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

Major code BS7252

Russ College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Civil Engineering
231 Stocker Center
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.1465
https://www.ohio.edu/engineering/civil

Terry Masada, contact person
masada@ohio.edu

Program Overview

The program offers a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.) degree which is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.

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 its graduates, who after the first year of their professional career, will:

Have an understanding of the fundamental engineering principles to solve problems and advance their knowledge base;
Develop leadership skills necessary to assume progressively more responsible roles in their professions;
Develop effective communication skills necessary to interact in a diverse professional environment; and
Be able to employ 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

To best prepare for the demands of the academic programs in Russ College, four years of college preparatory math, one year of chemistry, and one year of physics are necessary. Students ranked in the top 30 percent of their classes who score at least 24 on the ACT or comparable SAT are most likely to be successful in Russ College of Engineering and Technology.

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 equivalent to CHEM 1210 or higher, or PHYS 2051 /PHYS 2054 & PHYS 2055 or higher. Students enrolled at any Ohio University campus who wish to transfer into any program in the Russ College cannot do so if they would be on academic probation after transferring into that major. The probation rules for Russ College are stricter than those for the University as a whole. In order not to be on probation, a student must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher for all courses taken, for all courses taken in the Russ College, and for all courses taken in the intended major. Students must also have successfully completed all required courses in three attempts and have no required course they have attempted twice without success. For some courses, success means a grade of at least a C or C-.

External Transfer Admission

Transfer students who have earned fewer than 20 semester hours of credit at another accredited collegiate institution may be admitted directly to an engineering or computer science program, if they meet the general requirements for admission to Ohio University and have completed four years of college-prep math and one year each of chemistry and physics and have scored at least a 24 on the ACT or comparable SAT.

Transfer students who have earned more than 20 semester hours of credit at another accredited collegiate institution may be admitted directly to an engineering or computer science program, if they meet the general requirements for transfer students, including a GPA greater than 2.5.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 equivalent to CHEM 1210 or higher, or PHYS 2051 /PHYS 2054 &PHYS 2055 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.