Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.)

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Major code BS7252

Russ College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Civil Engineering
114 Stocker Center
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.1465
Fax: 740.593.0625
http://www.ohio.edu/civil/index.cfm

Terry Masada, contact person
masada@ohio.edu

Program Overview

Civil engineering evolved as a formal discipline at the start of the 19th century as a response to society’s needs for increased mobility and convenience. Today’s civil engineers deal primarily with public and private infrastructure and its relation to the environment, which includes planning, design, construction, and maintenance of transportation systems, bridges, dams, buildings, water supply/distribution/treatment systems, wastewater and storm water collection/treatment/disposal systems, irrigation systems, and flood control. Civil engineers also operate public and private works, and design environmental protection for water, air, and land.

The civil engineering program seeks to prepare graduates, who after the first few years of their professional career have:

Advanced their knowledge base.
Developed leadership skills necessary to assume progressively more responsible roles in their profession.
Exhibited effective communication skills necessary to interact in a diverse professional environment,
Employed modern engineering and computational tools.

The curriculum builds a sound foundation in basic sciences and mathematics, followed by courses in engineering science and design that provide a solid base for lifelong professional learning. Engineering courses and laboratories provide an opportunity for students to experience those principles and standard practices that they will encounter in their careers. The curriculum is oriented to develop a student’s ability to think logically and to apply the knowledge gained to the design and synthesis of complex civil engineering projects. The program provides an integration of design experience from the freshman year to the senior year, culminating in a capstone design course. The senior capstone course provides a comprehensive design experience that encompasses ethical, social, economic and safety issues. Engineering design, team problem solving, and communication skills are emphasized throughout the curriculum. Students pursue areas of interest by selecting appropriate technical electives in the areas of construction engineering and management, engineering materials, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, pavements, structural engineering, transportation engineering, and water resources engineering. Graduates of the program are prepared to become registered professional engineers. Students are required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam as part of their graduation requirements. The FE Exam constitutes one of the first steps in becoming a licensed engineer. A certificate program is available for those who wish to become specialized in the area of construction management. Also, another optional program is available for those who want to become registered land surveyors.

A co-op program is open to qualified civil engineering students, who can obtain technical experience and income by working for private or government organizations while still in school. Students who participate in the co-op program typically take more than four years to complete degree requirements.

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

In addition to meeting the general University admission requirements, in-coming students must have four years of mathematics and one year of chemistry and physics at the high school level.

Change of Program Policy

Students who wish to transfer into an engineering or computer science program must have earned a C or better in a math course and a science course. The math course must be equivalent to MATH 1200 or higher. The science course must be required for the program or preparatory for a required course such as CHEM 1210, 1500, 1510, PHYS 2001, 2051 or BIOS 1700. Students must have an overall GPA greater than 2.0 at Ohio University, for all courses in Russ College, and for all courses in Chemical Engineering. Students must have succeeded in all required courses taken previously in three or fewer attempts. For some courses, success means a grade of at least a C or C-.

External Transfer Admission

In addition to the general University admission requirements, the transfer student must have earned a C (2.0) or better in a college mathematics course (equivalent to MATH 1200 or higher and C (2.0) or better in college chemistry course (equivalent to CHEM 1210 or higher) or a college physics course (equivalent to PHYS 2011 or higher).

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Because of the broad nature of civil engineering and the way the program is set up, a wide range of career paths is available to graduates of the program. For example, some graduates can work for private firms as structural or geotechnical engineers. Some graduates may be hired by construction contractors as construction management professionals. Others may find opportunities in government agencies to work as transportation or environmental engineers. The program’s sound foundations in mathematics, basic sciences, fundamental engineering, and various specialty areas of civil engineering assure that some graduates of the program will be ready to pursue advanced degrees in civil engineering related graduate programs available throughout the U.S. and beyond.