The undergraduate minor in civil engineering (CVEN) serves CU Boulder students who are interested in an introductory exposure to the broad discipline of civil engineering. The minor is intended to expose students to five sub-disciplines of civil engineering.

Admission

A cumulative GPA of 2.750 or higher is required to be admitted to the minor.

The minor is not open to CVEN majors, or IDEN/GEEN majors with a CVEN emphasis.

The following prerequisite courses are required, with a grade of C- or higher in each. A student may be accepted into the minor with no more than two of these courses as deficiencies. All deficiencies must be completed before the minor is awarded.

  • Calculus 1 (APPM 1350 or MATH 1300)
  • Calculus 2 (APPM 1360 or MATH 2300)
  • Calculus 3 (APPM 2350 or MATH 2400)
  • Differential Equations and Linear Algebra (APPM 2360 or MATH 2130 + 3430)
  • Two semesters of calculus-based physics (PHYS 1110 and PHYS 1120)
  • Statics (CVEN 2121, ASEN 2001, GEEN 2851, or MCEN 2023)
  • Fluid Mechanics (CVEN 3313, AREN 2120, MCEN 3021, GEEN 3853)
  • Mechanics of Materials (CVEN 3161, MCEN 2063)

Grade Requirements

A cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 (prior to December 2021, this threshold was 2.250) is required in the courses used to satisfy the minor requirements, with no individual grade lower than C-.

Residency

18 credits are required for the minor, at least 9 of which must be CVEN courses completed at the CU Boulder campus.

Course Requirements – 3 credits each

Required Core Courses:

  • CVEN 3246 Introduction to Construction – fall and spring; prereq: junior standing
  • CVEN 3323 Hydraulic Engineering – fall; prereq: CVEN 3313 or equivalent
  • CVEN 3414 Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering – fall and spring; prereq: CHEN 1211, APPM 1360
  • CVEN 3525 Structural Analysis – fall and spring; prereq: CVEN 3161
  • CVEN 3708 Geotechnical Engineering I – fall and spring; prereq: CVEN 3161

One Additional Proficiency or Advanced Course in One of the Following Sub-disciplines:

Construction Engineering and Management

  • CVEN 3256 Construction Engineering (Fall & Spring) prereq: CVEN 3246
  • AREN 4506 Project Management I: Construction Project Planning (Fall & Spring), prereq: CVEN 3246

Environmental Engineering

  • CVEN 3424 Water & Wastewater (Spring), prereq: CVEN 3414
  • CVEN 4404 Water Chemistry (Lab CVEN 4414) (Fall), prereqs: CHEN 1211 & CVEN 3414
  • CVEN 3434 Introduction to Applied Ecology (Spring), prereqs: CHEN 1211 & CHEM 1221
  • CVEN 4474 Hazardous & Industrial Waste Management (Fall), prereq: CVEN 3414
  • CVEN 4484 Intro to Environmental Microbiology, (Spring), prereqs: CHEN 1211, CHEM 1221, APPM 1350, 1360, 2360

Geotechnical Engineering

  • CVEN 3718 Geotech Engr II (Fall & Spring), prereq: CVEN 3708

Structural Engineering

  • CVEN 4545 Steel Design (Spring), prereq: CVEN 3525
  • CVEN 4555 Reinforced Concrete (Fall), prereq: CVEN 3525

Water Resources Engineering

  • CVEN 4333 Engineering Hydrology (Spring), coreqs: CVEN 3227
  • CVEN 4353 Ground Water Engineering (Fall), prereq: CVEN 3313

Civil Systems

  • CVEN 4147 Civil Engineering Systems, prereq: Senior standing

To Declare the CVEN Minor

If you meet the admissions requirements and prerequisites listed above, email ceae-advising@colorado.edu and request to be added to the minor - please include your student ID number.

To meet with a minor advisor, log into Buff Portal Advising, click on "meet with a different advisor," and follow the prompts.  Drop-in hours are typically held Mondays 1-3pm.

For questions, please email ceae-advising@colorado.edu.