Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering Major
The Civil Engineering curriculum is designed to give students a strong mathematical, scientific and engineering background in all of the areas of the field. At the same time it provides students with an opportunity to place further emphasis on his/her chosen areas through technical electives.
Twelve credits of technical electives are required. Students are required to choose three technical electives from the five major areas, while at the same time satisfying the ABET design requirement. All Civil Engineering students must take a capstone design course, CE 489 Senior Design, which is designed to bring concepts learned in different courses to culminate in a major design experience.
Students interested in structural engineering may choose courses such as finite element analysis, advanced reinforced concrete, advanced steel design, timber design, pre-stressed concrete, foundation engineering, and dynamics of structures.
Students interested in water resources, or environmental engineering may choose courses such as solid waste management, applied hydrology, watershed modeling, ground water and seepage, water and wastewater engineering, open channel flow, hazardous waste management, and water quality management.
Students interested in transportation engineering may choose courses such as transportation planning, airport planning and design, railway planning and design, geometric highway design, or traffic engineering and pavement design.
Students interested in geotechnical engineering may choose courses in foundation engineering, earth slopes, and geosynthetics, earthquake engineering and advanced soil mechanics.
The curriculum includes a core of social humanistic subjects to provide the student with a background essential to a proper understanding of the role of engineering in society.
Students in Civil Engineering are strongly encouraged to participate in internships to enhance their classroom education with practical experience in engineering-related positions in industry.
Students transferring into Civil Engineering from other departments or institutions are encouraged to do so no later than the beginning of the junior year if they plan to complete the degree requirements within two academic years.
All Civil Engineering students at NDSU are required to have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 for graduation and have received a grade of 'C' or better in the following courses and all prerequisites in sequence for these courses, before enrolling in any civil engineering courses that utilize these courses as prerequisites.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 165 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 166 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 128 | Introduction to Linear Algebra | 1 |
| MATH 259 | Multivariate Calculus | 3 |
| MATH 266 | Introduction to Differential Equations | 3 |
| ME 221 | Engineering Mechanics I | 3 |
| ME 222 | Engineering Mechanics II | 3 |
| ME 223 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
Graduate programs leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are available in specialized fields. For more complete details, see the Graduate Bulletin online.
Major Requirements
Major: Civil Engineering
Degree Type: B.S.C.E.
Minimum Credits Required for Degree: 133
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A dynamic list of approved general education courses offered by term is available on the NDSU General Education Requirements website.
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, if applicable.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience (F) | 1 | |
| Skills For Academic Success (Also offered with the following prefixes: ABEN, AGRI, BUSN, HD&E, ME, NURS, PHRM) | ||
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering Core Requirements | ||
| CE 111 | Introduction to Civil Engineering | 2 |
| CE 204 | Surveying | 4 |
| CE 212 | Civil Engineering Graphic Communications | 3 |
| CE 303 | Civil Engineering Materials | 2 |
| CE 303L | Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory | 1 |
| CE 309 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CE 310 | Fluid Mechanics Laboratory | 1 |
| CE 316 | Soil Mechanics | 3 |
| CE 343 | Structural Engineering and Analysis | 4 |
| CE 370 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| CE 371 | Environmental Engineering Laboratory | 1 |
| CE 404 | Reinforced Concrete | 3 |
| CE 408 | Water Resources and Supply | 3 |
| CE 418 | Transportation Engineering | 4 |
| CE 444 | Structural Steel Design | 3 |
| CE 483 | Contracts and Specifications | 3 |
| CE 489 | Senior Design | 3 |
| MATH Courses Required*: | ||
| MATH 128 | Introduction to Linear Algebra | 1 |
| MATH 165 | Calculus I (May satisfy general education category R) | 4 |
| MATH 166 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 259 | Multivariate Calculus | 3 |
| MATH 266 | Introduction to Differential Equations | 3 |
| Other Required Courses : | ||
| CHEM 121 & 121L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| CHEM 122 & 122L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| ENGR 402 | Engineering Ethics and Social Responsibility | 1 |
| ENGR 311 | History of Technology in America (May satisfy general education category A) | 3 |
| ENGR 312 | Impact of Technology on Society (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| ENGL 321 | Writing in the Technical Professions (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 |
| GEOL 105 | Physical Geology (May satisfy general education category S and G) | 3 |
| IME 440 | Engineering Economy | 2 |
| IME 460 | Evaluation of Engineering Data | 3 |
| ME 221 | Engineering Mechanics I * | 3 |
| ME 222 | Engineering Mechanics II * | 3 |
| ME 223 | Mechanics of Materials * | 3 |
| ME 350 | Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer | 3 |
| PHYS 252 | University Physics II | 4 |
| Technical Electives Required: Select 12 credits from the following: | 12 | |
Structures: | ||
| Design of Pre-stressed Concrete (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
| Bridge Evaluation and Rehabilitation (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Timber and Form Design (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Finite Element Analysis (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
| Advanced Steel Design (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
| Basic Dynamics of Structures (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
| Stability of Structures (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Bridge Engineering and Management (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
Water Resources: | ||
| Open Channel Flow (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Watershed Modeling (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Applied Hydrology (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
Environmental: | ||
| Water and Wastewater Engineering (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Environmental Nanotechnology (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Solid Waste Management (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Air Pollution (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Water Quality Management (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Advanced Water and Wastewater Treatment (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Special Topics (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
Transportation: | ||
| Pavement Design (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Geometric Highway Design (Design Credits 2.0) | ||
| Airport Planning and Design (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
| Railroad Planning and Design (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Pavement Management Systems (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
| Bituminous Materials and Mix (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Special Topics (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
Geotechnical: | ||
| Slope Stability and Retaining Walls (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Foundation Engineering (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
| Designing with Geosynthetics (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
| Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (Design Credits 1.5) | ||
| Advanced Soil Mechanics (Design Credits 1.0) | ||
Advanced Materials: | ||
| Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials (Design Credits 0.0) | ||
| Total Credits | 115 | |
| * | No grades less than a "C" are accepted in any of the math courses, as well as ME 221 Engineering Mechanics I, ME 222 Engineering Mechanics II, and ME 223 Mechanics of Materials for this curriculum. |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- A student must complete at least 60 semester credits of professional level course work in his/her program while in residence and enrolled in the college. Students transferring into the college from programs with professional accreditation are exempt from this residency requirement but are subject to the residency requirement of NDSU.
- Students must complete courses in a minimum of three technical areas with a minimum of 6 credits in design for a minimum total of 12 technical electives.
- Transfer students are required to take ENGR 311 History of Technology in America or ENGR 312 Impact of Technology on Society regardless of General Education completion.
Note: Department permission required for graduate level courses. Credit may be earned only at the undergraduate level. Department permission is also required for some undergraduate courses. There are specific prerequisites and grade requirements to be allowed to take certain courses.
