Civil Engineering (BSCE)
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Civil engineers design, construct, operate and maintain the physical fabric of society. In doing so, civil engineers work toward continuous improvement of the human condition and natural environment, tackling many of the grand challenges that face humankind today. Much of the work of civil engineers is highly visible, such as roadways, bridges, airports, levees, buildings, bike paths, and city parks, while other parts are rarely seen but equally vital to the health of communities, such as the water and wastewater treatment, distribution, and collection systems or the energy infrastructure. Civil engineers keep human beings safe by designing resilient infrastructure that does not fail in extraordinary events, but that is also socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.
The civil engineering student has the opportunity to obtain a broad background in mathematics and the physical sciences and their applications to all areas of civil engineering. This flexible curriculum allows the student to elect 18 semester hours of approved technical coursework to emphasize the areas of civil engineering of most interest to the student. In addition, courses in the humanities and social sciences are included.
To excel as a civil engineer, a student should have an aptitude for mathematics and science, an interest in the practical application of technical knowledge to societal problems, the motivation to study and prepare for engineering practice, the desire to be a professional, and a desire to work with others to better the lives of humankind. Civil engineering graduates of the University may seek a wide variety of positions in planning, design, and construction with government agencies, industry, and private consulting firms. Those who plan to pursue graduate work in engineering, or in other professions such as business, medicine, law, or journalism, have an excellent base on which to build.
Program Educational Objectives
Graduates of the civil engineering program should solve civil engineering problems within a greater societal context. They should:
- Exhibit character and decision-making skills embodying professionalism and ethical behavior
- Apply knowledge, strong reasoning, and quantitative skills to design and implement creative and sustainable solutions
- Engage in lifelong learning to meet evolving engineering challenges facing society
- Exhibit strong communication, critical thinking, interpersonal, and management skills as leaders and contributors in the civil engineering profession
Portable Computing Devices
Students entering Civil Engineering are required to have a laptop at their disposal. Laptops do not need to be brought to campus daily, but individual courses may require that a laptop be brought to class or lab sessions. For a list of minimum system requirements see: https://www.caee.utexas.edu/undergraduate/laptop-requirement.
Student Outcomes
Graduates of the civil engineering program should attain the following outcomes:
- 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
Total Hours Required: 124
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| C E 301 | Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
| CH 301 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| M 408C | Differential and Integral Calculus | 4 |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| CH 302 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| ARE 217 | Computer-Aided Design and Graphics | 2 |
| M 408D | Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| PHY 303K | Engineering Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 105M | Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | 1 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| C E 311K | Introduction to Computer Methods | 3 |
| E M 306 | Statics | 3 |
| M 427J | Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| PHY 303L | Engineering Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 105N | Laboratory For Physics 302L, 303L, and 317L | 1 |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| C E 311S | Probability and Statistics for Civil Engineers | 3 |
| E M 319 | Mechanics of Solids | 3 |
| C E 319F | Elementary Mechanics of Fluids | 3 |
| E S 333T | Engineering Communication | 3 |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| C E 324P | Properties and Behavior of Engineering Materials | 3 |
| Base level course | 3 | |
| Base level course | 3 | |
| Base level course | 3 | |
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| E M 311M or M E 310T |
Dynamics or Applied Thermodynamics |
3 |
| Base level course | 3 | |
| Base level course | 3 | |
| Base level course | 3 | |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Science elective | 3 | |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| C E 370P | Engineering Professionalism | 3 |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| Technical Elective | 3 | |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 124 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | ||
| C E 301 | Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
| C E 311K | Introduction to Computer Methods | 3 |
| C E 311S | Probability and Statistics for Civil Engineers | 3 |
| C E 319F | Elementary Mechanics of Fluids | 3 |
| C E 321 | Transportation Systems | 3 |
| C E 324P | Properties and Behavior of Engineering Materials | 3 |
| C E 329 | Structural Analysis | 3 |
| C E 341 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| C E 356 | Elements of Hydraulic Engineering | 3 |
| C E 357 | Geotechnical Engineering | 3 |
| C E 370P | Engineering Professionalism | 3 |
| Architectural Engineering | ||
| ARE 217 | Computer-Aided Design and Graphics | 2 |
| ARE 323K | Project Management and Economics | 3 |
| Chemistry | ||
| CH 301 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 302 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| Engineering Mechanics | ||
| E M 306 | Statics | 3 |
| E M 319 | Mechanics of Solids | 3 |
| Mathematics | ||
| M 408C | Differential and Integral Calculus | 4 |
| M 408D | Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| M 427J | Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| Physics | ||
| PHY 105M | Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | 1 |
| PHY 105N | Laboratory For Physics 302L, 303L, and 317L | 1 |
| PHY 303K | Engineering Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 303L | Engineering Physics II | 3 |
| Additional Coursework | ||
| E M 311M | Dynamics | 3 |
| or M E 310T | Applied Thermodynamics | |
| E S 333T | Engineering Communication | 3 |
| Approved science elective | 3 | |
| Technical Electives | 18 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 0 | |
| Subtotal | 97 | |
| General Education | ||
| Remaining Core Curriculum (42 hours total) | 27 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 27 | |
| College Requirements - Engineering | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 124 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
Technical Electives
The civil engineering curriculum does not require the student to declare a specific technical area option. However, for the guidance of students with particular interests, technical electives in civil engineering are listed in areas of specialization. The 18 semester hours of technical electives must be chosen from the following civil engineering and architectural engineering courses; in special cases, with the written permission of the department chair, this requirement may be relaxed, provided the student demonstrates in advance that the courses to be substituted for civil engineering or architectural engineering courses are part of a consistent educational plan. To provide a broad general background, at least one technical elective from each of three different areas of specialization must be included in each student's program.
One, three hour course, from the approved list of math/science/engineering electives may be substituted for a technical elective. This course does not count towards the three different area breadth requirements. The current approved list is available in the departmental undergraduate office.
The course lists tab reflects current course offerings and are subject to change by the faculty. Current lists are available in the departmental undergraduate office.
Construction Engineering and Project Management
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARE 335 | Materials and Methods of Building Construction | 3 |
| ARE 358 | Cost Estimating in Building Construction | 3 |
| ARE 366 | Contracts, Liability, and Ethics | 3 |
| ARE 376 | Building Information Modeling for Capital Projects | 3 |
Infrastructure Materials Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| C E 351 | Concrete Materials | 3 |
| C E 366K | Design of Bituminous Mixtures | 3 |
Environmental Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARE 346N | Building Environmental Systems | 3 |
| C E 342 | Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering | 3 |
| C E 346 | Solid Waste Engineering and Management | 3 |
| C E 364 | Design of Wastewater and Water Treatment Facilities | 3 |
| C E 369L | Air Pollution Engineering | 3 |
| C E 369R | Indoor Air Quality | 3 |
| C E 370K | Environmental Sampling and Analysis | 3 |
| C E 370L | Climate Change Mitigation | 3 |
Geotechnical Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| C E 360K | Foundation Engineering | 3 |
| C E 375 | Earth Slopes and Retaining Structures | 3 |
Structural Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARE 345K | Masonry Engineering | 3 |
| ARE 362L | Structural Design in Wood | 3 |
| C E 331 | Reinforced Concrete Design | 3 |
| C E 335 | Elements of Steel Design | 3 |
| C E 362M | Advanced Reinforced Concrete Design | 3 |
| C E 362N | Advanced Steel Design | 3 |
| C E 363 | Advanced Structural Analysis | 3 |
Transportation Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| C E 367G | Design and Evaluation of Ground-Based Transportation Systems | 3 |
| C E 367P | Pavement Design and Performance | 3 |
| C E 367T | Traffic Engineering | 3 |
| C E 367R | Optimization Techniques for Transportation Engineers | 3 |
Water Resources Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| C E 358 | Introductory Ocean Engineering | 3 |
| C E 374K | Hydrology | 3 |
| C E 374N | Topics in Natural Water Systems Engineering | 3 |
| C E 374U | Topics in Urban Water Systems Engineering | 3 |