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BSCE Program Statement

The Mission

Educational Objectives

Program Outcomes

Professional Component Outcomes

Criteria Summary

 

The mission of the department has three elements:

  • To provide excellent instruction and design experiences essential for graduates to enter the practice of civil engineering and pursue lifelong professional development.
  • To provide research opportunities for students that generate, communicate, and apply new knowledge for the betterment of society.
  • To foster a spirit of service and leadership among students and faculty and assist the public in addressing issues concerning using our resources, protecting our environment, and developing our infrastructure.

Department of Civil Engineering Educational Objectives

The CE Department has adopted a straightforward set of four educational objectives for its BSCE graduates. The definition of “objective” in this context means our expectations for our graduates’ accomplishments several years after completing the BSCE.

The CE Department’s educational objectives are to generate graduates who will:

  • progress to professional registration,
  • continue professional development through participation and leadership in professional organizations,
  • pursue lifelong learning through continuing education or post-graduate education, and
  • be prepared for diverse career paths in industry and government.

BSCE Program Outcomes

While retaining intentions of the ABET Criterion 3 (a-k) list, the following list of four summarized outcomes was approved by the CE faculty and the College of Engineering for use in catalogue program description. The connected a-k outcomes are listed in parentheses with each summary outcome.

Upon graduation, the BSCE graduates are to be

  1. Ready for employment in entry-level civil engineering positions or further study in graduate programs (e, f, h, i, j, k),
  2. Able to apply principles from science, mathematics, and engineering science to the solution of civil engineering problems (a, b, c, e, k),
  3. Able to communicate effectively through oral and written presentations (g, h, k), and
  4. Able to function on multidisciplinary teams (d, f, k).

These outcomes still connect easily with the eleven items in Criterion 3, and those eleven a-k items are used in the detailed assessment of the program as described later in this chapter.

The four summary program outcomes clearly relate to the program educational objectives. Summary outcome 1 supports all four educational objects. Being ready for entry-level positions and/or graduate study contributes to progress toward licensure, effective participation in professional organizations, post-graduate education, and capacity for diverse employment. Summary outcome 2, applying appropriate principles to the solution of engineering problems is necessary for completion of the licensure process and for multiple career opportunities. It also forms the basis for lifelong learning of new and improved solutions to challenging problems. The communication abilities in summary outcome 3 are necessary for leadership and participation in professional organizations and for career path options. It is axiomatic that the best communicators, rather than the most technically skilled, often lead engineering firms and agencies. The teamwork concept in summary outcome 4 connects directly to participation in professional organizations and development of broad career options.

Relation of Summary Program Outcomes to Criterion 3 Outcomes

In this section, the Criterion 3 (a-k) outcomes are listed, and their connections to the four summary program outcomes are clarified. While the direct connections of individual courses are presented in detail in chapter 4, course titles and numbers are also mentioned to facilitate the explanations here.

(a) An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering

This outcome is directly related to our summary outcome 2 and is accomplished through a series of courses in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and basic engineering sciences where these concepts and practices are first presented. In subsequent civil engineering courses, this basic knowledge contributes to analysis of engineering problems and their solutions.

(b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data

This outcome is directly related to our summary Outcome 2. It is accomplished through a series of laboratory courses, including chemistry, physics, surveying, materials, fluid mechanics, environmental, and geotechnical labs.

(c) An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs

This outcome is directly related to our summary outcome 2. It is initiated in the freshman year in CE Seminar I (CE 1130), in which student teams design and build a Rube-Goldberg machine or a small-scale structure from prescribed materials to hold an axial load. The design experience continues in several junior level courses covering design of components and systems such as CE 3341 (Principles of Structural Design), CE 3354 (Engineering Hydrology), and CE 3372 (Water Systems Design). The sequence proceeds through several senior-level design courses, including required courses CE 4343 (Design of Concrete Structures) and CE 4361 (Transportation Engineering), and design electives in ENVE 4307 (Physical and Chemical Municipal Wastewater Treatment Design), CE 4321 (Geotechnical Engineering Design), CE 4342 (Design of Steel Structures), CE 4353 (Design of Hydraulic Systems), ENVE 4391 (Advanced Water Treatment), and ENVE 4399 (Biological Wastewater Treatment). The major capstone design experience culminates in the student’s last semester in CE 4330 (Design of Engineering Systems).

(d) An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams

This outcome is directly related to our summary outcome 4. It is accomplished by giving the students several experiences with formal team projects in courses such as CE 1130 (CE Seminar I), CE 3302 (Dynamics), CE 3341 (Principles of Structural Design), CE 3354 (Engineering Hydrology), CE 3372 (Water Systems Design), CE 4292 (Engineering Professionalism and Ethics), and CE 4330 (Design of Engineering Systems).

(e) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

This outcome is directly related to our summary outcomes 1 and 2. This outcome is addressed and practiced in virtually all civil engineering courses starting in the freshman year and continuing throughout the students’ academic program.

(f) An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

This outcome is directly related to our summary outcomes 1 and 4. The concepts of professional and ethical responsibility are woven into several civil engineering courses starting in the freshman year and continuing through the senior year. Responsibility for careful analyses and designs with multiple checks are stressed, as well as strict adherence to appropriate codes and regulations. The experience culminates with our required senior level course CE 4292 (Engineering Professionalism and Ethics).

(g) An ability to communicate effectively

This outcome is directly related specifically to our summary outcome 3. Written and oral communication is addressed outside our department in the freshman courses Engl 1301 and 1302, and our technical communication requirement, provided either in Petr 3308 (Engineering Communication) or IE 2331 (Professional Communication for Engineers). It is also a vital part of our CE courses and is highly emphasized through written reports and oral presentations in CE 3341 (Principles of Structural Design), CE 3354 (Engineering Hydrology), CE 3372 (Water Systems Design), CE 4292 (Engineering Professionalism and Ethics), and CE 4330 (Design of Engineering Systems).

(h) The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context

This outcome is directly related to our summary outcomes 1 and 3. Required courses in American history (Hist 2300 and 2301) and political science (Pols 1301 and 2302) contribute to our students’ perceptions of their work as it relates to local, regional, and national societal concerns. In addition, we stress the societal context of our designs as they contribute to improvement in the quality of life for the public or other clients.

(i) A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning

This outcome is directly related to our summary outcome 1. Instructors stress the importance of continuing education for maintenance and growth of technical competence obtained through on-the-job training, self study, graduate school, and workshops/short courses. These discussions occur in advanced classes.

(j) A knowledge of contemporary issues

This outcome is related to our summary outcome 1. Instructors use realistic engineering problems in our advanced level courses to demonstrate modern regulatory and technical challenges. This outcome is also frequently addressed during advising sessions with students and in both formal and informal conversations among students, faculty, and industry representatives. Invited speakers at the ASCE and TSPE Student Chapter meetings often speak on contemporary issues.

(k) An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

This outcome is related to all four of our summary outcomes. It is addressed in most, if not all, of the required and elective civil engineering courses. We consider techniques, skills and modern engineering tools to include technical knowledge gained in formal courses as well as non-technical components such as written and oral communication effectiveness and awareness of professional and ethical responsibilities of the professional engineer.

BSCE Professional Component Outcomes

The ABET Criterion 8 outcomes for civil engineering include the following:

  • proficiency in mathematics through differential equations, probability and statistics, calculus-based physics, and general chemistry;
  • proficiency in a minimum of four major civil engineering areas;
  • the ability to conduct laboratory experiments and to critically analyze and interpret data in more than one of the recognized major civil engineering areas;
  • the ability to perform civil engineering design by means of design experiences integrated throughout the professional component of the curriculum; and
  • an understanding of professional practice issues such as procurement of work, bidding versus quality-based selection processes, how the design professionals and the construction professions interact to construct a project, the importance of professional licensure and continuing education, and/or other professional practice issues.

The following table shows how these outcomes are distributed across the CE curriculum. Table

BSCE Criteria Summary

Summary Table