Civil Engineering

Civil engineers design, construct, operate and maintain the physical fabric of society.  In doing so, civil engineers work toward continuous improvement of the human condition and natural environment, tackling many of the grand challenges that face humankind today.  Much of the work of civil engineers is highly visible, such as roadways, bridges, airports, levees, buildings, bike paths, and city parks, while other parts are rarely seen but equally vital to the health of communities, such as the water and wastewater treatment, distribution, and collection systems or the energy infrastructure. Civil engineers keep human beings safe by designing resilient infrastructure that does not fail in extraordinary events, but that is also socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.

The civil engineering student has the opportunity to obtain a broad background in mathematics and the physical sciences and their applications to all areas of civil engineering. This flexible curriculum allows the student to elect 18 semester hours of approved technical coursework to emphasize the areas of civil engineering of most interest to the student. In addition, courses in the humanities and social sciences are included.

To excel as a civil engineer, a student should have an aptitude for mathematics and science, an interest in the practical application of technical knowledge to societal problems, the motivation to study and prepare for engineering practice, the desire to be a professional, and a desire to work with others to better the lives of humankind. Civil engineering graduates of the University may seek a wide variety of positions in planning, design, and construction with government agencies, industry, and private consulting firms. Those who plan to pursue graduate work in engineering, or in other professions such as business, medicine, law, or journalism, have an excellent base on which to build.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the civil engineering program should attain the following outcomes:

• An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
• An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
• An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
• An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
• An ability to communicate effectively
• The broad education necessary to understand what impact engineering solutions have in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
• Recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in lifelong learning
• Knowledge of contemporary issues
• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

Program Educational Objectives

Graduates of the civil engineering program should solve civil engineering problems within a greater societal context. They should:

• Exhibit character and decision-making skills embodying professionalism and ethical behavior
• Apply knowledge, strong reasoning, and quantitative skills to design and implement creative and sustainable solutions
• Engage in lifelong learning to meet evolving engineering challenges facing society
• Exhibit strong communication, critical thinking, interpersonal, and management skills as leaders and contributors in the civil engineering profession

Course requirements include courses within the Cockrell School of Engineering and other required courses. In addition, each student must complete the University’s core curriculum. In some cases, a course required for the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering may also be counted toward the core curriculum; these courses are identified below. 

In the process of fulfilling engineering degree requirements, students must also complete coursework to satisfy the following flag requirements: one independent inquiry flag, one quantitative reasoning flag, one ethics and leadership flag, one global cultures flag, one cultural diversity in the US flag, and two writing flags. The independent inquiry flag, the quantitative reasoning flag, the ethics and leadership flag and one writing flag are carried by courses specifically required for the degree; these courses are identified below. Students are advised to fulfill the second writing flag requirement with a course that meets another requirement of the core curriculum. Courses that may be used to fulfill flag requirementsare identified in the Course Schedule.

Level I and Level II Technical Electives

The civil engineering curriculum does not require the student to declare a specific technical area option. However, for the guidance of students with particular interests, level I electives in civil engineering are listed in areas of specialization. The 15 semester hours of level I electives must be chosen from the following civil engineering and architectural engineering courses; in special cases, with the written permission of the department chair, this requirement may be relaxed, provided the student demonstrates in advance that the courses to be substituted for civil engineering or architectural engineering courses are part of a consistent educational plan. To provide a broad general background, at least one technical elective from each of three different areas of specialization must be included in each student's program.

Each student must take at least one technical area option level II elective. Level II electives may be substituted for technical area option level I electives, but the requirement of at least one technical elective from each of three different areas of specialization still applies.

The following lists reflect current course offerings and are subject to change by the faculty. Current lists are available in the departmental undergraduate office.

Level I Electives

Construction Engineering and Project Management

• Architectural Engineering 335, Materials and Methods of Building Construction 
• Architectural Engineering 358, Cost Estimating in Building Construction
• Architectural Engineering 366, Contracts, Liability, and Ethics (carries an ethics and leadership flag)

Architectural Engineering 376, Building Information Modeling for Capital Projects

• Infrastructure Materials Engineering
• Civil Engineering 351, Concrete Materials
• Civil Engineering 366K, Design of Bituminous Mixtures

Environmental Engineering

• Civil Engineering 342, Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering
• Civil Engineering 346, Solid Waste Engineering and Management
• Civil Engineering 369L, Air Pollution Engineering

Civil Engineering 369R, Indoor Air Quality

• Civil Engineering 370K, Environmental Sampling and Analysis

Geotechnical Engineering

• Civil Engineering 375, Earth Slopes and Retaining Structures

Structural Engineering

• Architectural Engineering 345K, Masonry Engineering
• Architectural Engineering 362L, Structural Design in Wood
• Civil Engineering 331, Reinforced Concrete Design
• Civil Engineering 335, Elements of Steel Design
• Civil Engineering 363, Advanced Structural Analysis

Transportation Engineering

• Civil Engineering 367P, Pavement Design and Performance

Civil Engineering 367T, Traffic Engineering

Water Resources Engineering

• Civil Engineering 358, Introductory Ocean Engineering
• Civil Engineering 374K, Hydrology
• Civil Engineering 374L, Groundwater Hydraulics

Level II Electives (Design)

Environmental Engineering

• Civil Engineering 364, Design of Wastewater and Water Treatment Facilities (carries an independent inquiry flag)

Geotechnical Engineering

• Civil Engineering 360K, Foundation Engineering (carries an independent inquiry flag)

Structural Engineering

• Civil Engineering 362M, Advanced Reinforced Concrete Design (carries an independent inquiry flag)
• Civil Engineering 362N, Advanced Steel Design (carries an independent inquiry flag)

Transportation Engineering

• Civil Engineering 367G, Design and Evaluation of Ground-Based Transportation Systems (carries an independent inquiry flag)

Water Resources Engineering

• Civil Engineering 365K, Hydraulic Engineering Design (carries an independent inquiry flag)

Requirements

• If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and will not graduate from a Texas high school, select the ApplyTexas option to apply for freshman admission as an international applicant.
• Pay the $75 application fee—$90 for international applicants—when you submit your ApplyTexas application. 
• Along with your ApplyTexas application, submit at least two essays.

• If you are an international applicant, you must submit documentation showing that you have completed an accredited secondary school series equivalent to that of a U.S. high school.

• Submit an official record or transcript (mark sheet) that shows all your secondary school work and grades (or marks) starting with ninth grade and continuing through at least the end of 11th grade. You should also include copies of your official final examinations taken at the end of the secondary school program, including external exams such as the General Certificate of Education (GCE) “O” and “A” level examinations, school leaving certificates and matriculation exams.

• If the documents you are submitting are written in a language other than English, you must also submit complete and official English translations together with the original-language records.

• Send us official transcript(s) documenting any college credit earned while in high school (dual credit counts!).

• TOEFL: 550 (paper test), 213 (computer-based test) or 79 (internet-based test)
• IELTS: An overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination

• Résumé

• Ask someone who knows you well to write a letter about your character and accomplishments. Letters of recommendation are appreciated but not required.

Scholarships

• Endowed Scholarships
• Presidential Scholars Program
• Texas Exes Scholarships