DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers an ABET-accredited bachelor’s program that, in terms of graduating class size, ranks in the 80th percentile of its national peers. The department is committed to providing a learning environment which encourages discovery and advancement for the betterment of its students and the community. Through its research, public service, and instructional programs, the Department seeks to serve the needs of San Antonio and South Texas by providing educational and research opportunities contributing to the technological and economic development of the region.
Civil Engineering Educational Objectives
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) defines Civil Engineering as “The profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically, the materials and forces of nature for the progressive well-being of humanity in creating, improving, and protecting the environment; in providing facilities for community living, industry, and transportation; and in providing structures for the use of humankind.”
The faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has established a specific set of program objectives to support the mission and the goals of the Department and to meet the requirements of ABET accreditation under the Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs (2006). The program objectives result in graduates that:
- are prepared to enter the civil engineering practice and continue at levels of increasing professional responsibility
- will endeavor to become licensed professional engineers
- will continue their professional development through participation and leadership in professional organizations
- are capable of pursuing life-long learning.
Civil Engineering students must first complete the University Core Curriculum requirements and the Department’s General Engineering requirements. The University Core Curriculum requirements consist of 42 credit hours and provide the scientific foundation required for advancing successfully to the General Engineering requirement courses. They include courses in Communications, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities and World Issues.
The General Engineering requirements consist of 24 course credits geared towards advancing the technical abilities and skills necessary to meet the educational objectives of the College of Engineering. They include a number of the Core Curriculum required courses, namely MAT 1214 Calculus I, CHE 1103 General Chemistry I, PHY 1903 Engineering Physics I, and PHY 1911 Engineering Physics I Laboratory. Students are also encouraged to take ECO 2013 Introductory Macroeconomics or ECO 2023 Introductory Microeconomics. In addition, General Engineering requirements include MAT 1223 Calculus II, PHY 1923 Engineering Physics II, PHY 1931 Engineering Physics II Laboratory, EGR 2323 Applied Engineering Analysis I, and EGR 3713 Engineering Economic Analysis.
Subsequently, students need to take 70 additional semester credit hours of Civil Engineering courses. Courses for 64 of these credit hours are required, while the remaining 6 credit hours can be selected from among six CE elective courses. The elective courses allow some specialization in one of the traditional Civil Engineering areas, namely, Environmental Geotechnical, Hydraulics, Structures and Transportation. Senior Civil Engineering students are encouraged to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination. Graduates are encouraged to become registered Professional Engineers and to pursue life-long learning.
Design is integrated throughout the curriculum starting with a freshman introductory course, CE 1301 Introduction to Civil Engineering, and ending with the senior capstone Civil Engineering Design course CE 4813. Design components are contained in most required engineering topics courses. These include CE 3213 Reinforced Concrete Design, CE 3233 Steel Design, CE 3413 Geotechnical Engineering and Applications, CE 3633 Water and Wastewater Treatment, CE 4123 Highway Engineering, and CE 4603 Water Resources Engineering. Design is also included in many of the elective courses, including CE 3253 Introduction to Masonry and Timber Design, CE 3723 Applied Hydrology, CE 4233 Transportation Systems, CE 4413 Foundation Analysis and Design, CE 4653 Design of Pollution Control Systems, and CE 4723 Hydraulic Systems Design. The design experience culminates in a major senior capstone design course, CE 4813 Civil Engineering Design. The capstone design project is multidisciplinary in that it involves three or more civil engineering areas and draws upon most prior coursework. The course involves teamwork, both oral and written presentations, a final design report, and a formal presentation.
The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree is 127, including at least 39 at the upper-division level. All candidates for this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements, the General Engineering requirements, and the Civil Engineering degree requirements prior to graduation.
Core Curriculum requirements: The Core Curriculum requirements are listed below. Students are to select courses to satisfy the required number of credit hours in each of the component areas to a total minimum of 42 credit hours. A more detailed listing of these courses can be found on pages 5–9 of this catalog. It should be noted that a number of courses identified on this table satisfy both the Core Curriculum and the General Engineering requirements.
| Core Curriculum Component Area | Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements |
|---|---|
Communications |
English Rhetoric/Composition (6 semester credit hours) |
Mathematics |
Mathematics (3 semester credit hours) |
Natural Sciences |
Science (6 semester credit hours) |
Humanities & Visual and Performing Arts |
Literature (3 semester credit hours) |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours) |
World Society and Issues |
(3 semester credit hours) |
General Engineering Requirements
In addition to the Core Curriculum requirements, all degree-seeking Civil Engineering students must complete the following 24 semester credit hours:
| CHE 1103 | General Chemistry I |
| EGR 2323 | Applied Engineering Analysis I |
| EGR 3713 | Engineering Economic Analysis |
| MAT 1214 | Calculus I |
| MAT 1223 | Calculus II |
| PHY 1903, 1911 | Engineering Physics I and Laboratory |
| PHY 1923, 1931 | Engineering Physics II and Laboratory |
Civil Engineering Degree Requirements
In addition to the Core Curriculum and the General Engineering requirements described above, all degree-seeking candidates in Civil Engineering must complete the following 70 semester credit hours:
- 64 semester credit hours of required courses:
CE 1301 Introduction to Civil Engineering CE 1403 Engineering Communication CE 2103 Civil Engineering Measurements CE 2633 Environmental Engineering CE 3103 Mechanics of Solids CE 3113 Structural Analysis CE 3173 Numerical Methods CE 3213 Reinforced Concrete Design CE 3233 Steel Design CE 3243 Properties and Behavior of Engineering Materials CE 3413 Geotechnical Engineering and Applications CE 3543 Project Design and Construction Management CE 3603 Fluid Mechanics CE 3633 Water and Wastewater Treatment CE 4123 Highway Engineering CE 4313 Computer-Aided Design in Civil Engineering CE 4603 Water Resources Engineering CE 4813 Civil Engineering Design EGR 2103 Statics EGR 2513 Dynamics GEO 4023 Engineering Geology STA 2303 Applied Probability and Statistics for Engineers
- 6 semester credit hours of Civil Engineering electives must be selected from the list below. Alternatively, students with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher may choose to satisfy this requirement by taking graduate courses offered by the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department.
CE 3253 Introduction to Masonry and Timber Design CE 3723 Applied Hydrology CE 4233 Transportation Systems CE 4413 Foundation Analysis and Design CE 4653 Design of Pollution Control Systems CE 4723 Hydraulic Systems Design