The Department of Civil Engineering

The Department of Civil Engineering 417 Nedderman Hall Box 19308 817-272-2201 www.uta.edu/engineering/ce Overview: Educational and Professional Career Paths Civil engineering is the oldest and broadest of the engineering disciplines. A civil engineer works with a wide spectrum of individuals in both the public and private sectors to meet today's challenges of pollution, infrastructure rehabilitation, traffic congestion, floods, earthquakes, and urban development. Civil engineers plan, design, construct, maintain, manage, and operate facilities essential to modern, civilized human life. Projects requiring civil engineering expertise vary widely in nature, size, and scope, such as: bridges, tunnels, transportation systems, airports, storm water drainage systems, dams, buildings, foundations, water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, hazardous waste treatment, environmental remediation, environmental protection, and air pollution control. Civil engineering graduates are prepared for advanced graduate degrees and a wide range of career paths in civil engineering including consulting, governmental agencies, and industry. In addition to the traditional careers in civil engineering, graduates may take advantage of their strong, broad-based engineering education to pursue careers in professions such as medicine, law, business, or teaching. Civil Engineering BS Degree at UT Arlington At the undergraduate level, the department offers a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree with several options including a general civil engineering option and five options with an area of concentration: environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering and water resources engineering. The only difference in the various options of the degree is in the technical electives chosen in the senior year. Descriptions of CE degree options are available in the CE Advising Office. All degree options are designed to provide a strong foundation in science, mathematics, and engineering science; technical competence in multiple areas of civil engineering practice; and an understanding of the importance of ethics, safety, professionalism, and socioeconomic concerns in resolving technical problems through synthesis, planning, and design. Elements of design are introduced at the freshman level. This is followed by an analysis and design component in professional program courses, culminating in a comprehensive design experience. The UT Arlington Civil Engineering BS degree has been accredited since October 1967 by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. ABET is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the sole agency responsible for accreditation of educational programs leading to degrees in engineering. Graduation from an ABET accredited 2013-2014 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved. 1

program is an important factor in attaining registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Texas and other states. Requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering Pre-Professional Courses English 1301, 1302. Mathematics 1426*, 2425, 2326, 3319. Science CHEM 1465, PHYS 1443, 1444, GEOL 3340. Civil Engineering 1104, 1105, 1252, 2152, 2210, 2311, 2313, 2331, 3301 (or IE 3301), 3305. Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering 3309. Other General Education Courses Literature Three hours of English or modern and classical languages literature or other approved substitute. Liberal Arts Elective Three hours above the freshman level of literature, or social and cultural studies designated as taught in the College of Liberal Arts, or fine arts or philosophy, or technical writing. For civil engineering majors COMS 2302 must be used to satisfy this requirement. Fine Arts 2013-2014 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved. 2

Three hours from art, dance, music, architecture or theatre arts. Social/Cultural Studies Three hours of social/cultural studies courses approved by the Undergraduate Assembly. A list of approved social/cultural studies courses is available in the department office. History 1311, 1312. Political Science 2311, 2312. Professional Program Courses Civil Engineering General Civil Engineering Option: 3110, 3131, 3142, 3143, 3161, 3261, 3302, 3309, 3310, 3334, 3341, 3343, 4347, 4352, 4383, and 12 hours of senior technical electives. Nine hours of CE technical electives to be selected from three of the following five areas: Construction, Environmental, Geotechnical, Transportation or Water Resources. The remaining three hours may be from any area including Structures. Semester schedule for offering each course is available from the CE Advising Office. Area of Concentration Options: Area of concentration degree options include environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering and water resources engineering. The only difference in the various options of the degree is in the technical electives chosen in the senior year. Descriptions of CE degree options and semester schedule for course offerings are available in the CE Advising Office. Total BSCE degree 130 hours minimum. (More hours may be required to strengthen student's program or demonstrate proficiency. See Prior Preparation and Course Requirements.) Total hours will depend upon prior preparation and academic qualifications. Also, students who do not have two units of high school foreign language will be required to take modern and classical languages courses in addition to the previously listed requirements. *The Mathematics Department requires MATH 1323 or passing a placement test provided by the Mathematics Department before enrolling. Refer to the College of Engineering section of this catalog for information concerning the following topics: Admission to the College of Engineering, Advising, Admission into the Professional Program, College of Engineering Academic Regulations, Honors Degrees in 2013-2014 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved. 3

Engineering, Fast Track Master s Degrees in Engineering, Professional Engineering Licensure, and Cooperative Education. Suggested Course Sequence A suggested course sequence for the Pre-Professional (first two years) and Professional Program courses (final two years) is available on the CE Department s web site. Admission Requirements Requirements for admission as a Civil Engineering major are governed by the requirements stated under the College of Engineering section of this catalog. Admission to the Professional Program Requirements for admission to the professional program in Civil Engineering are in accordance with those of the College of Engineering with the following added stipulations: Application to the professional program is to be made to the CE Department during the semester that the advancement requirements are being completed. No professional civil engineering courses may be taken until the student is admitted into the professional program or obtains the written consent of the Department Chair. Each student must complete all pre-professional courses stipulated under "Requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering" with a minimum grade of C in each course and a minimum GPA of 2.25 in (1) all courses, (2) in all math, science, and engineering courses, and (3) in all CE courses. Upon receipt of the application, a student's record is individually reviewed including grades, academic and personal integrity, record of drops and course withdrawals, the order in which courses have been taken, the number of times a student has attempted a course for credit, and any other aspect of the student's record that may be deemed pertinent to admission. The student must be admitted to the professional program and have an approved degree plan on file in order to graduate. The degree plan is generated upon entry to the professional program. Graduating seniors should apply to graduate during the next-to-last semester. Prior Preparation and Course Requirements The undergraduate baccalaureate degree in civil engineering is a four-year program and requirements for the degree are based upon prior high school preparation through either an honors or college track program. Students who have not had the appropriate prior preparation should contact the departmental advising office for a curriculum guide that will assist them in structuring a study plan that will include leveling courses. Students requiring leveling courses may require a period of time greater than four years to complete their undergraduate degree. 2013-2014 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved. 4

Fast Track Program for Master's Degrees in Civil Engineering The Fast Track Program enables outstanding senior undergraduate Civil Engineering students to receive undergraduate and graduate credit for up to six hours of coursework. Technical electives which are dual-listed as graduate courses will satisfy both bachelor's and master's degree requirements. Students pursuing an MECE or MSCE degree may take up to two courses for dual credit. Interested undergraduate Civil Engineering students should apply to the Graduate School for admission to the Fast Track Program when they are within 30 hours of completing their bachelor's degree (and before graduation). For admission consideration, they must have completed at least 30 hours at UT Arlington and have an overall and College of Engineering GPA of at least 3.00 (in both) for the MECE option and at least 3.50 (in both) for the MSCE option. Additionally, they must have completed a set of three basic undergraduate foundation courses with a grade of B or higher in each course and a GPA of at least 3.30 in these three courses. The specific foundation courses vary according to the student's desired specialty area for the master's degree. In their final semester as an undergraduate, Fast Track students in good standing will be automatically admitted to graduate school with consent of the Graduate Advisor. No fees, transcripts, or test scores will be required. For further information about this program, contact an undergraduate advisor or the Graduate Advisor in Civil Engineering. Descriptions of CE Fast Track degree options are also available in the CE Advising Office. Minor Field of Study The Civil Engineering program does not support the option of pursuing a minor in Civil Engineering by other engineering or non-engineering majors. Academic Requirements Academic performance requirements establishing satisfactory progress and grade point requirements are given in the College of Engineering section of this catalog. Grade Requirements for CE Course Prerequisites Civil Engineering majors (CE-Intended or CE) may not attempt a CE course until they have earned a grade of C or better in the prerequisite course(s). Repeating Courses 2013-2014 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved. 5

Civil Engineering majors (CE-Intended or CE) may not attempt any course more than three times and apply that course toward a degree in civil engineering. Enrollment in a course for a period of time sufficient for assignment of a grade, including a grade of W, is considered an attempt. Grounds for Dismissal from the CE Program Civil Engineering majors (CE-Intended or CE) who the UTA Office of Student Conduct has found to have violated the UTA Code of Student Conduct a second time are subject to dismissal from the CE program. Advising Students entering directly from high school and those with less than 24 hours of transferrable credit are advised initially in the University College. Students are transitioned to advising in the College of Engineering as they progress successfully in their degree programs. Transfer students registering for the first time are advised separately prior to the beginning of the semester they enroll in courses. They should contact the department to set up an appointment for advising with a departmental undergraduate advisor prior to registration. Civil engineering majors are required to be advised by an assigned advisor during the period set aside each semester by the College of Engineering for this purpose. Students are responsible for meeting with their advisors during the advising period. Periods set aside for advising and registration may be different, and students who do not meet with their advisors during the regular advising period may not be able to complete registration. All students should consult the departmental bulletin board for advisors' names and periods set aside for advising. Civil engineering students who have not been admitted to the professional program must register only for courses approved by their faculty advisor and obtain their advisor's authorization for add/drops. Failure to do so is grounds for dismissal from the civil engineering program. Students, including those in the professional program, who enroll in courses before taking the proper prerequisites or co-requisites, will be subject to dismissal from the civil engineering program. Civil engineering students who are planning to graduate with an area of concentration in civil engineering must first be advised by the designated advisor for that area of concentration prior to being advised by an undergraduate advisor. Transfer Students and Transfer Credit When a student transfers, a loss of credit can occur and his/her academic plans may have to be changed. Courses that appear to be similar may be different in either content or level of difficulty and, as a result, cannot be used for degree credit. When a student's record indicates weakness in certain areas of study, he/she will be required to retake courses or to take additional courses. Transfer students should contact the Department of Civil Engineering after admission and prior to registration. 2013-2014 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved. 6

Prior to advising, a transfer student should present to an undergraduate advisor a transcript (official or copy) from each school previously attended. Only the equivalent courses in a program accredited by ABET or equivalent freshman and sophomore courses accepted by the department can be counted toward a degree in civil engineering. To be acceptable as an equivalent course, it must be equivalent to our corresponding course in credit value and course content. Junior and senior level courses taken at a college or university which does not have a civil engineering program accredited by ABET cannot be used to satisfy the requirements for a degree in civil engineering. A student in the Department of Civil Engineering at UT Arlington who wishes to enroll in courses at another college or university for transfer credit toward a degree in civil engineering should, first, consult with an undergraduate advisor to verify that the course can be used in the student's CE degree plan. Competence in Oral Communication and Computer Use Completion of COMS 2302, Professional and Technical Communication for Science and Engineering, with a grade of C or better, is required to earn a degree in civil engineering. Also, successful completion of COMS 2302 meets the University's oral communication requirement. All civil engineering students are required to complete CE 1104, Introduction to Engineering, and CE 1105, Introduction to Civil Engineering, with a grade of C or better. Successful completion of these courses satisfies the University's computer proficiency requirement. Educational Objectives of the Undergraduate Program Most alumni of the CE program will attain the following Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) within a few years after graduation: Obtain professional position and practice civil engineering, or pursue graduate studies. Be involved in continuing education and professional development activities. Obtain PE licensure or other professional certification. Student Outcomes of the Undergraduate Program In order to produce graduates who will achieve the Program Educational Objectives a few years after graduation, it is expected that the undergraduate students will attain the following Student Outcomes by the time of graduation: an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering an ability to design and conduct experiments an ability 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 2013-2014 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved. 7

an ability to function on multi-disciplinary 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 the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning a knowledge of contemporary issues an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice Civil Engineering Faculty Chair Professor Abolmaali Professors Abolmaali, Ardekani, Puppala, Williams, Yazdani Associate Professors Chao, Hossain, Hoyos, Kruzic, Mattingly, Romanoschi, Sattler, Seo Assistant Professors Choi, Stavridis, Yu Professor of Practice Najafi Senior Lecturers Ghandehari, Leininger, Weatherton President Emeritus Nedderman Professors Emeritus Everard, Matthys, Qasim 2013-2014 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved. 8