Program Contact: John Greenleaf 203-582-5018
The BS in Civil Engineering has a broad-based curriculum that provides exposure to technical issues and design in a number of civil engineering sub-disciplines including: structural, environmental, geotechnical, hydraulic/water resources and construction management. Civil engineering projects are often multidisciplinary in nature and can involve large public works. Specifically, civil engineers design, build and maintain a variety of projects including: roads, buildings, tunnels, retaining walls, dams, bridges, airports, water supplies and sewerage systems.
Through exposure to the University Curriculum, foundational coursework in science and mathematics, major field courses and extracurricular activities, students graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering achieve intellectual proficiencies in critical thinking and reasoning, scientific literacy, quantitative reasoning, information fluency, creative thinking and visual literacy. They also achieve interpersonal proficiencies in written and oral communication, responsible citizenship, diversity awareness and sensitivity, and social intelligence.
BS in Civil Engineering Curriculum
The program requires 124 credits as outlined here:
A minimum grade of C- is required to satisfy the prerequisites of all civil engineering courses having the CER designation.
Within the policies of the School of Computing and Engineering, the Civil Engineering program enforces credit limits during the academic terms. Exceeding 18 credits in the Fall or Spring semesters, 4 credits in the January term, or 10 credits in each Summer term requires the approval of the dean's office.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| University Curriculum | ||
| Foundations of Inquiry: | ||
| FYS 101 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| EN 101 | Introduction to Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
| EN 102 | Academic Writing and Research | 3 |
| MA 151 | Calculus I | 4 |
| Disciplinary Inquiry: | ||
| CHE 110 & 110L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| EC 111 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| Humanities | 3 | |
| Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Personal Inquiry 1: | ||
| BIO 101 & 101L | General Biology I and General Bio Lab I,General Biology I Lab | 4 |
| Take 2 courses from the following disciplinary areas. (Only 1 course for each area.) | 6 | |
| Social Science | ||
| Humanities | ||
| Fine Arts | ||
| Personal Inquiry 2: | ||
| Take 1 of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Civil Engineering and Construction | ||
| or | ||
| The World of an Engineer | ||
| PHY 121 | University Physics | 4 |
| and 4 credits from the following course options. | 4 | |
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | ||
| or | ||
| General Biology II and General Biology Lab II | ||
| or | ||
| University Physics II | ||
| Integrative Capstone 1 | 3 | |
| Intercultural Understanding | ||
3 credits within the breadth component of the university curriculum (everything other than foundations of inquiry) must be from classes marked as "I" (intercultural understanding). | ||
| In addition to the University Curriculum requirements, students majoring in Civil Engineering must take the following: | ||
| Foundational Courses for Civil Engineering | ||
| CSC 106 | Introduction to Programming for Engineers | 3 |
| MA 153 | Calculus II: Part A | 2 |
| MA 154 | Calculus II: Part B | 2 |
| MA 251 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MA 265 | Matrix Algebra and Differential Equations | 4 |
| Common Engineering Curriculum | ||
| ENR 395 | Professional Development Seminar | 1 |
| Civil Engineering Courses | ||
| MER 210 | Fundamentals of Engineering Mechanics and Design | 3 |
| MER 220 & 220L | Mechanics of Materials and Mechanics of Materials Lab | 4 |
| MER 310 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CER 230 | Infrastructure Engineering | 3 |
| CER 260 | Introduction to Construction Management | 3 |
| CER 240 & 240L | Civil Engineering Site Design and Civil Engineering Site Design Lab | 3 |
| CER 320 | Structural Analysis | 3 |
| CER 325 | Construction Materials,Concrete Materials | 1 |
| CER 330 & 330L | Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering and Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering Lab | 3 |
| CER 340 & 340L | Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Design and Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Design Lab | 4 |
| CER 350 & 350L | Hydrology/Hydraulic Design and Hydrology/Hydraulic Design Lab | 4 |
| CER 420 | Design of Concrete Structures | 3 |
| CER 445 | Advanced Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Design | 3 |
| CER 455 & 455L | Advanced Environmental Engineering and Advanced Environmental Engineering Lab | 3 |
| CER 490 | Engineering Professional Experience | 0 |
| CER 497 | Design of Civil Engineering Systems I | 3 |
| CER 498 | Design of Civil Engineering Systems II | 3 |
| Select two Civil Engineering Electives | 6 | |
| Technical Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 124 | |
- 1
Students majoring in Civil Engineering will complete their Integrative Capstone Requirement within the major with CER 497. In place of those credits, students will select an additional unrestricted course in the University Curriculum.
- 2
Includes any CER elective or an MER, IER, SER, MA, BIO or CHE course at 200 level or higher with program director approval.
Student Outcomes
Attainment of the following competencies prepares graduates to enter the professional practice of engineering:
- an ability to identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics.
- an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors.
- an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental and societal contexts.
- an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks and meet objectives.
- an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Program Educational Objectives
Within four to seven years following graduation, graduates of the civil engineering program shall become successful professionals recognized for their:
- Ability to apply new knowledge, tools and technology to find sustainable solutions to the problems of a rapidly changing world.
- Communication of complex ideas and problems to a professional audience.
- Professionalism and ability to consider the technical, social and ethical consequences of their work.
- Leadership, mentorship and contributions to their profession and community.
- Pursuit of intellectual, personal and professional development.
Admission Requirements: School of Computing and Engineering
The requirements for admission into the undergraduate School of Computing and Engineering programs are the same as those for admission to Quinnipiac University.
Admission to the university is competitive, and applicants are expected to present a strong college prep program in high school. Prospective first-year students are strongly encouraged to file an application as early in the senior year as possible, and arrange to have first quarter grades sent from their high school counselor as soon as they are available.
For detailed admission requirements, including required documents, please visit the Admissions page of this catalog.
Seamless Transfer Agreement with Gateway Community College (GCC), Housatonic Community College (HCC) and Norwalk Community College (NCC)
Under this Transfer Agreement, GCC, HCC and NCC graduates will be guaranteed admission into a bachelor’s degree program with third year (junior) status at Quinnipiac University on the condition that they:
- Graduate with an associate in arts, an associate in science in business, College of Technology engineering science and computer science, nursing or an allied health degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (this may be higher in specific programs).
- Satisfy all other Quinnipiac University transfer admission requirements and requirements for intended major.
Quinnipiac University agrees to accept the general education embedded in these associate degree programs in accordance with Quinnipiac preferred choices for general education as meeting all the requirements of its undergraduate general education except for the Integrative Capstone Experience and where courses are encumbered by the major (e.g., General Chemistry for the Disciplinary Inquiry Natural Science requirement for a Biochemistry major).
Suggested Transfer Curriculum for BS in Civil Engineering
A minimum of 60 credits is required for transfer into the BS in Civil Engineering program. Below is a sample plan of study for the first two years.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| English I | 3 | |
| Calculus I | 4 | |
| Introduction to Engineering | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| English II | 3 | |
| Calculus-Based Physics | 4 | |
| Calculus II | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I with Lab | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Calculus-Based Physics II | 4 | |
| Calculus III - Multivariable | 4 | |
| Introduction to Biology with Lab | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Differential Equations | 3 | |
| Engineering Statics | 3 | |
| History Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 61 | |