Civil Engineering at Oregon State University is a diverse professional field with Areas of Concentration in structural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, surveying, and ocean engineering. All students receive basic instruction in all disciplines, with the option for additional elective courses in desired areas.

The ABET* accredited civil engineering curriculum is designed to prepare students for professional engineering registration and for responsible engineering positions with business, industry, consulting firms, the military, utilities, or public agencies.

The curriculum includes basic sciences, social sciences, humanities, communication skills, engineering sciences, and engineering design. All students receive basic instruction in all disciplines. Additional elective courses are also selected from the Areas of Concentration or from outside the department. Communication skills are especially important for Civil Engineers as they deal extensively with the public.

Design is the essence of civil engineering, and training draws upon the basic and engineering sciences plus non-technical and societal factors to provide an integrated approach to solutions of a practical nature. The concept of design is introduced during the freshman orientation course, with most of the capability developed at the junior and senior level, culminating in a team approach to solution of open-ended, realistic problems drawn from the professional experience of the faculty. Courses with design content include those with "design" in their titles, as well as others. A more detailed explanation of the design experience and design course sequences is contained in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Advising Guide, which may be obtained from the department or viewed on the department's Web site.

Surveying and mapping geomatic coursework is through required and elective courses. The BSCE degree and 16 geomatic credits are accepted by OSBEELS for entrance to both the FE and FS examinations.

Mission and Program Objectives

The mission of the Civil Engineering Program at Oregon State University is to provide a comprehensive, state-of-the-art education to prepare students for professional and responsible engineering positions with business, industry, consulting firms or government.

Program Educational Objectives

1. Students receive a compelling education based in the natural sciences; mathematics; engineering sciences; and the fundamental paradigms, concepts, understandings, applications, and knowledge of civil engineering.
   
   
2. Graduates are able, through this education, to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information; solve engineering problems; and perform modern civil engineering design.
   
   
3. Graduates are prepared for modern professional practice, including abilities for effective communication, collaborative work in diverse teams, ethical decision-making, successful management of personal and professional career objectives, and continual development through lifelong learning and professional involvement.
   
   
4. Graduates are prepared for either immediate employment or continuation into a graduate program in a specialty area of civil engineering. They recognize the importance of professional licensure and are prepared to achieve this significant accomplishment. As professional engineers, they consider the public health, welfare and safety to be the paramount priority.
   
   
5. Graduates understand public policy and contemporary societal issues and have sensitivity to the challenge of meeting social, environmental, and economic constraints within a global community.

Civil Engineering Program Outcomes

The OSU Civil Engineering program prepares its graduates to achieve the Program Educational Objectives above several years into their careers. This is achieved by having students able to perform the following on graduation, well preparing them for active immediate and lifelong service in the profession:

1. Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to solve engineering problems
2. Ability to design and conduct experiments as well as analyze and interpret data
3. Ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability
4. Ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
5. Ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
6. Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
7. Ability to communicate effectively
8. Broad education necessary to understand impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental and societal context
9. Recognition of need for and ability to engage in lifelong learning
10. Knowledge of contemporary issues, including public policy
11. Ability to use techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice
12. Knowledge of basic concepts in leadership
13. Ability to include non-engineering considerations, including business, regulatory and safety issues in problem solving
14. Ability to incorporate effective negotiation or consensus-gaining in group decision making
15. Knowledge and application of project planning and management practices and tools
16. Ability to assess imperfect or incomplete data conditions, risks and alternatives into problem-solving decisions
17. Exposure to current industry design practices, construction methods and materials, and overall project delivery considerations

 

*Accredited by the Engineering Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Ste 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, telephone: 410-347-7700.