POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY 2005-2007

CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAM
Program Advisers:
Roger P. Roess (undergraduate)
Magued G. Iskander (graduate)
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
The Department of Civil Engineering
develops engineering graduates capable
of contributing to and advancing the practice
of civil engineering and its sub-disciplines.
Through its research programs, the
department strives to be at the forefront in
selected areas in the development of new
knowledge and applications in civil engineering.
Through its educational programs,
graduates will be well rounded in
state-of-the-art techniques and will develop
the skills needed to apply them in a
complex profession. Among these skills
are the abilities to communicate effectively
in written and verbal form and understand
the context of civil engineering projects
in a complex society.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The general goals of the Bachelor of
Science in Civil Engineering are that
undergraduates should have sufficient
exposure to all major sub-disciplines in
order to (1) allow them to choose a
career path intelligently, (2) elect a program
of depth in at least two sub-disciplines
and (3) continue in a Master of
Science program in any civil engineering
sub-discipline.
Specific program objectives have been
established to reinforce these general
goals. Graduates of the undergraduate
civil engineering program should:
• Have a solid foundation of knowledge
in the major sub-disciplines of civil
engineering: structural and geotechnical
engineering, environmental and
water resources engineering, transportation
engineering and construction
management
• Have the opportunity to develop depth
of knowledge in at least two of these
sub-disciplines within the scope of
their undergraduate education
• Be capable of professional practice at
the entry level in any civil engineering
sub-discipline or to pursue graduate
work in any of the sub-disciplines
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• Develop design knowledge and skills
in at least three sub-disciplines of civil
engineering
• Develop good oral and written communications
skills
• Develop a basic understanding of the
societal context in which civil engineering
occurs and a thorough appreciation
for their responsibilities as professionals
to society.
REQUIRED COURSES
The undergraduate curriculum provides a
solid foundation in all major sub-disciplines
through required courses.
Four courses provide the engineering
science and professional underpinnings
for all sub-disciplines: CE 2114 Statics
and Dynamics, CE 2124 Mechanics of
Materials, CE 2214 Fluid Mechanics
and Hydraulics and CE 1003
Fundamentals of Civil Engineering.
Structural engineering is covered in CE
3133 Structural Analysis and CE 3144
Steel Design. The required environmental
and water resources sequence
includes CE 3223 Environmental
Engineering I, and CE 4243 Water
Resource Engineering I. CE 3324,
Traffic Engineering I, introduces the student
to highway and traffic engineering.
CE 4413 Construction Management provides
a thorough overview of this important
sub-discipline.
Design is covered in many of these
courses, giving students exposure to
design in the various sub-disciplines.
Courses CE 2214, CE 3144, CE 3223,
CE 4243, CE 3153 and CE 3324 all have
significant design content. Most elective
courses also have strong design components
and all students are required to
complete a 5-credit senior design project
(CE 4812, CE 4823) during their senior
year. An introduction to design is provided
by EG 1004 in the freshman year.
Thus, students have progressive design
exposure in each year of the program.
Undergraduate elective courses are
provided in structural, geotechnical, environmental,
water resources, construction
management and transportation engineering.
These allow students to gain significant
depth in these areas. Selected students
with sufficient grade-point averages
may take beginning graduate courses in
these areas. Special topics courses are
provided in each major sub-discipline
and are offered as needed.
Communications skills are emphasized
throughout the curriculum. The
humanities and social sciences portions
of the curriculum provide a strong focus
on developing writing and verbal skills.
The freshman engineering program also
includes substantial emphasis on oral presentations
and written report assignments.
CE 1003, Fundamentals of Civil
Engineering, includes numerous written
assignments, class debates and oral presentations.
All courses with associated
laboratories require written laboratory or
project reports; many design courses
require formal submittal of design
reports, some with oral presentations. The
senior design project experience includes
many verbal and written progress reports,
and is formally presented and defended
as part of final submittals.
Humanities and social science courses
also contribute to students’ understanding
the societal context of their profession.
CE 1003, Fundamentals of Civil
Engineering, reinforces this with specific
civil engineering references and provides
a focused treatment of professional
ethics. These aspects are also highlighted
in other courses in the civil engineering
curriculum.
ACCREDITATION
The BS in Civil Engineering is accredited
by the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology (ABET).
CURRICULUM
The curriculum for the BS in Civil
Engineering is described in the tables
that follow. Table 1 summarizes the curriculum
and its requirements in subject
area categories. Table 2 summarizes
elective courses available in civil engineering
by sub-discipline. A typical
four-year course of study for civil engineering
majors is shown on the full-page
chart in this section.