concentration in either environmental and water resources or civil infrastructure systems. Civil engineers are the fabricators of modern society and the protectors of our environment. They deal with people and their management, materials and their use, designs and their application, and the problems of interweaving these factors to serve society. Typical civil engineering projects include environmental facilities, such as systems for water quality control, toxic and hazardous waste control and stormwater networks; structures, such as high-rise buildings, bridges, off-shore platforms, and dams; and transportation facilities, such as Intelligent Transportation Systems, airports, highways, and railways. Civil engineering has a long history and a bright future serving the basic needs of society.

Graduates with a BS degree in civil engineering may opt for employment with consulting firms; local, state, or federal governments; contractors or construction firms; public utilities; or industrial corporations. Another option is graduate school, where students pursue an area of specialty within civil engineering with the Master of Engineering, Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering with a concentration in either environmental and water resources or civil infrastructure systems. Such studies open up more advanced employment opportunities in government, consulting, construction, or industry, and introduce new choices, including research and teaching. Our students participate in research on a global scale through the engineering thesis and faculty laboratories as well as a variety of exciting experiential programs, such as the minor in engineering business, the Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, study abroad programs, the Engineering in Context capstone experience, and interdisciplinary study within the School of Engineering and Applied Science and throughout the University. Undergraduate students with a civil engineering major or other University major may also pursue the engineering business minor.

For more information, visit the department’s web site at http://www.cee.virginia.edu/ and learn about awards and scholarships the department awards to civil engineering undergraduates. Program Objectives

  1. To provide graduates with the technical competencies and insight necessary to practice civil engineering and have an impact on the profession and pursue professional licensure.
  2. To provide a solid foundation for successful study at leading graduate and professional institutions.
  3. To promote a breadth of abilities and knowledge, including quantitative and analytical skills, communication skills and social insight, to allow graduates to pursue careers in a diversity of fields including engineering, business, management, and information technology.
  4. To prepare graduates for a lifetime of learning, for leadership, and for service to the profession and society.

Minor in Civil Engineering


Completion of fifteen hours Civil Engineering courses, with no more than sixs hours at the 2000 level.

Civil Engineering Curriculum (128 Credits)


Minimum required for graduation:  128 credits

Civil Engineering

CE students share common degree requirements for the first two years or four semesters before selecting one of three tracks: Infrastructure Systems (IS), Environmental & Water Resources (EWR), or Structural Mechanics & Materials (SMM). Regardless of track, all students will take 43 hours of the same courses during the last two years although not necessarily in the same semesters. Thus there is effectively a set of 19 credit hours that may differ between these tracks.
Footnotes follow the Curriculum which is listed by semester and explain which electives are credited as Science I, Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS), Science/Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Elective, Unrestricted, EWRE Science II, EWRE CE Breadth, and SMM Rec 1 and 2. All three tracks are designed to provide students with a solid foundation for the practice of civil engineering, and for subsequent graduate study.

Infrastructure Systems (IS) is the more classic track in providing a broad education that prepares a student for a career in a wide variety of civil engineering specialties.
The motivation for this track is the preparation of students to become practicing, licensed civil engineers. This track has a strong focus on structural design and materials, and on critically important areas such as life cycle engineering, transportation, water resources, and geotechnical infrastructure design and planning. This track emphasizes hands on laboratory experience, and the integration of undergraduate course work into a group project that integrates with the senior thesis, and a capstone design project.

Environmental & Water Resources (EWR) track focuses on courses designed to provide a foundation for students interested in pursuing a career in environmental and water resources.

The motivation for this track is the ever-increasing professional and societal emphasis on environmental quality and sustainability. Students interested in the environment can prepare more aggressively for a career in environmental and water resources engineering.

Structural Mechanics & Materials (SMM) is a joint track offered in conjunction with the Department of Materials Science and is designed to prepare students for graduate studies in structural mechanics and design.

Second Semester Credits: 17


Third Semester Credits: 17


  • HSS elective Credits: 3
    (see footnote 2 below)

Fourth Semester Credits: 17


  • STS 2xxx/3xxx elective Credits: 3
  • Science/Engineering Elective (see footnote 3 below) Credits: 3

Select a Track for Years 3 and 4


INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS TRACK (IS):

IS Fifth Semester Credits: 16


IS Seventh Semester Credits: 15


    Civil Eng elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 4 below)
    Engineering elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 5 below)
     Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
       (See footnote 6 below)

IS Eighth Semester Credits: 16


  • Civil Eng elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 4 below)
  • Engineering elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 5 below)
  • Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
    (See footnote 6 below)

ENVIRONMENTAL & WATER RESOURCES TRACK (EWR):


EWR Fifth Semester Credits: 15


EWR Sixth Semester Credits: 16


EWR Seventh Semester Credits: 15


 •   Civil Eng elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 4 below)
•    Engineering elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 5 below)
•    Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 6 below)

EWR Eighth Semester Credits: 16


•    Civil Eng elective Credits: 3
     (See footnote 4 below)
•    Civil Eng elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 4 below)
•    Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 6 below)

STRUCTRAL MECHANICS & MATERIALS TRACK (SMM):


SMM Fifth Semester Credits: 16


SMM Sixth Semester Credits: 15


•    Engineering elective Credits: 3
      (see footnote 5 below)
•    Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
      (see footnote 6 below)

SMM Seventh Semester Credits: 15


•    Civil Eng elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote SSM Rec 1 below)
•    Engineering elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 5 below)
•    Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 6 below)

SMM Eighth Semester Credits: 16


•    Civil Eng elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 4 below)
•    Civil Eng elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote SMM Rec 2 below)
•    Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
      (See footnote 6 below)

Footnotes


(1) Science I elective – chosen from:  BIOL 2010 Introduction to Biology: Cell Biology and Genetics; 2020 Introduction to Biology: Organismal and Evolutionary Biology; MSE 2090 Introduction to Science and Engineering of Materials;   
ENGR 2500 Introduction to Nanoscience and Technology;
EVSC 2800 Fundamentals of Geology; 3200 Fundamentals of Ecology; 3300 Atmosphere and Weather.
(2) Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) elective: Chosen from the approved list available in Thornton A122.
(3) Science/Engineering elective - chosen from:
Science I courses (See footnote (1) above)
CHEM 1620 Introductory Chemistry for Engineers
PHYS 2620 Modern Physics
all 2000-level SEAS courses (with the exception of STS courses)
Engineering Electives (4) Civil engineering elective – chosen from all 3000-and 4000-level Civil Engineering courses.
(5) Engineering Elective – chosen from all 3000- and 4000-level SEAS courses (with the exception of STS courses) plus other approved courses outside of engineering: Any 3000- or 4000-level EVSC course, with the exception of EVSC 4559* courses.    
       ARCH 3230 Systems, Sites and Building
       ARCH 3410 Computer Aided Arch. Design CAAD 3D Modeling & Visualization
       PLAC 5860/ LAR 5280 Green Cities / Green Sites.
       *EVSC 4559 (new EVSC courses) might be suitable, depending on topic. Civil engineering students must petition CEE dept. to use as engineering electives.
(6) Unrestricted electives - chosen from any graded course in the University except mathematics courses below MATH 1310 Caluculus I and courses that substantially duplicate any others offered for the degree, including PHYS 2010 Physics I, PHYS 2020 Physics II; CS 1010 Information Technology,CS 1020 Business Computing; or any introductory programming course. Students in doubt as to what is acceptable to satisfy a degree requirement should get the approval of their advisor and the dean’s office, located in Thornton Hall, Room A122. APMA 1090 Single Variable Calculus I counts as a three-credit unrestricted elective.
(7)

EWRE Science II elective – selected from:
      BIOL 2010     Introduction to Biology: Cell Biology and Genetics;
      BIOL 2020     Introduction to Biology: Organismal and Evolutionary Biology
      BIO 3090      Biology of Infectious Diseases
      BIO 3120      Microbiology in the Genomics Era
      CHEM 1620   Introductory Chemistry for Engineers
      CHEM 2410   Organic Chemistry
      ENGR 2500    Introduction to Nanoscience and Technology
      EVSC 2800    Fundamentals of Geology;
      EVSC 3200    Fundamentals of Ecology
      EVSC 3300    Atmosphere and Weather  
      EVSC 3600    Physical Hydrology
      EVSC 3840    Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
      EVSC 4110    Estuarine Ecology
      EVSC 4200    Ecology of Coastal Wetlands
      EVSC 4270    Soil Science
      EVSC 4290    Limnology: Inland Water Ecosystems
      EVSC 4440    Climate Change
      EVSC 4660    Hydrological Field Methods and Data Analysis
(8)  EWRE Civil Engineering Breadth Elective selected from
      CE 3300       Structural Mechanics;
      CE 3400       Transportation Infrastructure Design;
      CE 3700       Properties and Behavior of Materials;
      CE 4000       Construction Engineering

Courses


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