Civil Engineering, B.S.

ET 108, A.P. Torrence Hall
(615) 963-5421

Faculty: C. Armwood, D. Chimba, Y. Choi, K. Du, L. Li, S. Liu, A. Gardiner, R. Parthasarathy, and R. Painter

General Statement

The Civil Engineering program systematically builds upon the knowledge acquired in the study of the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering sciences to provide students with a broad base of knowledge in the various areas of civil engineering and environmental engineering. The program prepares the students for careers in the private and public sectors and/or to pursue graduate study.

The purpose of the civil engineering program is to provide state-of-the-art civil engineering education, hands-on instruction, and problem-solving that are critical to the quality of life.

The educational objectives for the Civil Engineering Program are as follows:

1. Have successful and professional careers in civil engineering and related industries demonstrated by career advancement, recognition, and technical competency.
2. Demonstrate continuous learning through professional development, advanced degrees, membership in professional societies, and/or registration during their early career.

Civil engineers are concerned with buildings, dams, railroads, pipelines, bridges, canals, highways, etc. Some branches of civil engineering are Construction Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resource Engineering.

The outcomes of the program require that the graduating student demonstrate the following:

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 conclude.
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

 

Engineering Design Experience

Engineering design experience is stressed throughout the entire curriculum formally and informally. Open-ended problems are assigned to the students in various courses to develop their creativity. Design problems become more complex as the Civil Engineering student advances through the curriculum and takes the following design courses: CVEN 3130 Soil Mechanics, CVEN 3200 Transportation Engineering, CVEN 3250 Hydraulics Engineering, CVEN 3350 Hydrology, CVEN 3420 Reinforced Concrete Design, CVEN 4250 Water and Wastewater Engineering, CVEN 4320 Highway Engineering, CVEN 4440 Foundation Engineering, and one design elective course.

The student applies the above knowledge in a capstone design of a complete system. Capstone Design, which consists of a two-semester sequence of ENGR 4500 and ENGR 4510, is done under the guidance of a faculty advisor or an industrialist faculty advisor. The student must first present his/her design proposal for acceptance by the advisor and the department chair. Every student is required to make an oral presentation on his/her project to students, faculty, and/or a jury of practitioners in a formal setting.