Civil Engineering
The curricula in civil engineering within the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering have been designed to qualify students for entry-level positions in professional practice in the areas of civil and environmental engineering. These broad area designations may be separated into the subdisciplines of construction engineering and management; environmental engineering; geotechnical engineering and geomechanics; mechanical systems; structural engineering and structural mechanics; and water resource engineering and management. Through the regular curriculum, students will be ready to enter professional practice in the foregoing areas and be equipped to progress to higher levels in many directions. An Engineering Science track is also available for undergraduates who want additional preparation for graduate study and careers in research and development.
The overall objectives of the bachelor of science program are to:
• enable students to apply basic knowledge in mathematics, basic science, and engineering fundamentals to solving problems and making effective designs in areas encompassing a breadth of civil engineering professional practice in contemporary society;
• allow students sufficient specialization to prepare them for professional careers and/or graduate study in subdisciplines of civil engineering: construction, environmental, geotechnical, structural, and water resources engineering;
• enable students to enhance technical contributions to the public infrastructure with understanding of nontechnical issues, especially those that bear on civil engineering projects such as cost, public safety, and health;
• expose students to the unique responsibility of civil engineers to uphold ethical relationships with both their clients and with the public at large;
• teach students how to extend their knowledge and skills in order to meet new technical challenges and continuously innovate in their chosen professional careers; and
• give students a broad education in humanities and social sciences and encourage them to participate fully in a democratic society.
Before their graduation, students in civil and environmental engineering will take a capstone design course in addition to training in structural and foundation design, civil engineering systems, construction, engineering geology, engineering materials, geotechnical engineering, soil mechanics, water quality, environmental engineering, fluid mechanics, computer-aided and manual engineering drawing, mechanics and dynamics, computer modeling, professional practice and ethics seminars, structural analysis and design, surveying, and transportation systems via required and elective courses.
The central curriculum requires students to obtain a background in the humanities, a broad knowledge of the basic engineering sciences of chemistry, mathematics (including differential equations), physics, mechanics (including fluid mechanics and soil mechanics), electricity, and thermodynamics. Social-humanistic hours may be devoted to the social sciences, the humanities, or to approved communication courses, with not more than 12 hours from any one of the three areas.
Advanced technical courses are selected in the senior year. Random selection is not allowed as the objective is to prepare a graduate to enter the engineering profession with a firm groundwork in fundamental engineering science as well as adequate technical fluency in selected areas. Students should consult with their advisors on their choices.
| Required Courses | Semester Hours |
| APPM 1350 Calculus 1 for Engineers | 4 |
| CHEM 1221 General Chemistry Laboratory for Engineers | 2 |
| CHEN 1211 General Chemistry for Engineers | 3 |
| CVEN 1317 Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering | 1 |
| GEEN 1400 Basic Engineering Projects | 3 |
| Humanities or social science elective | 3 |
| APPM 1360 Calculus 2 for Engineers | 4 |
| AREN 1027 Engineering Drawing | 3 |
| CVEN 2012 Introduction to Geomatics | 3 |
| PHYS 1110 General Physics 1 | 4 |
| Humanities or social science elective | 3 |
| APPM 2350 Calculus 3 for Engineers | 4 |
| AREN 2110 Thermodynamics | 3 |
| CVEN 2121 Analytical Mechanics 1 | 3 |
| PHYS 1120 General Physics 2 | 4 |
| PHYS 1140 Experimental Physics | 1 |
| Humanities or social science elective | 3 |
| APPM 2360 Introduction to Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| GEEN 1300 Introduction to Engineering Computing | 3 |
| CVEN 3161 Mechanics of Materials 1 | 3 |
| CVEN 3313 Theoretical Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CVEN 3698 Engineering Geology | 3 |
| CVEN 3246 Introduction to Construction | 3 |
| CVEN 3323 Hydraulic Engineering | 3 |
| CVEN 3414 Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| CVEN 3525 Structural Analysis | 3 |
| CVEN 3708 Geotechnical Engineering 1 | 3 |
| CVEN 3111 Analytical Methods II | 3 |
| CVEN 3227 Probability, Statistics, and Decision for Engineers | 3 |
| CVEN Proficiency I | 3 |
| CVEN Proficiency II | 3 |
| WRTG 3030 Writing on Science and Society | 3 |
| CVEN Proficiency III | 3 |
| CVEN Proficiency IV | 3 |
| CVEN 3602 Transportation Engineering | 3 |
| Concentration I | 3 |
| Humanities or social science elective (3000-level or above) | 3 |
| CVEN 4830 Senior Design Project | 4 |
| Concentration II | 3 |
| Technical electives | 6 |
| Humanities or social science elective (3000- level or above) | 3 |
| Minimum hours for degree | 128 |
Curriculum Notes
| 1. | Not more than 6 hours of technical electives may be taken outside the department, and then only for defensible reasons. |
| 2. | The capstone course requirement is satisfied by CVEN 4830 Civil and Environmental Engineering Design Project, to be taken in the year of graduation. |
As an exceptional opportunity for talented students who are interested in analytical and computational methods related to civil engineering and general engineering science, the civil engineering and applied mathematics departments offer a streamlined dual-degree track by which a student can earn a baccalaureate degree from both programs, with a minimum of 15 extra credits instead of 30. Consult double degree program faculty advisors in civil engineering and applied mathematics for information and admission.
Students interested in pursuing a BS degree in business in addition to the BS degree in civil engineering should be prepared to spend at least three additional semesters in school. A faculty advisor should be consulted in the student’s freshman year so that social sciences and humanities courses required of business students can be taken.
Academically qualified students may want to consider working toward the master of business administration degree upon completion of the baccalaureate in engineering as an alternative to a BS in business.
A pamphlet on the requirements for graduate study in civil engineering is available from the departmental office. The Graduate Record Examination, consisting of the aptitude tests and advanced test in engineering, is used in the evaluation of candidates and competition for university and other fellowships. Therefore, students who wish to be considered for fellowships are advised to take this examination prior to their arrival on campus. There is no other qualifying examination required by the department for the master of science degree.
The department offers the master of science, master of engineering, and doctor of philosophy degrees with study emphasis in several major areas: building energy systems, construction engineering and management, environmental engineering, life cycle engineering, geotechnical engineering and geomechanics, environmental fluid mechanics, geoenvironmental engineering, structural engineering and structural mechanics, water resources engineering, and general engineering science. A major in transportation and planning is possible through the Denver campus.
Requirements for this master’s degree can be fulfilled in two ways. Under Plan I, the candidate presents 30 semester hours of course work including thesis, and under Plan II, 30 credit hours of course work are required.
Requirements for this professionally oriented degree are available from the dean’s office.
This degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate-level work (5000 level or above), the last 15 of which must be taken at this university. The doctoral dissertation likewise requires 30 semester hours. The applicant for this degree normally has completed a master’s degree in civil engineering or a closely related field and must demonstrate the capability for both rigorous academic accomplishments and independent research.
The department has a wide variety of research facilities, including a 15g-ton centrifuge for geotechnical and structural model studies and a large 440g-ton geotechnical centrifuge for use in model testing. Also available is an instructional computing facility, the Bechtel Laboratory, and the M.Y. Leung Computational Laboratory for Soils and Structures, both equipped with Windows and Linux high-performance workstations. In addition, extensive structural engineering, engineering mechanics, and geotechnical capabilities exist such as a one-million-pound universal testing machine and several cubical cells for multi-axial testing of materials. A 40 ft. by 80 ft. structural strong floor with associated equipment permits the testing of a wide variety of structural configurations under controlled, both static and dynamic loading. The hydraulics and water resources research laboratories include excellent facilities in water quality and environmental engineering. A unique workstation laboratory for advanced decision support systems is available. Programs in construction management and building energy are well supported. A state-of-the-art HVAC laboratory is capable of testing full-scale, commercial building HVAC systems and their controls using a one-of-a-kind data acquisition and experimental control system.
The Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES) is an interdisciplinary center of excellence, housed within the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering. CADSWES focuses on applying advanced computing techniques to provide decision makers with decision support systems (DSSs) to help them more effectively manage water and environmental systems.
Current research covers such topics as water and wastewater treatment, surface and subsurface contaminant transport, decision support systems, hydraulic research, land treatment, rapid infiltration, and activated sludge processes. Cost prediction in construction, construction management, energy conservation in buildings, solar applications, and lighting systems are included. Advances in soil mechanics, rock mechanics, soil dynamics and geotechnical earthquake engineering, foundation engineering, computational geomechanics, centrifugal modeling, geosynthetics, and glacier flows have been produced. Research in structures includes stability, damage and fracture, material microstructures, durability, finite element modeling, reinforced concrete, earthquake responses, reinforced masonry structures, prestressed concrete, and dynamic control.
