Civil & Environmental Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering | Courses | Faculty

224 Marston Hall

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Contact: Michael S. Switzenbaum

Office: 18 Marston

Phone: 545-5393

E-mail: ceedept@ecs.umass.edu

Web site: www.ecs.umass.edu/cee

Head of Department: Professor Alan Lutenegger. Associate Head: Professor Michael Switzenbaum. Professors Chajes, Chang, Edzwald, Highter, Lardner, Ostendorf, Reckhow, Shuldiner, Upchurch; Associate Professors Ahlfeld, DeGroot, Ergas, Hancock, Ho, Long, Stockton, Tobiason; Assistant Professors BreÒa, Civjan, DeJong, Noyce, Parkany, Rees.

The Field

The field of civil engineering is quite broad and encompasses a variety of interrelated disciplines: structural engineering, environmental engineering, hydraulics, transportation, water resources, geotechnical engineering, construction, and surveying.

Civil engineering originated as a field involved with civil works ó the planning, design, construction, and operation of facilities that serve the general population. Today the field is still largely centered in the public arena, and is a profession dedicated to the needs and progress of humankind. Civil engineers design and construct facilities that we use every day ó roadways, drinking water treatment plants, tunnels, subways, buildings, solid waste landfills, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, canals and waterways, water supply pipe networks, railroads, dams and reservoirs, and even ski lifts and amusement rides. They analyze and solve problems of water, land, and air pollution and oversee the operation of water supply, pollution control, and hazardous waste control facilities.

Civil engineers participate in city planning and in planning the uses of natural systems, river basins, and other public areas. They perform reliability and economic feasibility studies to ensure safe and economically efficient outcomes. Using satellite images and global positioning systems, they survey and monitor the environment and assist in overall resource planning and management.

The Major

The curriculum is designed to prepare graduates for the professional practice of civil engineering, and for graduate study in the field. Graduates are also prepared to maintain their state-of-the-art competency in the field throughout their careers. The curriculum provides graduates with an understanding of engineering principles and current engineering techniques; education in environmental, geotechnical, structural, and transportation engineering and an understanding of the interrelationship of these areas in the practice of civil engineering; an understanding of the civil engineer's responsibility to society for public health, safety, and a high-quality environment; and an understanding of civil engineers' personal responsibility to participate in and contribute to civil engineering professional and community activities throughout their careers.

In the first three semesters, students take several courses in mathematics and the basic sciences and engineering, which prepare them for subsequent classes in which fundamental engineering principles are learned. These principles are then applied to the design of civil and environmental engineering facilities starting in the sophomore year. All students are required to take the equivalent of at least 16 credit hours of design to qualify for graduation. The design experience culminates in the senior year with a professional problems design course in which design fundamentals learned in earlier courses are integrated into a design project.

Students make oral presentations in the senior-level design course, in which engineering ethics are also discussed.

Requirements

Sophomores

240 Statics

241 Strength of Materials I

270 Civil Engineering Systems Analysis

ECON 103 Introduction to Microeconomics

PHYSIC 152/154 General Physics II

MATH 233 Multivariable Calculus

MATH 331 Differential Equations

RES EC 211 (or equivalent) Introductory Statistics for the Life Sciences

MIE 230 Thermodynamics

Juniors

310 Transportation Systems

320 Soil Mechanics

331 Structural Analysis

357 Elementary Fluid Mechanics

370 Environmental Engineering Principles

371 Water and Wastewater Treatment

433 Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures or

434 Design of Steel Structures

ENGL 351 Technical Writing

365 CEE Laboratory

Seniors

486 CEE Design Project

CEE Senior Electives (4)

Additional Elective (1)

The undergraduate program in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET).

Civil & Environmental Engineering | Courses | Faculty