Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science College of Engineering
The Civil Engineering profession is responsible for designing, building, operating and maintaining the physical infrastructure and protecting the natural environment that together support human society in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. The need to predict and mitigate the impact of complex human- and nature-induced stresses on large-scale, geographically-distributed systems has never been more evident than now. These challenges and inevitable societal changes result in a need to develop and adopt new technologies and improved efficiency into the infrastructure.
The Civil Engineering (BS) program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the commission's General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
Students are encouraged to adhere carefully to all prerequisite requirements. The instructor is authorized to drop students from a course for which stated prerequisites have not been completed.
Areas of Specialization
Construction Engineering & Management
Construction engineering and management focuses on the role of civil engineers in the construction of all types of civil infrastructure. Construction engineering involves finding engineered solutions for sourcing, transporting, processing, assembling, fabricating, and testing materials and systems used to construct buildings, as well as transportation, water resources, geotechnical, and environmental infrastructure. Project management involves developing and executing plans to manage people, financial, and material resources in order to deliver projects with the correct scope, on time, within budget, and meeting engineering performance, environmental impact, and stakeholder expectations. While primarily applied to civil infrastructure projects, these principles are also applicable to many other fields.
Suggested Advisors
J. Harvey, S. Miller, J. Bolander, S. Nassiri
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering focuses on understanding and management of physical, chemical, and biological processes in natural and engineered systems. Areas of emphasis include improvement of air, land, and water quality in the face of increasing population, expanding industrialization, and global climate change. Examples of environmental engineering include innovative analysis and design of air, water, wastewater, and solid waste treatment systems; mathematical modeling of natural and engineered systems; life cycle analysis; sampling, analysis, transport and transformation of natural and anthropogenic pollutants; and modeling of air pollutant emissions.
Suggested Advisors
H.N. Bischel, C.E. Bronner, C. D. Cappa, R. Corsi, C. DeFinnda, A. Kendall, M.J. Kleeman, F.J. Loge, J. Pena, T.M. Young,
Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering encompasses civil infrastructure and environmental problems that require characterization and utilization of geologic materials (soils and rocks) to develop, design, analyze and model engineered solutions. This includes, but is not limited to, foundations for buildings and bridges retaining structures, earthwork (e.g. dams, tunnels, highways), pavements, effects of earthquakes and other natural hazards (e.g. ground motions, liquefaction, soil-structure interaction, landslides, tsunamis), ground improvement methods (e.g. compaction, cement mixing), and geo-environmental problems (e.g. groundwater flow, subsurface contaminant transport and remediation).
Suggested Advisors
J.T. DeJong, M.H. Gardner, J.T. Harvey, B. Jeremic, A. Martinez, S. Nassiri, K. Ziotopoulou
Structural Engineering & Structural Mechanics
Structural Engineering addresses the conception, design, analysis, construction, retrofit and modeling of all types of civil infrastructure, including buildings and bridges, dams, ports, highways, and industrial facilities subject to loadings ranging from gravity and earthquakes, to extreme environmental events, with consideration of safe, serviceable, and sustainable outcomes over the entire life-cycle. Structural Mechanics encompasses theories for solids and structures, and the associated methods of analysis, computation and materials characterization used in the practice of Structural Engineering. For both disciplines, materials of particular interest include steel, concrete, timber, advanced composites and particulate media.
Suggested Advisors
M. Barbato, J.E. Bolander, L. Cheng, J.T. Harvey, B. Jeremic, A.M. Kanvinde, S.K. Kunnath, S.A. Miller, N. Sukumar
Transportation Planning & Engineering
Transportation Engineering deals with the movement of people and goods in a manner consistent with society's environmental and socio-economic goals. Transportation engineering applies engineering, physical and mathematical sciences, economics, and behavioral social science principles to plan, analyze, design, and operate resilient and sustainable transportation systems, such as highways, transit, airfields and ports. Transportation planning involves the formulation and analysis of transportation policy, program, and project alternatives. Societal goals, budgetary constraints, socio-economic (such as safety, equity and mobility) and environmental (such as air and water quality, climate change, and clean energy) objectives, and technological feasibilities (such as vehicle, infrastructure, and information technologies) are considered.
Suggested Advisors
Y. Fan, J.T. Harvey, M.A. Jaller, A. Jenn, A. Kendall, S. Nassiri, D. Sperling, K.E. Watkins, H.M. Zhang
Water Resources Engineering
Water Resources Engineering includes hydrology, hydraulics, fluid mechanics, and water resources systems planning and design. Hydrology deals with quantifying and understanding all aspects of the hydrologic cycle, including the relationships between precipitation, runoff, groundwater, and surface water. Water quality and contaminant transport issues are linked to hydrologic conditions. Hydraulics and fluid mechanics deal with flows in pipes, open-channel water-distribution systems, and natural systems, such as lakes and estuaries. Water resources systems planning and design deals with the comprehensive development of water resources to meet the multiple needs of industry, agriculture, municipalities, recreation, and other activities.
Suggested Advisors
F.A. Bombardelli, A. Escriva-Bou, A.L. Forrest, J.D. Herman, M.L. Kavvas, V.L. Morales, H.J. Oldroyd, B.A. Younis
Additional information on areas of specialization and potential faculty advisors can be obtained from the departmental website.
The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Civil Engineering Bachelor of Science is 150.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division Required Courses | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| MAT 021A | Calculus | 4 |
| MAT 021B | Calculus | 4 |
| MAT 021C | Calculus | 4 |
| MAT 021D | Vector Analysis | 4 |
| MAT 022A | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MAT 022B | Differential Equations | 3 |
| Physics | ||
| PHY 009A | Classical Physics | 5 |
| PHY 009B | Classical Physics | 5 |
| PHY 009C | Classical Physics | 5 |
| Physical, Biological & Data Science Requirement | 4-5 | |
| Choose One: | ||
| Introduction to Biology: Essentials of Life on Earth | ||
| Introduction to Biology: Principles of Ecology & Evolution | ||
| Physical Geology and Physical Geology Laboratory | ||
| Introduction to Atmospheric Science | ||
| Biometeorology | ||
| Applied Machine Learning for Non-Majors | ||
| Computer Networks for Non-Majors | ||
| Databases for Non-Majors | ||
| Algorithms for Data Science | ||
| Machine Learning | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| CHE 002A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| or CHE 002AH | Honors General Chemistry | |
| CHE 002B | General Chemistry | 5 |
| or CHE 002BH | Honors General Chemistry | |
| Civil Engineering | 2-6 | |
| Spatial Data Analysis | ||
Choose one: 1 | ||
| Civil & Environmental Infrastructure & Society | ||
OR | ||
| Transfer Transition for Civil & Environmental Engineering | ||
| Engineering | ||
| ENG 003 | Introduction to Engineering Design | 4 |
| or ENG 003Y | Introduction to Engineering Design | |
| ENG 006 | Engineering Problem Solving | 4 |
| or ECS 032A | Introduction to Programming | |
| or ECS 032AV | Introduction to Programming | |
| ENG 035 | Statics | 4 |
| Lower Division Composition/Writing; choose one; a grade of C- or better is required: | 4 | |
| Major Works of the Ancient World | ||
| Major Works of the Medieval & Early Modern World | ||
| Major Works of the Modern World | ||
| Major Works of the Contemporary World | ||
| Introduction to Literature | ||
or ENL 003V | Introduction to Literature | |
| Introduction to Native American Literature | ||
| Introduction to Academic Literacies | ||
or UWP 001V | Introduction to Academic Literacies: Online | |
or UWP 001Y | Introduction to Academic Literacies | |
| Lower Division Required Courses Subtotal | 69-74 | |
| Upper Division Requirements | ||
| Engineering | ||
| ECI 100 | Introduction to Fluid Mechanics for Civil & Environmental Engineers | 4 |
| or ENG 103 | Fluid Mechanics | |
| ENG 102 | Dynamics | 4 |
| or ENG 105 | Thermodynamics | |
| ENG 104 | Mechanics of Materials | 4 |
| or ENG 104V | Mechanics of Materials | |
| ENG 104L | Mechanics of Materials Laboratory | 1 |
| ENG 106 | Engineering Economics | 4 |
| Civil Engineering | ||
| ECI 114 | Probabilistic Systems Analysis for Civil & Environmental Engineers | 4 |
| ECI 193A | Civil & Environmental Engineering Senior Design | 4 |
| ECI 193B | Civil & Environmental Engineering Senior Design | 4 |
| Numerical Methods Requirement; choose one: | 4 | |
| Computer Methods in Civil & Environmental Engineering | ||
| Matrix Structural Analysis | ||
| Water Resources Simulation | ||
| Deterministic Optimization & Design | ||
| Civil & Environmental Engineering Breadth | ||
| Choose one course from five of the following group options: | 16-18 | |
To satisfy Geotechnical & Water Resources breadth area groups, both lecture and lab courses must be completed. | ||
Construction Engineering & Management | ||
| Construction Principles & Project Management | ||
| Deterministic Optimization & Design | ||
Environment | ||
| Environmental Analysis of Aqueous Systems | ||
| Chemical Principles for Environmental Engineers | ||
| Air Pollution | ||
Geotechnical | ||
| Soil Mechanics | ||
| Soil Mechanics Laboratory | ||
Structures | ||
| Structural Analysis | ||
Transportation | ||
Choose one: | ||
| Transportation System Operations | ||
| Transportation Infrastructure Design | ||
| Energy & Environmental Aspects of Transportation | ||
| Transportation Policy | ||
Water Resources | ||
| Engineering Hydraulics | ||
| Engineering Hydraulics Laboratory | ||
| Civil & Environmental Engineering Depth | ||
| Choose two courses from two of the following group options selected from Civil & Environmental Engineering Breadth: | 16 | |
Construction Engineering & Management | ||
| Structure & Properties of Civil Engineering Materials | ||
| Construction Principles & Project Management | ||
| Deterministic Optimization & Design | ||
| Pavement Engineering & Design | ||
| Pavement Management, Evaluation, & Rehabilitation | ||
| Construction Cost Estimation & Analysis | ||
| Buildings: Assemblage & Construction Quality Management | ||
Environment | ||
| Chemical Principles for Environmental Engineers | ||
| Water & Wastewater Treatment System Design | ||
| Air Pollution | ||
Geotechnical | ||
| Foundation Design | ||
| Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering | ||
| Pavement Management, Evaluation, & Rehabilitation | ||
Structures | ||
| Matrix Structural Analysis | ||
| Structural Design: Metallic Elements | ||
| Structure & Properties of Civil Engineering Materials | ||
| Structural Loads: Calculation & Modeling | ||
| Structural Design: Concrete Elements | ||
| Building Design (Discontinued) | ||
| Earthquake Loads on Structures | ||
Transportation | ||
| Deterministic Optimization & Design | ||
| Transportation System Operations | ||
| Transportation Infrastructure Design | ||
| Introduction to Electric Vehicles | ||
| Pavement Management, Evaluation, & Rehabilitation | ||
Water Resources | ||
| Engineering Hydrology | ||
| Groundwater Systems Design | ||
| Hydraulic Structure Design | ||
| Water Resources Simulation | ||
| Water Resources Engineering Planning | ||
| Civil & Environmental Engineering Electives 2 | ||
| Civil & Environmental Engineering electives may include any upper division, letter-graded Civil & Environmental Engineering courses; e.g., not already used towards the ECI breadth, ECI depth, and Numerical Methods requirements. | 12-16 | |
| Civil Engineering Competency Requirement | ||
No additional units are necessary as students can count these as competency and another major requirement. | ||
| Material Science Competency; complete one of the following options: | 0-4 | |
| Structure & Properties of Civil Engineering Materials | ||
OR | ||
Complete two of the following courses: | ||
| Structural Design: Metallic Elements | ||
| Structural Design: Concrete Elements | ||
| Soil Mechanics | ||
| Foundation Design | ||
| Pavement Engineering & Design | ||
| Design Competency; complete one of the following courses: | 0-4 | |
ECI 140 | (Discontinued) ** | |
| Hydraulic Structure Design | ||
| Air Pollution Lab | ||
| Transportation Infrastructure Design | ||
| Foundation Design | ||
| Pavement Engineering & Design | ||
| Career Development Competency; complete one of the following: | 0-1 | |
Internship or Relevant Work Experience; minimum ECI 192, 1 unit. | ||
Research experience with faculty member; minimum ECI 199, 1 quarter. | ||
Participation in an Engineering Student Professional Organization in a design team or organizing a major event; e.g., ASCE, EWB, AWWA, etc., ECI 198 at least 1 unit. | ||
CEE Career Development Seminar; winter quarter – 10 weeks, 1 unit | ||
Construction Engineering & Management Seminar; fall, spring – 10 weeks, 1 unit. | ||
| Upper Division Composition Requirement | ||
| Choose one: a grade of C- or better is required: | 0-4 | |
| Advanced Composition | ||
or UWP 101V | Advanced Composition | |
or UWP 101Y | Advanced Composition | |
| Writing in the Disciplines: Engineering | ||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Environmental Writing | ||
| Writing in the Professions: Business Writing | ||
or UWP 104AV | Writing in the Professions: Business Writing | |
or UWP 104AY | Writing in the Professions: Business Writing | |
| Writing in the Professions: Science | ||
| Writing in the Professions: Technical Writing | ||
Passing the Upper Division Composition Exam. | ||
| Upper Division Requirements Subtotal | 77-90 | |
| Total Units | 150-164 | |
- 1
ECI 003 is required for lower-division students. Transfer students and junior-level students will take ECI 101 if they have not taken ECI 003. Students who change into the major and who do not take either of these courses by their senior year will substitute four units of additional letter graded upper-division Civil & Environmental Engineering (ECI) coursework.
- 2
Also can include, but not exceed, a combination of 6 units from ECI 198 & ECI 199.
- **
** Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.