The program in Civil Engineering is accredited by: Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202, Telephone: (410) 347-7700.

The objectives of the undergraduate program in Civil Engineering are to:

• To provide students with the latest social, mathematical, scientific and engineering educational experiences required to assess needs, define problems, evaluate alternatives, propose appropriate solutions and implement designs.
• To provide students with the social science and management educational experiences required to effectively work in teams, communicate recommendations and manage the implementation of their work products.
• To promote concern for environmental, societal and global ramifications of engineering solutions, the value of the profession and its ethics, the opportunities provided by graduate studies and professional licensure, and the necessity of life-long learning.
• To provide the educational experience that will prepare students for the engineering workplace and for graduate studies.
• To graduate students who will enter the Civil Engineering profession, take on progressively more responsible work, continually learn and master evolving methodologies, and attain leadership roles in both their careers and their profession.

These objectives are accomplished through a flexible curriculum and through interactions with other departments and colleges of the University and with the professional community.

A major role of civil engineers is to focus scientific and technological skills on the creation of physical facilities, the engineering and construction of which advance society toward such basic goals as economic development, environmental protection, and social well being. Civil engineers may be involved in analysis, design, construction, and monitoring of: buildings, bridges, dams, and other structures; water resources for urban use, industry and land reclamation; systems for water transmission and river control; water quality control systems for purification and waste treatment; transportation systems including highways, mass transit, airports, railroads, pipelines, canals, and harbor facilities; solutions for environmental problems including air pollution, ground pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, ecological effects, land development, and urban and regional planning; and in subsurface foundation systems. Civil engineers must bring about a satisfactory blending of constructed facilities with the natural and social environments, creating an optimum relationship between humans and the environment while helping safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

The Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.) degree, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering (M.S.C.E.) degree, a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) degree, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems. Additionally, doctoral studies leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree are available through a cooperative arrangement with North Carolina State University. For information about the master's programs, see the UNC Charlotte Graduate Catalog.

Students may plan early in their undergraduate careers for continuation of their engineering studies beyond the first degree. The large number of fields of graduate study that follow the curriculum offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering influence how each student plans his/her undergraduate program of study. Twenty-one hours of technical electives allow flexibility for study in specific areas. Each student may design a technical elective program with his or her advisor’s approval in order to achieve individual goals and follow a desired track.

Additionally, students may take nine hours (three “Optional Courses”) beyond the BSCE requirements from prescribed menus in each of the areas of Environmental, Geotechnical, Structural, and Transportation Engineering to earn a Department-issued “Area of Concentration.” Although currently under development, a fifth area of concentration, in Construction Engineering, is expected to be available by the time this Catalog is printed.

Qualified students may apply for early-entry into the graduate program in Civil Engineering during their junior or senior year. If accepted, students may take these optional courses for graduate credit and to begin work on their master's degree while completing their undergraduate degree. Additionally, early-entry students may apply up to 6 credits of approved graduate coursework as electives toward their undergraduate degree (double count).

 

 

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Early-Entry to Master's Program in Civil Engineering

1.) A student may be accepted into the early-entry program at any time after completion of at least 75 semester hours of undergraduate work applicable to an appropriate degree. Admission must be approved by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Full admission to the graduate program is conditional pending the awarding of the undergraduate degree.

2.) In order to be accepted into the program a student must have at least a 3.2 overall grade point average and a 3.2 grade point average in the student's major. The successful applicant must have taken the appropriate standardized test and earned acceptable scores.

3.) While in the early-entry program, a student must maintain a 3.0 overall grade point average through completion of the baccalaureate degree in order to remain in the graduate program.

4.) Students accepted into the early-entry program will be subject to the same policies that pertain to other matriculated graduate students. Early-entry students must finish their undergraduate degree before they complete 15 hours of graduate work.

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING (B.S.C.E.)

Note: This curriculum became effective Fall 2004. Students who entered the program prior to Fall 2004 should refer to a previous Catalog or contact the Department office for their program of study. Since the curriculum changes periodically, students should contact the Department office for the latest information concerning this curriculum.

A major in Civil Engineering leading to the B.S.C.E. degree consists of 128 credit hours. Specific requirements are:

 
Social science and humanities electives must be chosen both to satisfy University General Education requirements and to meet the objectives of a broad education consistent with the educational goals of the profession. To avoid taking “extra” humanities/social science electives, students must select their electives carefully after consulting with their faculty advisor.

The science electives must be chosen from an approved list of physical, life, or earth sciences and must complement the student's overall educational plan.

Technical electives allow flexibility for study in specific areas, and each student may design a technical elective program with the advisor's approval in order to achieve an individual goal and follow a desired track. Three “open” technical (TECH) electives may be selected from the areas of engineering, mathematics, science, business and communications. Four Civil Engineering technical (CEGR TECH) electives must be selected from upper-division Civil Engineering courses.

 

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CURRICULUM OUTLINE: B.S.C.E. DEGREE  (effective Fall 2004)

Total Required Hours = 128

*Contact the Department office for more information about the optional courses and their use for an undergraduate concentration or for the early-entry Master's program.
**(W) indicates a writing intensive course; (O) indicates an oral communication course