Degree: Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE)
Major: Civil Engineering
Program Overview
The faculty of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department believes very strongly that undergraduate education should prepare students to be productive professional engineers. For this reason, particular emphasis in undergraduate teaching is placed on the application of engineering principles to the solution of problems. After completing a set of core courses in general engineering and civil engineering, undergraduate students choose a sequence in one of the areas of civil engineering of particular interest: Structural, Geotechnical, Construction Management, Pre-architecture, or Environmental.
In order to provide undergraduates with experience in the practice of civil engineering, the department attempts to arrange summer employment for students during the three summers between their semesters at Case Western Reserve University. By working for organizations in areas of design and construction, students gain invaluable knowledge about how the profession functions. This experience helps students gain more from their education and helps them be more competitive when seeking future employment.
A cooperative education program is also available. This allows the student to spend time an extended period of time working full-time in an engineering capacity with a contractor, consulting engineer, architect, or materials supplier during the course of his or her education. This learning experience is designed to integrate classroom theory with practical experience and professional development.
The civil engineering curriculum has been designed so that students take a set of core civil engineering courses, a set of required courses in their chosen sequence, and a minimum of six approved elective courses. The sequence gives students the opportunity to pursue a particular area of practice in more depth. In addition, all civil engineering students participate in a team senior capstone design course which provides them experience with solving multidisciplinary problems.
Most classes in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department have an enrollment of fewer than 25 students to encourage the development of close professional relationships with the faculty. Students also have opportunities to gain practical experience as well as earn a supplemental income by assisting faculty members in consulting work or a funded research project.
Computer use is an integral part of the curriculum. From required courses in computer programming and numerical analysis to the application of civil and environmental engineering programs as a planning, analysis, design, and managerial tool.
All sequences are constructed to provide a balance of marketable skills and theoretical bases for further growth. With departmental approval, other sequences can be developed to meet students’ needs.
The Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree program with a major in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Program Educational Objectives
- Graduates of the program will enter the profession of Civil Engineering and advance to positions of greater responsibility and leadership, in line with ASCE Professional Grade Descriptions.
- Graduates of the program will enter and successfully undertake advanced degree programs within their fields of choice.
- Graduates of the program will progress toward or complete professional registration and licensure.
Learning Outcomes
As preparation for achieving the above educational objectives, the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree program with a major in Civil Engineering is designed so that students attain:
- 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.
Co-op and Internship Programs
Opportunities are available for students to alternate studies with work in industry or government as a co-op student, which involves paid full-time employment over seven months (one semester and one summer). Students may work in one or two co-ops, beginning in the third year of study. Co-ops provide students the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in their field by completing a significant engineering project while receiving professional mentoring. During a co-op placement, students do not pay tuition but maintain their full-time student status while earning a salary. Alternatively or additionally, students may obtain employment as summer interns.
Undergraduate Policies
For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.
Accelerated Master's Programs
Undergraduate students may participate in accelerated programs toward graduate or professional degrees. For more information and details of the policies and procedures related to accelerated studies, please visit the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.
Program Requirements
Students seeking to complete this major and degree program must meet the general requirements for bachelor's degrees and the Unified General Education Requirements. Students completing this program as a secondary major while completing another undergraduate degree program do not need to satisfy the school-specific requirements associated with this major.
After completing a set of core courses in general engineering and civil engineering, undergraduate students choose a concentration in one of the areas of civil engineering of particular interest: Structural, Geotechnical, Construction Management, Pre-architecture, or Environmental.
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
MATH 121 | Calculus for Science and Engineering I | 4 |
MATH 122 | Calculus for Science and Engineering II | 4 |
or MATH 124 | Calculus II |
MATH 223 | Calculus for Science and Engineering III | 3 |
or MATH 227 | Calculus III |
MATH 224 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
or MATH 228 | Differential Equations |
PHYS 121 | General Physics I - Mechanics | 4 |
or PHYS 123 | Physics and Frontiers I - Mechanics |
PHYS 122 | General Physics II - Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
or PHYS 124 | Physics and Frontiers II - Electricity and Magnetism |
CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
ENGR 130 | Foundations of Engineering and Programming | 3 |
ENGR 145 | Chemistry of Materials | 4 |
ENGR 200 | Statics and Strength of Materials | 3 |
ENGR 399 | Impact of Engineering on Society | 3 |
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| Surveying and Computer Graphics | |
| Strength of Materials | |
| Introduction to Structural Engineering and Analysis | |
| Soil Mechanics | |
| Construction Management | |
| Civil Engineering Systems | |
| Environmental Engineering | |
| Civil Engineering Senior Project | |
Concentration Requirements
Structural
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| Civil Engineering Materials | |
| Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| Structural Steel Design |
| Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | |
| Dynamics | |
| Architecture and City Design I | |
| Undergraduate Research | |
| Matrix Analysis of Structures | |
| BIM and Computer Graphics | |
| Timber and Masonry Design b | |
| Reinforced Concrete Design b | |
| Structural Steel Design b | |
| Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity | |
| Fracture Mechanics and Size Effect | |
| Structural Dynamics | |
| Bridge Engineering b | |
| Damage and Deterioration of Structures | |
| Finite Element Analysis | |
| Probabilistic Analysis | |
| Foundation Engineering b | |
| Data Analysis for Civil and Environmental Engineering | |
| Intelligent Infrastructure Systems | |
| Advanced Topics in Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| Advanced Structural Steel Design | |
| Structural Fire Engineering b | |
| Introduction to Global Issues | |
| Operations and Systems Design | |
| Engineering Economics and Decision Analysis | |
| Computers in Mechanical Engineering | |
| Mechanics of Continuous Media | |
| Materials Properties: Composition and Structure | |
| Structural Materials by Design | |
| Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer | |
Geotechnical
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| Civil Engineering Materials | |
| Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| Structural Steel Design |
| Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | |
| Dynamics | |
| Spatial Statistics for Near Surface, Surface, and Subsurface Modeling | |
| Undergraduate Research | |
| Matrix Analysis of Structures | |
| Matrix Analysis of Structures |
| BIM and Computer Graphics | |
| BIM Data Management & Remote Sensing | |
| Engineering Hydraulics and Hydrology b | |
| Timber and Masonry Design b | |
| Timber and Masonry Design |
| Reinforced Concrete Design b | |
| Structural Steel Design b | |
| Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity | |
| Fracture Mechanics and Size Effect | |
| Finite Element Analysis | |
| Foundation Engineering b | |
| Pavement Analysis and Design b | |
| Data Analysis for Civil and Environmental Engineering | |
| Intelligent Infrastructure Systems | |
| Physical Geology | |
| Geology Laboratory | |
| Environmental Geology | |
| Geomorphology and Remote Sensing | |
| Structural Geology and Geodynamics | |
| Hydrogeology | |
| Computers in Mechanical Engineering | |
| Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer | |
Construction Management
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| Civil Engineering Materials | |
| Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| Structural Steel Design |
| Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | |
| Foundations of Accounting I | |
| Corporate Finance | |
| Undergraduate Research | |
| Construction Scheduling and Estimating | |
| BIM and Computer Graphics | |
| BIM Data Management & Remote Sensing | |
| Timber and Masonry Design b | |
| Reinforced Concrete Design b | |
| Structural Steel Design b | |
| Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity | |
| Bridge Engineering b | |
| Damage and Deterioration of Structures | |
| Foundation Engineering b | |
| Pavement Analysis and Design b | |
| Intelligent Infrastructure Systems | |
| Advanced Topics in Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| Advanced Structural Steel Design | |
| Entrepreneurial Finance | |
| Game Theory: The Economics of Thinking Strategically | |
| The Economics of Organizations and Employment Relationships | |
| Public Finance | |
| Environmental Economics | |
| Economics of Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship | |
| Dynamics | |
| Computers in Mechanical Engineering | |
| Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer | |
| Leading People (LEAD I) | |
| Leading Organizations (LEAD II) | |
| Developing Interpersonal Skills for Leading | |
| Quantum Leadership: Creating Value for You, Business, and the World | |
| Managing Negotiations | |
| Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion: Towards a Globally Inclusive Workplace | |
Pre-Architecture
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| Civil Engineering Materials | |
| Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| Structural Steel Design |
| Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | |
| Creative Drawing I | |
| Creative Drawing II | |
| Architecture and City Design I | |
| Architecture and City Design II | |
| Architecture and City Design III | |
| Undergraduate Research | |
| Matrix Analysis of Structures | |
| BIM and Computer Graphics | |
| BIM Data Management & Remote Sensing | |
| Timber and Masonry Design b | |
| Reinforced Concrete Design b | |
| Structural Steel Design b | |
| Damage and Deterioration of Structures | |
| Finite Element Analysis | |
| Probabilistic Analysis | |
| Foundation Engineering and Pavement Analysis and Design b | |
| Structural Fire Engineering | |
| Dynamics | |
| Computers in Mechanical Engineering | |
| Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer | |
Environmental
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| Engineering Hydraulics and Hydrology | |
| Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer | |
| Principles of Biology | |
| Genes, Evolution and Ecology | |
| Cells and Proteins | |
| Dynamics of Biological Systems: A Quantitative Introduction to Biology | |
| Microbiology | |
| Introductory Organic Chemistry I | |
| Introductory Organic Chemistry II | |
| Introductory Physical Chemistry I | |
| Introductory Physical Chemistry II | |
| Organic Chemistry I | |
| Organic Chemistry II | |
| Physical Chemistry I | |
| Physical Chemistry II | |
| Programming in Java | |
| Introduction to Data Science and Engineering for Majors | |
| Introduction to Data Structures | |
| Introduction to Data Analysis | |
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | |
| Machine Learning | |
| Exploratory Data Science | |
| Data Science: Statistical Learning, Modeling and Prediction | |
| Data Visualization and Analytics | |
| Physical Geology | |
| Weather and Climate | |
| Global Environmental Problems | |
| Environmental Geology | |
| Introduction to Climate Change: Physics, Forecasts, and Strategies | |
| Biogeochemistry | |
| Introduction to Probability | |
| An Introduction to GIS for Health and Social Sciences | |
| Statistical Methods I | |
| Basic Statistics for Engineering and Science | |
| Introduction to Chemical Systems b | |
| Transport Phenomena for Chemical Systems b | |
| Separation Processes b | |
| Chemical Engineering Laboratory b | |
| Chemical Reaction Processes b | |
| Process Control b | |
| Process Analysis, Design and Safety b | |
| Undergraduate Research | |
| Civil Engineering Materials | |
| Water Resources Engineering b | |
| Solid and Hazardous Waste Management | |
| Environmental Engineering Green Stormwater Infrastructure | |
| Probabilistic Analysis | |
| Environmental Organic Chemistry | |
| Environmental Engineering Chemistry | |
| Data Analysis for Civil and Environmental Engineering | |
| Environmental Engineering Biotechnology b | |
| Environmental Engineering Green Stormwater Infrastructure | |
| Environmental Hazard Mitigation of Nonpoint and Point Source Pollution | |
| Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | |
Sample Plans of Study
The following are suggested plans of study. Current students should always consult their advisors and their individual graduation requirement plans.
Sample Plan of Study: Structural or Geotechnical Concentrations
Plan of Study Grid First Year |
Fall |
CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
ENGR 130 | Foundations of Engineering and Programming | 3 |
MATH 121 | Calculus for Science and Engineering I | 4 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 17 |
Spring |
ENGR 145 | Chemistry of Materials | 4 |
MATH 122 | Calculus for Science and Engineering II | 4 |
PHYS 121 | General Physics I - Mechanics | 4 |
a | 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
Second Year |
Fall |
ECIV 260 | Surveying and Computer Graphics | 3 |
ENGR 200 | Statics and Strength of Materials | 3 |
MATH 223 | Calculus for Science and Engineering III | 3 |
PHYS 122 | General Physics II - Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
a | 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Spring |
ECIV 310 | Strength of Materials | 3 |
ENGR 399 | Impact of Engineering on Society | 3 |
MATH 224 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
a | 3 |
b | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 18 |
Third Year |
Fall |
ECIV 315 | Introduction to Structural Engineering and Analysis | 3 |
ECIV 340 | Construction Management | 3 |
ENGR 210 | Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | 4 |
ECIV 311 | Civil Engineering Materials | 3 |
EMAE 181 | Dynamics | 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Spring |
ECIV 330 | Soil Mechanics | 4 |
ECIV 368 | Environmental Engineering | 3 |
ECIV 373 | Reinforced Concrete Design c | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Fourth Year |
Fall |
ECIV 398 | Civil Engineering Senior Project | 3 |
a | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
Spring |
ECIV 360 | Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
| Total Hours | 128 |
Sample Plan of Study: Construction Management or Pre-Architecture Concentrations
Plan of Study Grid First Year |
Fall |
CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
ENGR 130 | Foundations of Engineering and Programming | 3 |
MATH 121 | Calculus for Science and Engineering I | 4 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 17 |
Spring |
ENGR 145 | Chemistry of Materials | 4 |
MATH 122 | Calculus for Science and Engineering II | 4 |
PHYS 121 | General Physics I - Mechanics | 4 |
a | 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
Second Year |
Fall |
ECIV 260 | Surveying and Computer Graphics | 3 |
ENGR 200 | Statics and Strength of Materials | 3 |
MATH 223 | Calculus for Science and Engineering III | 3 |
PHYS 122 | General Physics II - Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
a | 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Spring |
ECIV 310 | Strength of Materials | 3 |
ENGR 399 | Impact of Engineering on Society | 3 |
MATH 224 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
a | 3 |
b | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 18 |
Third Year |
Fall |
ECIV 315 | Introduction to Structural Engineering and Analysis | 3 |
ECIV 340 | Construction Management | 3 |
ENGR 210 | Introduction to Circuits and Instrumentation | 4 |
ECIV 311 | Civil Engineering Materials | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Spring |
ECIV 330 | Soil Mechanics | 4 |
ECIV 360 | Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
ECIV 373 | Reinforced Concrete Design c | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Fourth Year |
Fall |
ECIV 398 | Civil Engineering Senior Project | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
Spring |
ECIV 360 | Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
| Total Hours | 128 |
Sample Plan of Study: Environmental Concentration
Plan of Study Grid First Year |
Fall |
CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
ENGR 130 | Foundations of Engineering and Programming | 3 |
MATH 121 | Calculus for Science and Engineering I | 4 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 17 |
Spring |
ENGR 145 | Chemistry of Materials | 4 |
MATH 122 | Calculus for Science and Engineering II | 4 |
PHYS 121 | General Physics I - Mechanics | 4 |
a | 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
Second Year |
Fall |
ECIV 260 | Surveying and Computer Graphics | 3 |
ENGR 200 | Statics and Strength of Materials | 3 |
MATH 223 | Calculus for Science and Engineering III | 3 |
PHYS 122 | General Physics II - Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
a | 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Spring |
ECIV 310 | Strength of Materials | 3 |
ENGR 399 | Impact of Engineering on Society | 3 |
MATH 224 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
a | 3 |
b | 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 18 |
Third Year |
Fall |
ECIV 315 | Introduction to Structural Engineering and Analysis | 3 |
ECIV 340 | Construction Management | 3 |
ENGR 225 | Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer | 4 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Spring |
ECIV 330 | Soil Mechanics | 4 |
ECIV 368 | Environmental Engineering | 3 |
ECIV 351 | Engineering Hydraulics and Hydrology | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 16 |
Fourth Year |
Fall |
ECIV 398 | Civil Engineering Senior Project | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
Spring |
ECIV 360 | Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
a | 3 |
a | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Hours | 15 |
| Total Hours | 128 |