Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2016-2017 
    
Undergraduate Record 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Civil Engineering


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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. Incorporating elements of sustainability, each program area features adaptive design with a strong focus on the incorporation of information technology.  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. Successful civil engineering improves human health and quality of life, while providing for a sustainable future.

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. Many will attend graduate school to open up more advanced employment opportunities in government, consulting, construction, or industry, and to 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.

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.  To contact the department chair, assistant chairs, and academic coordinator email civil@virginia.edu

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 of Civil Engineering courses, with no more than six 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, during the last two years, all CE students have 22 hours of the same required courses, plus 21 hours of electives in common. Thus there is effectively a set of 19 remaining 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/Technical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Technical, Unrestricted, EWRE Science II, and EWRE CE Breadth. 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) provides a broad education that prepares a student for a career in a wide variety of civil engineering specialties. The motivation for this track is 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


      Science I elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 1 below)

      HSS elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 2 below)

Third Semester Credits: 17


      HSS elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 2 below)

Fourth Semester Credits: 16


      STS 2xxx/3xxx elective Credits: 3

      Science/Technical Elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 3 below)

Select a Track for Years 3 and 4


INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS TRACK (IS):


IS Seventh Semester Credits: 15


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

      Technical elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 5 below)

      Unrestricted elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 6 below)

IS Eight Semester Credits: 16


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

      Technical elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 5 below)

      Unrestricted elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 6 below)

ENVIRONMENTAL & WATER RESOURCES TRACK (EWR):


EWR Fifth Semester Credits: 17


       EWRE Science II elective Credits: 3 (See footnote 7 below)

       Unrestricted elective Credits: 3 (See footnote 6 below)

EWR Sixth Semester Credits: 15


      Env Engineering elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 9 below)

CE Breadth elective Credits:3  (See footnote 8 below)

      HSS elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 2 below)

 

EWR Seventh Semester Credits: 15


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

      Unrestricted elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 6 below)

      Water Resources elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 10 below)

EWR Eighth Semester Credits: 16


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

      Technical elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 5 below)

      Unrestricted elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 6 below)

STRUCTRAL MECHANICS & MATERIALS TRACK (SMM):


Students on this SMM track must take MSE 2090, which is a prerequisite for all subsequent MSE courses. This can easily be accommodated using the Science 1 elective in the spring of the first year, or the Science/Technical elective in the spring of the second year. 

Students in this track are also encouraged to use a subset of their electives to complete a MSE minor. This would entail taking MSE 3050 Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Materials (a requirement for the MSE minor), combined with an additional MSE course.  Suggestions for this course are: MSE 3080 - Corrosion, Batteries and Fuel Cells and MSE 3101 Materials Science Investigations.

SMM Fifth Semester Credits: 16


       HSS elective Credits: 3  (See footnote 2 below)

SMM Sixth Semester Credits: 16


      Technical 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 4 below)

      Technical 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 4 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; EVSC 3200 Fundamentals of Ecology; EVSC 3300 Atmosphere and Weather.

(2) Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) elective: Chosen from the approved list available in Thornton A122.

(3) Science/Technical 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), ENGR 2595, Spanish for Engineers
Technical Electives (see footnote (5) below)

(4) Civil engineering elective – chosen from all 3000- and above Civil Engineering courses.

(5) Technical elective – chosen from all 3000- and above SEAS courses (with the exception of STS courses) plus any BIO, CHEM, MATH, PHYS, EVSC, EVGE, EVHY, EVEC, PLAN, PLAC, LAR, or ARCH courses at the 3000-4000-, or 5000-level courses.

(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 – See full list of approved EWRE Science II electives on the Curriculum page of our CEE department web page: www.cee.virginia.edu

(8) EWRE Civil Engineering Breadth Elective - See full list of approved EWRE CE Breadth electives on the Curriculum page of our CEE department web page: www.cee.virginia.edu

(9)  Environmental Engineering Elective - See full list of approved Environmental Eng electives on the Curriculum page of our CEE department web page: www.cee.virginia.edu; and other CE 4500 offering may be appropriate, if approved.

(10) Water Resources Engineering Elective - See full list of approved Water Resources Eng electives on the Curriculum page of our CEE department web page: www.cee.virginia.edu; and other CE 4500 offering may be appropriate, if approved.

Courses


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