Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science (534P, 534)
Program Coordinator
Jason C. Wilson, jason.wilson@wku.edu, (270) 745-2322
Civil engineers design a better world in which to live. They design, build, and maintain our nation’s infrastructure including: roads and bridges; buildings and foundations; water supply and waste-water facilities; stormwater management systems; and environmental protection facilities.
The mission of the civil engineering program is to prepare students for professional engineering and management positions in all phases of civil engineering projects. The program provides a broad educational background with a foundation in basic engineering and business principles. These basic skills are complemented by advanced topics in engineering design, management, finance, computer applications, and real world civil engineering experiences throughout the baccalaureate degree program. The civil engineering program at WKU focuses on construction, geotechnical engineering, construction materials, structures, surveying, and hydrology.
The teaching philosophy of this program focuses on project-based learning. This is achieved by placing competent, practicing engineers in the classroom as professors, engaging students in the practice of civil engineering through hands-on class projects, and involving students in faculty consulting and applied research activities. Real engineering projects often serve as class projects. Project sites and professional engineering and construction management firm offices often serve as classrooms.
The curriculum requires a minimum of 62-63 technical specialty hours, completion of pre-major courses, additional 32 semester hours of math and science requirements, and completion of Colonnade general education hours.
The WKU Civil Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
Civil Engineering Program Educational Objectives
The program achieves its mission by focusing on specific educational objectives. A few years after graduation, WKU CE graduates are expected to have the following characteristics:
Objective 1: Graduates attain positions of Engineer in Responsible Charge on projects in both the public and private sectors and successfully execute projects using technical and managerial skills while demonstrating professional and ethical behavior.
Objective 2: Graduates attain Engineering licensure and other professional certifications as appropriate to their career.
Objective 3: Graduates continue to pursue life-long learning opportunities through advanced degrees and various continuing education endeavors.
Objective 4: Graduates become leaders within their companies, the profession, and other activities.
The CE student outcomes are listed on the program website at https://www.wku.edu/seas/.
Admission Requirements
Academic Standards for the WKU Civil Engineering Program
Students are admitted as a pre-major in civil engineering. To transition from pre-major to major and to graduate with a degree in civil engineering, students must complete each of the following courses and labs with a grade of “C” or better:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 100 | Introduction to College Writing | 3 |
| COMM 145 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking and Communication 1 | 3 |
| MATH 136 & MATH 137 | Calculus I and Calculus II | 8 |
| PHYS 255 & PHYS 256 | University Physics I and University Physics I Lab | 5 |
| EM 222 | Statics | 3 |
| GEOL 111 | The Earth | 3 |
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COMM 145 will be replaced with a Human Communications (OC Course).
Students must also complete the following courses with a grade of “C” or better: all pre-major courses, and all major courses except for one. In addition, each student is required to have a 2-course sequence in four (4) different civil engineering areas. The curriculum already includes a 2-course sequence in structures, geotechnical engineering, and construction. Therefore, each student must select one of the technical electives to cover an additional area such as surveying, materials, environmental engineering, hydrology, or transportation.
Program Requirements (62-63 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students must take the following 68 technical specialty credit hours required for the major: | ||
| Select one of the following: 1 | 1-2 | |
| Civil Engineering Freshman Design | ||
| Mechanical Engineering Freshman Design | ||
| Electrical Engineering Design I | ||
| Freshmen Experience I | ||
| CE 160 & CE 161 | Principles of Surveying and Principles of Surveying Lab | 4 |
| CE 303 | Construction Management | 3 |
| CE 316 | Equipment & Methods | 3 |
| CE 332 | Transportation Engineering | 3 |
| CE 342 | Fluid Thermal Science | 3 |
| CE 352 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| or EM 313 | Dynamics | |
| CE 370 & CE 371 | Materials of Construction and Construction Materials Laboratory | 3 |
| CE 382 | Structural Analysis | 3 |
| CE 383 | Structural Steel Design | 3 |
| or CE 384 | Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| CE 410 & CE 411 | Soil Mechanics and Soil Mechanics Lab | 4 |
| CE 412 | Foundation Engineering | 3 |
| CE 461 | Hydrology | 3 |
| or CE 462 | Hydraulic Engineering Systems | |
| ENGR 490 | Senior Project 1 | 2 |
| ENGR 491 | Senior Project II | 3 |
| AS 163 | Architectural Drafting | 3 |
| EM 222 | Statics | 3 |
| EM 303 | Mechanics of Deformable Solids | 3 |
| Select 9 hours of the following technical electives (six hours must have the prefix CE): | 9 | |
| Floodplain Management | ||
| Route Surveying and Route Surveying Lab | ||
| Boundary Surveying and Boundary Surveying Lab | ||
| Structural Steel Design | ||
or CE 384 | Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| Advanced Construction Materials | ||
| Traffic Engineering | ||
| Masonry Design and Construction | ||
| Bridge Engineering | ||
| Hydraulic Engineering Systems | ||
or CE 461 | Hydrology | |
| Civil Engineering Design Project | ||
| Selected Topics in Civil Engineering | ||
| Dynamics | ||
or CE 352 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | |
| Construction Estimating and Bidding | ||
| Building Codes | ||
| Survey of Building Systems | ||
| Principles of Systems Engineering | ||
| Global Hydrology | ||
| Applied Environmental Geology | ||
| Geographic Information Systems I | ||
| Geographic Information Systems II | ||
| Engineering Thermodynamics I | ||
| Total Hours | 62-63 | |
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Students must also complete the following courses with a grade of “C” or better in all in all major courses except for one. In addition, each student is required to have a 2-course sequence in four (4) different civil engineering areas. The curriculum already includes a 2-course sequence in structures, geotechnical engineering, and construction. Therefore, each student must select one of the technical electives to cover an additional area such as surveying, materials, environmental engineering, hydrology, or transportation.
Additional Math and Science Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 237 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 331 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| GEOL 113 | The Earth Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 120 & CHEM 121 | College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Laboratory | 5 |
| STAT 301 | Introductory Probability and Applied Statistics | 3 |
| or CE 305 | Risk Analysis | |
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CE 176 | 1 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| AS 163 | 3 | CE 160 | 3 |
| MATH 136 | 4 | CE 161 | 1 |
| GEOL 111 | 3 | MATH 137 | 4 |
| GEOL 113 | 1 | PHYS 255 | 4 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | PHYS 256 | 1 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CE 303 | 3 | CE 316 | 3 |
| ENG 200 | 3 | EM 303 | 3 |
| MATH 237 | 4 | MATH 331 | 3 |
| EM 222 | 3 | CE 305 | 3 |
| Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 | CE 332 | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CE 382 | 3 | CE Tech Elective | 3 |
| Colonnade: Social and Behavioral Elective | 3 | CHEM 120 | 3 |
| CE 342 | 3 | CHEM 121 | 2 |
| CE 370 | 2 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| CE 371 | 1 | CE 384 | 3 |
| ENG 300 | 3 | CE 461 | 3 |
| 15 | 17 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CE 410 | 3 | Colonnade - Social & Cultural | 3 |
| CE 411 | 1 | CE Tech Elective | 3 |
| CE Tech Elective | 3 | ENGR 491 | 3 |
| ENGR 490 | 2 | Colonnade - Local to Global | 3 |
| CE 352 | 3 | CE 412 | 3 |
| Colonnade - Systems | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 124 | |||