Engineering Civil Engineering

Description

Website:  https://engineering.unl.edu/civil/

The Department of Civil Engineering offers a complete undergraduate program to students on the Lincoln and Omaha campuses of the University of Nebraska. Curriculum requirements are nearly identical on both campuses. The goal is to prepare students for entry into the civil engineering profession immediately after graduation or to pursue graduate-level studies.

The general educational objectives of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln civil engineering undergraduate program are to prepare our graduates so that, with a UNL BSCE degree, a few years beyond graduation, alumni will:
 

• apply their solid foundation in civil engineering toward: the practice, advanced degree education, or a broad range of career choices;
• perform technical analysis or design of a complex system, component or process as acting representatives of governmental agencies, private consulting engineering firms, research organizations or industry;
• explain engineering concepts accurately and effectively to inform technical and non-technical audiences using appropriate verbal, written, virtual and graphical means;
• apply basic project management and business concepts and processes;
• engage in lifelong learning to foster technical growth, ethical conduct, and practice of professional communication, teamwork and leadership skills;
• account for the impacts of their professional decisions on the quality of life and sustainability; and
• obtain professional licensure in an area of civil engineering practice.

As a professional discipline, civil engineering is closely related to the total human environment. In all professional endeavors, the civil engineer must consider ecological effects as well as the social, economic, and political needs of people. The civil engineer designs systems to control and manage our water resources to provide electric power, agricultural irrigation, flood control, recreation, water supplies and wastewater treatment systems for our urban and industrial needs.

The civil engineer plans, designs, and constructs our transportation systems including highways, railroads, waterways, and airports to connect rural, urban, and industrial areas. The civil engineer also designs and constructs housing and facilities for recreational, industrial, and commercial complexes, which comprise the urban environment. It is the responsibility of civil engineering to minimize air, water, and land pollution and protect the environment.

Instructional emphasis is placed on fundamental engineering principles derived from mathematics, chemistry, physics, and engineering science. These subjects provide a sound background for the subsequent introductory courses in environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering. Students are introduced to design concepts in the freshman year. Design is incorporated throughout the curriculum that culminates in two senior-level courses, CIVE 385 Professional Practice and Management in Civil Engineering and CIVE 489 Senior Design Project.

Instructional laboratories in environmental engineering, hydraulics, geotechnical engineering, structures, and surveying provide each student with an opportunity to learn, through individual participation, the operation of the testing equipment used to establish engineering design criteria and to monitor and model engineering facilities such as water and wastewater treatment plants, river control systems, and structural systems.

Some students may desire to obtain a degree in construction management in addition to the degree in civil engineering. Because some civil engineering courses require prerequisites beyond those required for similar construction management courses, students should obtain the civil engineering degree first. Advising will be done by a civil engineering faculty member familiar with the construction management curriculum. After completing the civil engineering degree, the student will move to the construction management department to complete requirements for the second undergraduate degree in construction management.

The Departments of Civil Engineering and Architecture have a joint program awarding licensing degrees in both fields of study. A bachelors degree in civil engineering and masters degree in architecture are awarded, after approximately seven years of study. The departments work with individual students in tailoring a joint degree program. More information can be obtained from either department office.

Major Department Admission

Professional Admission Requirements

Criteria for Professional Admission to the Civil Engineering Degree Program

Pre-professionally admitted College of Engineering students majoring in civil engineering must have their academic records reviewed for professional admission to the Civil Engineering Degree Program during the fall, spring or summer immediately following the term in which:
 

• At least 12 credits (one semester) have been completed after admission to the College of Engineering;
• At least 43 credits applicable to the degree have been earned; and
• PHYS 211 General Physics I, MECH 223 Engineering Statics, MECH 325 Mechanics of Elastic Bodies and MECH 373 Engineering Dynamics have been completed.

Additionally, the student can have no more than two declined professional admission requests to other engineering majors. It is likely a student may need to complete four full semesters of credits applying to the Program before these requirements are able to be completed.

Professional admission approval to the Civil Engineering Degree Program also requires that all of the following Departmental-specific criteria must be met:
 

• Earn a C letter grade or better in PHYS 211, MECH 223, MECH 325 and MECH 373;
• Earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.4 or greater; and
• Earn a C letter grade or better in ALL math, science and engineering courses required for the bachelor of science in civil engineering degree if the cumulative grade point average is less than 2.700.

Students approved for professional admission to the Program are then allowed to take 400-level civil engineering courses to complete their degree.

College Requirements

College Admission

College Entrance Requirements

Students must have high school credit for (one unit is equal to one high school year):

1. Mathematics – 4 units: 2 of algebra, 1 of geometry, 1 of precalculus and trigonometry
2. English – 4 units
3. Natural sciences – 3 units that must include 1 unit of physics and 1 unit of chemistry (chemistry requirement waived for students in construction management)
4. Foreign language – 2 units of a single foreign language
5. Social studies – 3 units
6. Students having a composite ACT score of 28 or greater (or equivalent SAT score) will be admitted to the College of Engineering even if they lack any one of the following: trigonometry, chemistry, or physics.
7. Students having an ACT score of 19 or less in English (or equivalent SAT score) must take ENGL 150 Writing and Inquiry or ENGL 151 Writing and Argument.

A total of 16 units is required for admission.

Students must have an ACT (enhanced) score of 24 or greater (or equivalent SAT). Students who lack entrance requirements may be admitted based on ACT scores, high school rank and credits, or may be admitted to pre-engineering status in the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center. Pre-engineering students are advised within the College of Engineering.

Students for whom English is not their language of nurture must meet the minimum English proficiency requirements of the University.

Students who lack entrance units may complete precollege training by Independent Study through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Office of On-line and Distance Education, in summer courses, or as a part of their first or second semester course loads while in the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center or other Colleges at Nebraska.

Students should consult their advisor, their department chair, or Engineering Student Services if they have questions on current policies.

Other Admission Requirements

Students who transfer to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from other accredited colleges or universities and wish to be admitted to the College of Engineering (COE) must meet COE freshman entrance requirements and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5, and be calculus-ready. Students not meeting either of these requirements must enroll in the Explore Center or another University college until they meet COE admission requirements. Students transferring from UNO, UNL, or UNK to the College of Engineering must be in good academic standing with their institution.

The COE accepts courses for transfer for which a C or better grade was received. Although the University of Nebraska–Lincoln accepts D grades from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and at Omaha, not all majors in the COE accept such low grades. Students must conform to the requirements of their intended major and, in any case, are strongly encouraged to repeat courses with a grade of C- or less.

All transfer students must adopt the curricular requirements of the undergraduate catalog current at the time of transfer to the COE—not that in use when they entered the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Upon admission to Nebraska, students wishing to pursue degree programs in the COE will be classified and subject to the policies defined in the subsequent section.

Students who were previously admitted to COE and are returning to the College of Engineering must demonstrate a cumulative GPA of 2.5 in order to be readmitted to COE.

College Degree Requirements

Grade Rules

Grade Appeals

In the event of a dispute involving any college policies or grades, the student should appeal to his/her instructor, and appropriate department chair or school director (in that order). If a satisfactory solution is not achieved, the student may appeal his/her case through the College Academic Appeals Committee on his/her campus.

Catalog Rule

Students must fulfill the requirements stated in the catalog for the academic year in which they are first admitted at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In consultation with advisors, a student may choose to follow a subsequent catalog for any academic year in which they are admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Nebraska in the College of Engineering. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year. The catalog which a student follows for degree requirements may not be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation.

LEARNING Outcomes

Graduates of the civil engineering program will have:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. 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.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

The above student outcomes have been approved by the ABET Engineering Area Delegation for use beginning with the 2019-20 academic year, and have been adopted by the faculty of the Department of Civil Engineering.

Major Requirements

Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Lincoln and Omaha campuses)

Students must have completed the equivalent of the fourth semester before admission to the civil engineering program. Transfer students must have all transfer hours accepted before being considered for the degree program.
 

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
First Semester
CIVE 112	Introduction to Civil Engineering	1
CSCE 155N	Computer Science I: Engineering and Science Focus	3
ENGR 10	Freshman Engineering Seminar	0
MATH 106	Calculus I	5
CHEM 109	General Chemistry I	4
ACE Elective
Select one course from ACE outcomes 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 elective courses.		3
Credit Hours Subtotal:		16
Second Semester
CIVE 130 / BSEN 130	Computer-Aided Design 1	2
CIVE 221 / CONE 221	Geometric Control Systems	3
MATH 107	Calculus II	4
PHYS 211	General Physics I	4
ACE Elective
Select one course from ACE outcomes 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 elective courses.		3
Credit Hours Subtotal:		16
Third Semester
ENGR 20	Sophomore Engineering Seminar	0
JGEN 200	Technical Communication I	3
MATH 208	Calculus III	4
MECH 223	Engineering Statics	3
PHYS 212	General Physics II	4
or CHEM 110	General Chemistry II
ACE Elective
Select one course from ACE outcomes 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 elective courses.		3
Credit Hours Subtotal:		17
Fourth Semester
CIVE 361	Highway Engineering	3
COMM 286	Business and Professional Communication	3
MATH 221	Differential Equations	3
MECH 325	Mechanics of Elastic Bodies	3
MECH 373	Engineering Dynamics	3
Credit Hours Subtotal:		15
Fifth Semester
CIVE 310 / MECH 310	Fluid Mechanics	3
CIVE 319	Hydraulics Laboratory	1
CIVE 326 / BSEN 326	Introduction to Environmental Engineering	3
CIVE 327 / BSEN 327	Environmental Engineering Laboratory	1
CIVE 341	Introduction to Structural Engineering	4
STAT 380	Statistics and Applications	3
Credit Hours Subtotal:		15
Sixth Semester
CIVE 334	Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering	4
CIVE 352	Introduction to Water Resources Engineering	3
CIVE 378	Materials of Construction	3
CIVE 385	Professional Practice and Management in Civil Engineering	3
ACE Elective
Select one course from ACE outcomes 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 elective courses.		3
Credit Hours Subtotal:		16
Seventh Semester
Technical Elective
Select one course from the list of approved technical elective courses available from the civil engineering department.		3
Design Electives
Select two courses from the list of approved design elective courses available from the civil engineering department.		6
ACE Elective
Select one course from ACE outcomes 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 elective courses.		3
Science Elective
Select one from the following:		4
BIOS 101 & BIOS 101L	General Biology and General Biology Laboratory
CHEM 251 & CHEM 253	Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Laboratory
GEOL 101	Dynamic Earth
CIVE 498	Special Topics in Civil Engineering 2	1
Credit Hours Subtotal:		17
Eighth Semester
CIVE 489	Senior Design Project	3
Technical Electives
Select three courses from the list of approved technical elective courses available from the civil engineering department.		9
Design Elective
Select one course from the list of approved design elective courses available from the civil engineering department.		3
Professional Development Elective
Select one course from the list of approved professional development elective courses available from the civil engineering department.		3
Credit Hours Subtotal:		18
Total Credit Hours		130

1	MECH 130 is an acceptable substitute.
2	A list of allowable alternative courses is available from the civil engineering department.

Design Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
CIVE 419	Flow Systems Design	3
CIVE 425 / BSEN 425	Process Design in Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment	3
CIVE 426	Design of Water Treatment Facilities	3
CIVE 427	Design of Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Facilities	3
CIVE 436	Foundation Engineering	3
CIVE 440	Reinforced Concrete Design I	3
CIVE 441	Steel Design I	3
CIVE 452	Water Resources Development	3
CIVE 462	Highway Design	3
CIVE 463	Traffic Engineering	3

PLEASE NOTE
This document represents a sample 4-year plan for degree completion with this major. Actual course selection and sequence may vary and should be discussed individually with your college or department academic advisor. Advisors also can help you plan other experiences to enrich your undergraduate education such as internships, education abroad, undergraduate research, learning communities, and service learning and community-based learning.

 

Career Information

The following represents a sample of the internships, jobs and graduate school programs that current students and recent graduates have reported.