Civil Engineering, B.S. (Engineering)

Program Description

The program in Civil and Environmental Engineering is designed to provide the basic undergraduate education required for private practice and public service in civil engineering and/or continue formal education. Emphasis is placed on the fundamentals of civil engineering principles and design techniques. Students utilize basic engineering science concepts in several of the different specialty areas (e.g., construction/management, environmental, materials/pavement design/geotechnical, structures, transportation, and water resources). Finally the students are able to choose an area of specialization for professional practice or graduate studies.

The program is broadened by courses in communication, arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, as well as other engineering disciplines. Students gain experience in working as members of a team and using interdisciplinary approaches to solve problems. These experiences, as well as those related to engineering principles and design, are provided through exercises in the classroom, laboratory, and field. The program culmination is a capstone design course wherein the students' knowledge and skills are applied to actual engineering problems.

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil engineering is one of the oldest and most socially-relevant engineering disciplines. Grounded in mathematics and science, civil engineers make a lasting impact as they plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain the everyday, yet critical, infrastructure systems needed in our daily lives. In this challenging and diverse field, civil engineers also find solutions for critical environmental issues, including slowing the progress and mitigating the effects of climate change, eliminating the causes and treating the effects of environmental pollutants, and providing access to clean water. In recent years, the rapid application of new technologies has fostered the development of autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, smart structures, advanced materials, and new forms of renewable energy.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You want to design and build large-scale projects that last a long time.
• You care about the quality of the water that comes out of the faucet.
• You are interested in the operations and safety of future transportation systems.
• You try to find sustainable solutions for every challenge, big or small.
• You would like to use your technical skills in an exciting, people-serving profession.

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, students must satisfy the following requirements by the end of the semester during which the admission to major process is carried out.

• Completed 29-55 cumulative credits (credits completed at Penn State for which a quality letter grade was earned)
• Completed with a C or better the following courses: EDSGN 100, CHEM 110, MATH 140, MATH 141, and PHYS 211
• Attained at least a 2.6 cumulative grade point average

*

In the event that the major is under enrollment control, a higher minimum cumulative grade-point average is likely to be needed and students must be enrolled in the College of Engineering or Division of Undergraduate Studies at the time of confirming their major choice.

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, a minimum of 127 credits is required:

27 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 9 credits of GN courses; 6 credits of GQ courses; 3 credits of GS courses; 9 credits of GWS courses.

Requirements for the Major

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
CHEM 111	Experimental Chemistry I	1
GEOSC 1	Physical Geology	3
MATH 220	Matrices	2
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
CE 310	Surveying	3
CE 321	Highway Engineering	3
CE 332	Professionalism, Economics & Construction Project Delivery	3
CE 335	Engineering Mechanics of Soils	3
CE 336	Materials Science for Civil Engineers	3
CE 340	Structural Analysis	3
CE 360	Fluid Mechanics	3
CE 370	Introduction to Environmental Engineering	3
CHEM 110	Chemical Principles I	3
EDSGN 100	Cornerstone Engineering Design	3
EMCH 211	Statics	3
EMCH 212	Dynamics	3
EMCH 213	Strength of Materials	3
ENGL 202C	Effective Writing: Technical Writing	3
MATH 140	Calculus With Analytic Geometry I	4
MATH 141	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II	4
PHYS 211	General Physics: Mechanics	4
PHYS 212	General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism	4
Additional Courses
CE 337	Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory 1	1
or CE 475	Water Quality Chemistry
CMPSC 200	Programming for Engineers with MATLAB	3
or CMPSC 201	Programming for Engineers with C++
STAT 401	Experimental Methods	3
or IE 424	Process Quality Engineering
Select 3 credits of CE 400 level "W" courses		3
Select one of the following:		1
CE 100S	Topics and Contemporary Issues in Civil and Environmental Engineering: First-Year Seminar
1 credit of First-Year Seminar or Elective
Select one of the following:		3
ECON 14	Principles of Economics
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy
ECON 104	Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
CAS 100A	Effective Speech	3
or CAS 100B	Effective Speech
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition	3
or ENGL 30H	Honors Rhetoric and Composition
MATH 251	Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations	4
or MATH 250 & MATH 252	Ordinary Differential Equations and Partial Differential Equations
Supporting Courses and Related Areas 2,3
Select 12 credits of Civil Engineering Technical Electives from CE 300-level courses, CE 400-level courses, or ENVE 400-level courses		12
Select 9 credits of Technical Electives from CE 300-level courses, CE 400-level courses, ENVE 400-level courses, or approved 400-level courses listed in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Handbook		9

¹

If CE 475 is taken, one credit goes toward lab requirement and remaining three go towards CE or general technical electives.

²

Students may substitute 6 credits of ROTC for 3 credits of GHW courses and 3 credits of Technical Electives once they have completed 18 credits of ROTC.

³

Students are required to take 21 total credits of technical electives. A minimum of 12 of the 21 credits must be courses with CE or ENVE prefixes. 

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Program Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of our undergraduate program will prepare our graduates to:

• begin and sustain a career in consulting, industry, or state and federal government agencies, such as the departments of transportation and departments of environmental protection;
• lead and work in interdisciplinary teams needed to design sustainable and resilient infrastructure through knowledge and application of environmental, geotechnical, materials, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering;
• engage in life-long learning opportunities, including graduate school; and
• obtain and maintain professional licensure

Student Outcomes

Student outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. The Civil Engineering program is designed to enable students to:

1. Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. 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
3. Communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. 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
5. Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Thomas J. Skibinski, PE
Undergraduate Program Director
212 Sackett Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-0026
tjs36@psu.edu

Brenton Hockenberry
Undergraduate Program Assistant
218 Sackett Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-867-0470
blh5621@psu.edu

Harrisburg

Shashi S. Marikunte, Ph.D., P.E.
Acting Program Chair
Olmsted Building, W236
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6132
ssm16@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Civil Engineering, B.S. at University Park Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

If you are starting at a campus other than the one this plan is ending at, please refer to: https://advising.engr.psu.edu/degree-requirements/academic-plans-by-major.aspx

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and satisfy a portion of that General Education requirement. If the student’s program prescribes GWS these courses will replace both ENGL 15/ENGL 30H and CAS 100A/CAS 100B/CAS 100C. Each course is 3 credits.

College Notes:

• Health and Physical Activity Elective: Students may substitute 6 credits of ROTC for 3 credits of GHW courses and 3 credits of Technical Electives once they have completed 18 credits of ROTC.
• Technical Elective: Select from department list. Students who complete the Cooperative Education Program may substitute the 3-credit sequence of ENGR 295, ENGR 395, and ENGR 495 for a Technical Elective.

Career Paths

Civil engineers are responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the critical systems that support society and protect the environment. Graduates of the civil engineering program are prepared to be innovative leaders in a diverse range of industries. Students are routinely recruited for positions in the public sector with government agencies or in the private sector at consulting firms or construction companies. Students may also choose to continue their formal education by pursuing advanced degrees, and many remain in academia upon graduation.

Careers

Our graduates work in a variety of fields to develop solutions for challenges in design, construction, research, and education. Civil engineering graduates work in the public sector for government agencies or in the private sector at consulting or construction firms. Some civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions, while others pursue careers in design, construction, or education.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAM
CAREER RESOURCES FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

In our graduate programs, students learn in the classroom and the laboratory, finding a broad network of mentors and collaborators. After graduation, many career options await.

• The one-year Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) program gives you a strong foundation and leads to advanced professional practice.
• The Master of Science (M.S.) program blends advanced coursework and research, producing highly sought-after graduates.
• The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program provides a comprehensive educational and research opportunity, challenging students to be leaders of their fields.

What could you achieve with an advanced degree from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Penn State?

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES
GRADUATE DEGREES AND REQUIREMENTS

Professional Resources

• American Concrete Institute
• American Society of Civil Engineers
• PSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Professional Organization Student Chapter List

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at University Park is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Professional Licensure/Certification

Many U.S. states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing this program, please visit the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map.

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
212 Sackett Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-3084
tjs36@psu.edu

https://www.cee.psu.edu/

Harrisburg

CIVIL, CONSTRUCTION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY
Olmsted Building, W236
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-4350
hpl5273@psu.edu

https://harrisburg.psu.edu/science-engineering-technology/civil-engineering-bs