Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.)
Nature of the Program
Civil engineers work with problems that directly impact the health and economic vitality of people and communities. These problems include waste disposal, environmental pollution, transportation systems analysis and design, water resource development, and the design, construction, and rehabilitation of constructed facilities such as dams, bridges, buildings, and highways.
Thus, the challenges and opportunities for a civil engineer lie in combining technical competence with a human concern for the applications of technology. To help students to understand their role in the community, to be effective in working with design teams involving other engineers and other professionals, and to be effective in written and spoken communications, the curriculum attempts to give a meaningful educational experience in the humanities, social studies, English, and economics.
The goal of the undergraduate curriculum in civil engineering is to prepare graduate civil engineers to meet the present and the future infrastructural and environmental needs of society. This requires an education based on scientific and engineering fundamentals as well as one that incorporates experience in engineering design using modern technology. Because the systems they design impact the public directly, civil engineers must be aware of the social and environmental consequences of their designs. Graduates must be prepared to work and communicate with other professionals in a variety of associations and organizations. Ethics and life-long learning are essential components in the education of civil engineers.
During the course of study, civil engineering students are given a solid grounding in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Added to this is extensive development of the fundamentals of materials science, construction, water and environmental, soils, structural, and transportation systems engineering. This broad base of knowledge is provided to assure that civil engineers are educated in all branches of the profession and to permit continuous learning throughout a professional lifetime. Throughout the program, each student works with an academic advisor in the selection of electives. Specialization in one or more of the branches of civil engineering is possible by selection of a sequence of technical electives during the junior and senior years.
The Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Civil Engineering.
Program Educational Objectives
- The graduates will be successful in their professional careers as civil engineers in industry, public agencies, and/or post-graduate education.
- The graduates will continue to develop professionally and serve in leadership roles.
- The graduates will be successful in demonstrating their obligations to the profession, to their employer, and to society.
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Degree Requirements
Students must meet the following criteria to qualify for a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering:
- Complete a minimum of 123 credit hours
- Satisfy WVU's undergraduate degree requirements
- Satisfy Statler College's undergraduate degree requirements
- Complete all courses listed in the curriculum requirements with the required minimum grades
- Attain an overall grade point average of 2.00 or better
- Attain a WVU grade point average of 2.00 or better
- Attain a Statler grade point average of 2.00 or better
- A maximum of one math or science course with a grade of D+, D, or D- may apply toward a Statler College degree
- Complete a survey regarding their academic and professional experiences at WVU, as well as post-graduation job placement or continuing education plans
The Statler GPA is computed based on all work taken at WVU with a subject code within Statler College (BIOM, BMEG, CE, CHE, CPE, CS, CSEE, CYBE, EE, ENGR, ENVE, ETEC, IENG, IH&S, MAE, MINE, PDA, PNGE, ROBE, SAFM, SENG) excluding ENGR 140, ENGR 150, and CS 101. The WVU GPA is computed based on all work taken at West Virginia University. The Overall GPA is computed based on all work taken at West Virginia University and transfer work.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 16 | |
| Fundamentals of Engineering Requirements | 5 | |
| Math and Science Requirements | 31 | |
| Civil Engineering Program Requirements | 71 | |
| Total Hours | 123 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 5, 6, 7 | 15 | |
| ENGR 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
Fundamentals of Engineering Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- is required in all Fundamentals of Engineering courses. | ||
| ENGR 101 | Engineering Problem Solving 1 | 2 |
| Engineering Problem Solving (Select one of the following): | 3 | |
| Introduction to Chemical Engineering | ||
| Engineering Problem Solving 2 | ||
| Introduction to Nanotechnology Design | ||
| Introduction to Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Design | ||
| Total Hours | 5 | |
Math and Science Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- is required in all Math and Science courses. * | ||
| Calculus I (GEF 3): | 4 | |
| Calculus 1 | ||
| Calculus 1a with Precalculus and Calculus 1b with Precalculus | ||
| MATH 156 | Calculus 2 (GEF 8) | 4 |
| MATH 251 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 261 | Elementary Differential Equations | 4 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L | Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory (GEF 2B) | 4 |
| PHYS 111 & 111L | General Physics 1 and General Physics 1 Laboratory (GEF 8) | 4 |
| STAT 215 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| Principles of Biology and Principles of Biology Laboratory | ||
| Planet Earth and Planet Earth Laboratory | ||
| Total Hours | 31 | |
Civil Engineering Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CE 201 | Introduction to Civil Engineering | 1 |
| CE 210 & 210L | Introduction to Computer Aided Design and Drafting for Civil Engineers and Introduction to Computer Aided Design and Drafting for Civil Engineers Laboratory | 3 |
| CE 301 | Engineering Professional Development | 1 |
| CE 321 | Fluid Mechanics for Civil Engineers | 3 |
| CE 479 | Integrated Civil Engineering Design-Capstone | 3 |
| CE 332 | Introduction to Transportation Engineering | 3 |
| CE 347 & 347L | Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Introduction to Environmental Engineering Laboratory | 4 |
| CE 351 & 351L | Introductory Soil Mechanics and Introductory Soil Mechanics Laboratory | 4 |
| CE 361 & 361L | Structural Analysis 1 and Structural Analysis 1 Laboratory | 4 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics (GEF 4) | 3 |
| WRIT 305 | Technical Writing | 3 |
| IENG 377 | Engineering Economy | 3 |
| MAE 241 | Statics (minimum grade of C-) * | 3 |
| MAE 242 | Dynamics * | 3 |
| MAE 243 | Mechanics of Materials (minimum grade of C-) * | 3 |
| CE Design Electives | 6 | |
| Choose two of the following: | ||
| Pavement Design | ||
| Flexible Pavements | ||
| Water System Design | ||
| Highway Engineering | ||
| Foundations Engineering | ||
| Earthwork Design | ||
| Reinforced Concrete Design | ||
| Steel Design | ||
| Timber Design | ||
| Steel Design 2 | ||
| Building Design | ||
| Water Treatment Principles and Design | ||
| Wastewater Treatment | ||
| Decentralized Wastewater Treatment | ||
| Air Pollution Control | ||
or CE 447 | Environmental Engineering Design | |
| CE Open Electives: ** | 15 | |
| Choose five of the following: | ||
| Introduction to Geomatics and Introduction to Geomatics Laboratory | ||
| Civil Engineering Materials | ||
| Hydrotechnical Engineering | ||
| Construction Scheduling | ||
| Construction Engineering | ||
| Advanced Concrete Materials | ||
| Infrastructure Asset Management 1 | ||
| Construction Estimating | ||
| Computational Fluid Mechanics | ||
| Engineering Hydrology | ||
| Water Resources Engineering | ||
| Ecological Engineering | ||
| Data Analysis in Civil and Environmental Engineering | ||
| Urban Transportation Planning and Design | ||
| Public Transportation | ||
| Railway Engineering | ||
| Pedestrian/Bike Transportation | ||
| Traffic Engineering and Operations | ||
| Environmental Science and Technology | ||
| Properties of Air Pollutants | ||
| Geotechnical Engineering Field Methods | ||
| Structural Analysis 2 | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Research | ||
| Environmental Engineering Processes | ||
| Air Pollution and Climate Change | ||
| Public Health Engineering | ||
| Sustainable Development Engineering | ||
| Managing Construction Safety | ||
| Engineering/Math/Science Electives *** | 6 | |
| Choose two of the following: | ||
| General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Environmental Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Analytical Chemistry and Introductory Analytical Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry: Brief Course and Organic Chemistry: Brief Course Laboratory | ||
| Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Systems | ||
| Geospatial Problem Solving and Geospatial Problem Solving Lab | ||
| Structural Geology for Engineers | ||
| Introduction to Petroleum Geology | ||
| Environmental Geochemistry | ||
| Computer Applications in Industrial Engineering | ||
| Introduction to Operations Research | ||
| Human Factors Engineering | ||
| Project Management for Engineers | ||
| Simulation by Digital Methods | ||
| Team Facilitation | ||
| Analysis-Engineering Systems | ||
| Thermodynamics | ||
| Incompressible Aerodynamics | ||
| Heat Transfer | ||
| Engineering Acoustics | ||
| Mechanics of Composite Materials | ||
| Bioengineering | ||
| Introduction to the Concepts of Mathematics | ||
| Perspectives on Mathematics and Science | ||
| Introduction to Algebraic Structures | ||
| Introduction to Linear Algebra | ||
| Applied Modern Algebra | ||
| Foundations, Functions and Regression Models | ||
| Discrete Mathematics | ||
| Numerical Analysis 1 | ||
| Applied Linear Algebra | ||
| Introduction to Real Analysis 1 | ||
| Complex Variables | ||
| Partial Differential Equations | ||
| Mineral Property Evaluation | ||
| Introduction to Mathematical Physics | ||
| Introductory Modern Physics | ||
| Optics | ||
| Theoretical Mechanics 1 | ||
| Electricity and Magnetism 1 | ||
| Research Methods Laboratory | ||
| Intermediate Statistical Methods | ||
| Introductory Design and Analysis | ||
| Sampling Methods | ||
| Total Hours | 71 | |
- *
Any courses transferred from outside of WVU must be a C- or better.
- **
Any CE Design Electives or CE 493 that are not otherwise used can also be used.
- ***
Any CE 400 level course not otherwise used can also be used.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MATH 155 (GEF 3) | 4 | MATH 156 (GEF 8) | 4 |
| ENGR 101 | 2 | ENGR 102 | 3 |
| ENGR 191 | 1 | PHYS 111 & 111L (GEF 8) | 4 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 2) | 4 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 7 | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MAE 241 | 3 | MAE 243 | 3 |
| MATH 251 | 4 | MAE 242 | 3 |
| CE 210 & 210L | 3 | MATH 261 | 4 |
| CE 201 | 1 | STAT 215 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | CE 332 | 3 |
| Select one of the following (GEF 8): | 4 | ||
| 18 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CE 321 | 3 | CE 351 & 351L | 4 |
| CE 347 & 347L | 4 | CE 301 | 1 |
| CE 361 & 361L | 4 | Two CE Open Electives | 6 |
| ECON 201 (GEF 4) | 3 | CE Design Elective | 3 |
| WRIT 305 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CE Design Elective | 3 | CE Open Elective | 3 |
| Two CE Open Electives | 6 | CE 479 | 3 |
| IENG 377 | 3 | Two ENGR/MATH/Science Electives | 6 |
| 12 | 12 | ||
| Total credit hours: 123 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Civil Engineering
Upon graduation, all Bachelors of Science students in Civil Engineering will have:
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
These outcomes are achieved via rigorous individual courses in all basic areas of chemical engineering, the natural and life sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences. A flexible electives program allows specialization in areas such as environment and safety, polymers and materials, biological processes, and energy processes.
The civil engineering department uses an outcomes-assessment plan for continuous program improvement. The design projects, in conjunction with yearly interviews and questionnaires, provide the measures of learning outcomes. These outcomes-assessment results provide feedback to the faculty to improve teaching and learning processes.