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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is committed to providing a learning environment which encourages discovery and advancement for the betterment of its students and the community. Through its research, public service, and instructional programs, the department seeks to serve the needs of San Antonio and South Texas by providing educational and research opportunities which will contribute to the technological and economic development of the region.

Civil Engineering Educational Objectives

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) defines civil engineering as: “The profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically, the materials and forces of nature for the progressive well-being of humanity in creating, improving, and protecting the environment; in providing facilities for community living, industry, and transportation; and in providing structures for the use of humankind.”

The faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has established a specific set of learning objectives to support the mission and the goals of the department and to meet the requirements of ABET accreditation under the Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC-2000).

The educational objectives of the Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering are to provide students with opportunities to:

  • acquire the ability to apply the fundamentals of mathematics, sciences, and engineering to analyze problems quantitatively
  • develop innovative design skills, including the ability to formulate problems, to think creatively, to synthesize information, and to communicate effectively
  • develop the ability to use modern experimental techniques; collect, analyze, and interpret experimental data; and effectively communicate the results
  • learn and perfect the diverse skills needed to be successful engineers.

Senior civil engineering students are encouraged to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination. Graduates are encouraged to become registered professional engineers and to continue their education throughout their careers.

Civil engineering students must complete the University Core Curriculum requirements and the department’s general engineering requirements. These general engineering requirements are selected to provide the technical abilities and skills necessary to meet the educational objectives of the department. These courses include the introductory engineering course, CE 1301 Introduction to Civil Engineering, EGR 2103 Statics, and EGR 2513 Dynamics. They also include courses in the basic sciences (chemistry and physics) and mathematics that are required of all engineering students. Civil engineering students take several basic engineering science courses that provide the fundamentals necessary for future coursework. These include Mechanics of Solids, Engineering Geology, Fluid Mechanics, Properties and Behavior of Engineering Materials, and Civil Engineering Measurements. They also take courses covering applied probability and statistics, engineering communications, systems analysis, engineering economics, and computer-aided design. Eight required civil engineering courses provide students with the fundamentals in the areas of environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and water resources, structural engineering, and transportation/traffic engineering.

Many of these junior/senior level courses contain elements of civil engineering design. Two elective courses in the senior year enable students to specialize in one or two areas of civil engineering.

Design is integrated throughout the curriculum starting with a freshman introductory course, CE 1301 Introduction to Civil Engineering, and ending with the senior design sequence, CE 4803 Engineering Practice and CE 4813 Civil Engineering Design. Design components are contained in most required engineering topics courses. These include CE 3213 Reinforced Concrete Design, CE 3233 Steel Design, CE 3413 Geotechnical Engineering and Applications, CE 3633 Water and Wastewater Treatment, CE 3723 Applied Hydrology, CE 4123 Highway Engineering, and CE 4603 Water Resources Engineering. Design also is included in many of the elective courses, including CE 3253 Introduction to Masonry and Timber Design, CE 4233 Transportation Systems, CE 4413 Foundation Analysis and Design, CE 4653 Design of Pollution Control Systems, and CE 4723 Hydraulic Systems Design. The design experience culminates in a major senior capstone design course, CE 4813 Civil Engineering Design. The capstone design project is multidisciplinary in that it involves three or more civil engineering areas and draws upon most prior coursework. The course involves teamwork, both oral and written presentations, a final design report, and a formal presentation.

The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree is 136, at least 39 of which must be at the upper-division level. All candidates for this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements, the general engineering requirements, and the degree requirements, which are listed below.

Core Curriculum requirements: Students seeking the Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed in the table below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students will need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements see pages 5–9 of this catalog.

Core Curriculum Component Area Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements
Communications English Rhetoric/Composition (6 semester credit hours)
All students must take the following six hours to meet this core requirement:
WRC 1013, Freshman Composition I
WRC 1023, Freshman Composition II
Mathematics Mathematics (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
Note: MAT 1214, Calculus I, may be used to satisfy the Core Curriculum requirement for mathematics, as well as for one of the General Engineering requirements.
Natural Sciences Science (6 semester credit hours)
Three hours from Level One and three hours from Level Two will satisfy this core requirement.
Note: CHE 1103, General Chemistry I, and PHY 1903, Engineering Physics I, may be used to satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements for science, as well as two of the General Engineering requirements.
Social and Behavioral Sciences United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours)
Any six hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
Political Science (6 semester credit hours)
POL 1013, Introduction to American Politics, plus three additional hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
Social and Behavioral Sciences(3 semester credit hours)
COR 1203, Freshman Seminar
Economics (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
Humanities & Visual and Performing Arts Literature (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
The Arts (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
World Society and Issues (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.

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General Engineering Requirements

All degree-seeking candidates in engineering must complete the following 21 semester credit hours, as well as the Core Curriculum requirements and major requirements:

CHE 1103 General Chemistry I
EGR 2323 Applied Engineering Analysis I
MAT 1214 Calculus I
MAT 1223 Calculus II
PHY 1903, 1911 Engineering Physics I and Laboratory
PHY 1923, 1931 Engineering Physics II and Laboratory

Degree Requirements

All degree-seeking candidates in Civil Engineering must complete the following semester credit hours, as well as the Core Curriculum requirements and General Engineering requirements:

  1. 76 semester credit hours of required courses:

    CE 1301 Introduction to Civil Engineering
    CE 1403 Engineering Communication
    CE 2103 Civil Engineering Measurements
    CE 2633 Environmental Engineering
    CE 3103 Mechanics of Solids
    CE 3113 Structural Analysis
    CE 3173 Numerical Methods
    CE 3213 Reinforced Concrete Design
    CE 3233 Steel Design
    CE 3243 Properties and Behavior of Engineering Materials
    CE 3413 Geotechnical Engineering and Applications
    CE 3603 Fluid Mechanics
    CE 3633 Water and Wastewater Treatment
    CE 3713 Civil Engineering Systems Analysis
    CE 4123 Highway Engineering
    CE 4313 Computer-Aided Design in Civil Engineering
    CE 4543 Construction Planning and Management
    CE 4603 Water Resources Engineering
    CE 4803 Engineering Practice
    CE 4813 Civil Engineering Design
    CHE 1013 Elementary Organic and Biochemistry
    EGR 2103 Statics
    EGR 2513 Dynamics
    EGR 3713 Engineering Economic Analysis
    GEO 4023 Engineering Geology
    STA 2303 Applied Probability and Statistics for Engineers

  2. 6 semester credit hours of civil engineering electives must be selected from the following list, or for students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better, from graduate courses offered by the Department.

    CE 3253 Introduction to Masonry and Timber Design
    CE 3723 Applied Hydrology
    CE 4233 Transportation Systems
    CE 4413 Foundation Analysis and Design
    CE 4653 Design of Pollution Control Systems
    CE 4723 Hydraulic Systems Design

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