Civil Engineering Major (B.S.)

Civil Engineering Major (B.S.)

civil engineering student

What is a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering?

This program is tailored to students who are interested in the design, construction and maintenance of facilities that help humans lead better lives, while protecting the planet. Civil engineers create water and air treatment systems, highways, tunnels, foundations, buildings and bridges, while also restoring, protecting and improving the environment.

Why study civil engineering at UNH?

This program is rich with interesting students and engaged professors. You’ll begin taking civil engineering courses during your first year, and you’ll have the flexibility to tailor the curriculum to your interests. You’ll have the opportunity participate in a wide array of student organizations and activities. The civil engineering program allows for study abroad, complementary minors and dual majors, a track for graduating in fewer than four years, an accelerated master’s degree program and close ties to industry that result in internship and employment opportunities.

Potential careers

  • Business executive
  • Construction engineer
  • Design engineer
  • Engineer-of-record
  • Field engineer
  • Lawyer
  • Project engineer
  • Teacher
  • Technical sales

Contact

Erin Bell

PROFESSOR
Phone: (603) 862-3850
Office: Civil & Environmental Engineering, Kingsbury Hall Rm W141, Durham, NH 03824

Civil and Environmental Engineering
33 Academic Way
Kingsbury Hall, W183
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: (603) 862-1428
Fax: (603) 862-2364
Email: Civil & Environmental Engineering

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    Watch Payton Maddalon discuss her favorite things about attending the University of New Hampshire and advice for those considering UNH.
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    Two CEPS students compete in finals of Social Venture Innovation Challenge
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    To those whom much is given, much is required. It is the motto that drives John Edward “Ed” Hamel ’61 in his business and philanthropic endeavors and is the foundation of his selection as the 2016 College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. The CEPS...

Curriculum & Requirements

Matriculating students should have strong aptitudes in mathematics and science along with imagination, spatial and graphic abilities, communication skills, and creativity. Students then follow a four-year program that conforms to the guidelines of, and is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology.  ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.

The first two years of the program provide the necessary technical knowledge in mathematics, chemistry, and physics, while introducing and developing problem-solving techniques in eight courses tailored to civil engineering students. The junior year provides courses in each of the civil engineering sub-disciplines, providing students with skills in each and allowing students to determine which they wish to pursue further. The senior year is flexible, allowing students to choose where to focus attention by selecting from more than forty elective courses in civil and environmental engineering.

The required curriculum includes seven writing-intensive courses, thereby not only satisfying, but exceeding, the University's writing requirement. (See University Academic Requirements.)

Additional opportunities exist for study abroad, cognates, minors, and dual majors, a three-year accelerated track, and early admission into two masters of science degree programs.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
CEE 400 Introduction to Civil Engineering 4
CEE 520 Environmental Pollution and Protection: A Global Context 4
MATH 418
Analysis and Applications of Functions (if necessary, 0-4 credits)
Elective AutoCAD 3 3
Elective Discovery Program requirement 1 4
 Credits15
Spring
MATH 425 Calculus I 4
PHYS 407 General Physics I 4
Elective Spatial Metrics 3 4
ENGL 401 First-Year Writing 4
 Credits16
Second Year
Fall
CEE 500 Statics for Civil Engineers 3
MATH 426 Calculus II 4
PHYS 408 General Physics II 4
Elective Technical Writing 3 4
Elective Discovery Program requirement 1 4
 Credits19
Spring
CEE 501 Strength of Materials 3
CEE 502 Project Engineering 3
CHEM 405 Chemical Principles for Engineers 4
MATH 527 Differential Equations with Linear Algebra 4
Elective Discovery Program requirement 4
 Credits18
Third Year
Fall
CEE 635 Engineering Materials 4
CEE 650 Fluid Mechanics 4
CEE 680 Classical Structural Analysis 3
Elective Discovery Program requirement 1 4
 Credits15
Spring
CEE 620 Fundamental Aspects of Environmental Engineering 4
CEE 665 Soil Mechanics 4
Elective Statistics 3 4
Elective Discovery Program requirement 1 4
 Credits16
Fourth Year
Fall
CEE 797 Introduction to Project Planning and Design 2
Elective Project-Based Design Elective 3 4
Elective Area Elective 2 3 3
Elective Civil Engineering 3 3
Elective Discovery Program requirement 1 4
 Credits16
Spring
CEE 798 Project Planning and Design 2
Elective Area Elective 3 3 3
Elective Area Elective 4 3 3
Elective Civil Engineering 3 3
Elective Senior Technical Elective 3 3
 Credits14
 Total Credits129
1

A course satisfying one each of the Discovery Program categories of Biological Science, Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts, Historical Perspectives, Social Science and World Cultures, preferably taken in this order.  The Discovery Social Science elective must be selected from CEP 415, CSL 401, ECON 401, ECON 402, ECON 444, EREC 411, GEOG 582, GEOG 584, or POLT 402.

2

Satisfies capstone requirement for Discovery.

3

Approved list available in the CEE office.

More than half of the major's total credits and nearly all of the senior-level courses are elected by the student. Of these, there are Discovery Program electives required by the University and other electives required by the department in order to satisfy departmental objectives and accreditation requirements.

The Discovery Program is described in University Academic Requirements. Courses required by the BSCIVE program fulfill Discovery requirements in Inquiry and Environment, Technology, and Society; Writing Skills; Quantitative Reasoning; Physical Sciences and Discovery Lab; and Capstone.

To graduate with a bachelor of science in civil engineering, a student must achieve the following: 129 or more credits, credit for the civil engineering program's major and elective courses, satisfaction of the University's Discovery Program requirements, satisfaction of the University's writing-intensive course requirements, a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or better for all courses, and a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or better in all CEE courses.

Major Requirements
CEE 400Introduction to Civil Engineering4
CEE 4022D Computer Aided Design3
CEE 403GIS for Civil and Environmental Engineering3
or CEE 404 Surveying and Mapping
or NR 658 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
or FORT 581 Applied Geospatial Techniques
or ANTH 674 Archaeological Survey and Mapping in Belize
CEE 500Statics for Civil Engineers3
CEE 501Strength of Materials3
CEE 502Project Engineering3
CEE 520Environmental Pollution and Protection: A Global Context4
CEE 620Fundamental Aspects of Environmental Engineering4
CEE 635Engineering Materials4
CEE 650Fluid Mechanics4
CEE 665Soil Mechanics4
CEE 680Classical Structural Analysis3
CEE 797Introduction to Project Planning and Design2
CHEM 405Chemical Principles for Engineers4
or CHEM 403
CHEM 404
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II
CEE 798Project Planning and Design2
ENGL 502Professional and Technical Writing4
or ENGL 602 Advanced Professional and Technical Writing
MATH 425Calculus I4
MATH 426Calculus II4
MATH 527Differential Equations with Linear Algebra4
MATH 539Introduction to Statistical Analysis4
or MATH 644 Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
PHYS 407General Physics I4
PHYS 408General Physics II4
Electives
Choose seven courses from the '700-level CEE Electives Course List' below with the following restrictions:
1. Courses must be taken in four of six different areas (sustainability, environmental, transportation, water resources, geotechnical, structural).
2. At least three design courses; including one Project-based Design Elective PDE course.
3. One of the seven 700-level courses is a senior technical elective.
Design/Area Elective (Project-based Design Elective PDE)3-4
Design/Area Elective3-4
Design/Area Elective3-4
Area Elective3-4
CEE Elective3-4
CEE Elective3-4
Senior Technical Elective (choose a course from the '700-level CEE Electives Course List' below, CEPS 700-level course, GEOG 757, INCO 795, NR 757, TECH 750, or TECH 780).3-4
700-Level CEE Electives Course List
Project-based Design Elective (PDE) courses:
CEE 733
Public Infrastructure Asset Management
CEE #734
Bioenvironmental Engineering Design
CEE 749
CEE 748
Pavement Design and Analysis
and Pavement Design Project
CEE 755
Design of Pressurized Water Transmission Systems
CEE 758
Stormwater Management Designs
CEE 759
Stream Restoration
CEE 778
Foundation Design I
CEE 791
Reinforced Concrete Design
CEE 793
Structural Design in Steel
Additional Design courses:
CEE 719
Green Building Design
CEE 730
Public Health Engineering for Rural and Developing Communities
CEE 731
Advanced Water Treatment Processes
CEE 732
Solid and Hazardous Waste Design
CEE 779
Foundation Design II
CEE 789
Timber Design
CEE 790
Structural Design in Masonry
CEE 792
Pre-stressed Concrete
CEE 794
Bridge Design
Structural Engineering (STR) area courses:
CEE 735
Properties and Production of Concrete
CEE 780
Matrix Structural Analysis and Modeling
CEE 781
Dynamics of Structures
CEE 789
Timber Design
CEE 790
Structural Design in Masonry
CEE 791
Reinforced Concrete Design
CEE 792
Pre-stressed Concrete
CEE 793
Structural Design in Steel
CEE 794
Bridge Design
Geotechnical Engineering (GEO) area courses:
CEE 765
Engineering Behavior of Soils
CEE 766
Introduction to Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
CEE 767
Geological Engineering
CEE 768
Geo-Environmental Engineering
CEE 778
Foundation Design I
CEE 779
Foundation Design II
Transportation (TRA) area courses:
CEE 704
Transportation Eng & Planning
CEE 733
Public Infrastructure Asset Management (PDE)
CEE 735
Properties and Production of Concrete
CEE 736
Asphalt Mixtures and Construction
CEE 737
Pavement Rehabilitation, Maintenance, and Management
CEE 749
Pavement Design and Analysis
Water Resources WAT area courses:
CEE #750
Ecohydrology
CEE 751
Open Channel Flow
CEE 754
Engineering Hydrology
CEE 755
Design of Pressurized Water Transmission Systems
CEE #757
Coastal Engineering and Processes
CEE 758
Stormwater Management Designs
CEE 759
Stream Restoration
Environmental Engineering (ENV) area courses:
CEE 720
Solid and Hazardous Waste Engineering
CEE 721
Environmental Sampling and Analysis
CEE 722
Introduction to Marine Pollution and Control
CEE 723
Environmental Water Chemistry
CEE 724
Environmental Engineering Microbiology
CEE 730
Public Health Engineering for Rural and Developing Communities
CEE 731
Advanced Water Treatment Processes
CEE 732
Solid and Hazardous Waste Design
CEE 733
Public Infrastructure Asset Management
CEE #734
Bioenvironmental Engineering Design (PDE)
CEE 768
Geo-Environmental Engineering
Sustainability (SUS) area courses:
CEE 705
Introduction to Sustainable Engineering
CEE 706
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment
CEE 719
Green Building Design
Additional CEE Electives:
CEE 700
Building Information Modeling
CEE #702
Issues in Engineering Practice and Management
CEE 703
Site Design and Project Development

Program Policies and Requirements

To transfer into the BSCIVE major, a student must satisfy the following:

  1. Be a CEPS major or have at least 12 credits of graded work at UNH along with Calculus I, and either chemistry or calculus-based physics.
  2. Have an overall UNH grade-point average of 2.33 or greater.
  3. Have an overall grade-point average of 2.33 or greater in all CEE courses taken to date;
  4. Have a grade-point average of 2.33 or greater in courses taken to date at UNH of MATH 425, PHYS 407, CHEM 403 or CHEM 405, CEE 500 or ME 525 , and CEE 501 or ME 526 .
  5. Have a grade-point average of 2.33 or greater in courses taken to date of CEE 500CEE 501, ME 525, ME 526

At the time of transferring into the BSCIVE program, only CEE 600-level and CEE 700-level classes with a grade of C- or better may be transferred in.

BSCIVE majors wishing to participate in domestic or international exchange programs must achieve a cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 or better in all CEE courses taken to date at the time of application to the exchange program.

To begin taking the required CEE 600-level courses in the junior year, students must meet the following requirements:

  1. MATH 425, PHYS 407, CHEM 403 or CHEM 405, CEE 500 or ME 525 , and CEE 501 or ME 526 must have been completed with passing grades.
  2. The student must have a grade-point average of 2.00 or greater in all CEE courses.
  3. The student must have a grade-point average of 2.00 or greater in MATH 425, PHYS 407, CHEM 403 or CHEM 405, CEE 500 or ME 525 , and CEE 501 or ME 526 .
  4. The student must have a grade-point average of 2.00 or greater in CEE 500 or ME 525 and CEE 501 or ME 526

BSCIVE Program Student Outcomes[3]

(What students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation.)

  • To have obtained a working knowledge[4] in the civil engineering areas of environmental, geotechnical, structural, sustainability, transportation, and water resources.
  • To be able to locate, assess, and compile data,and to conduct experiments to gather data, and analyze and interpret data using engineering judgement to draw conclusions.
  • To have an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge, techniques, skills, and software necessary for engineering practice.
  • To be able to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, use project management skills to establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  • To be able to effectively communicate and support ideas in documents and presentations to a range of audiences.
  • To be able to apply principles of mathematics, science, and engineering to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems.
  • To have been prepared for the Fundamentals of Engineering examination and understand the importance of professional licensure.
  • To have an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, social, economic, public policy, and environmental issues.
  • To recognize the roles and responsibilities of public institutions, private organization, and businesses in project development, management, and regulatory compliance.
  • To be able to apply engineering design to produce solutions [5] that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.

[1] Approved by the Faculty on 29 Oct 2013, Feb 2015, 12 Dec 2016, 2 Oct 2018, May 2019; 3 Sept 2019.

[2] Approved by the Faculty on 10 Oct 2013, 24 Feb 2015, 22 May 2015, 12 Dec 2016, 2 Oct 2018, May 2019, 3 Sept 2019.

[3] Approved by the Faculty on 17 Oct 2013, 24 Feb 2015, 22 May 2015, 12 Dec 2016, 27 Mar 2017, May 2019. Updated 3 Sept 2019.

[4] A “working knowledge” is defined as understanding and being able to apply a sub-discipline in analysis and design as demonstrated by successful completion of two or more courses with a substantial focus in at least four sub-disciplines.

[5] “Solutions” consists of systems, components, or processes that may consider risk, uncertainty, sustainability, life-cycle principles, and environmental impacts.

Explore Program Details

Our curricula exceed the University's writing requirements, meets the University’s Discovery Program requirements, and meets ABET's requirements .  Our two undergraduate degree programs are, and have always been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET.

abet accreditation logo

 

 

  • Pursue and disseminate knowledge through teaching, scholarship, outreach, and public service.
  • Provide excellent undergraduate and graduate education.
  • Advance the state-of-the-art in science and engineering by conducting research.
  • Enhance the quality of life for people in New Hampshire and beyond.

In accordance with its mission, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering seeks to attain the specific Educational Objectives and Outcomes listed herein.

Objectives & Outcomes 

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