CSEE Undergraduate Studies

Prospective Students

Current Students

Academic Programs

• Civil Engineering

• CIE Program Educational Objectives

• CIE Assessment and Evaluation

• CIE Curriculum

• CIE Course Schedule

• CIE Undergraduate Studies Manual

• CIE Forms

• Environmental Engineering

• BS/MBA Degree Programs

Undergraduate Studies Manuals

Student Organizations

Undergraduate Awards

Professional Licensure

Contact Undergraduate Office

Curriculum

Overview

This page contains summaries of the BS civil engineering curriculum (Table 1 and Table 2, below).

The current civil engineering curriculum is summarized in Table 1. Students who entered as freshman prior to Fall 2000 or transferred prior to Fall 2002, may have slightly different requirements and should consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

During the first two years of study, the civil engineering curriculum provides for the development of knowledge and skills in the sciences, mathematics, and English composition and reading. In the Junior year, this development is supplemented and followed by a number of basic engineering and civil engineering courses so that the engineering student entering his/her senior year of study is ready and able to take more specialized and advanced courses, including a cumulating design experience.

General Education

All UB students must take a specified number of general education courses. Several sets of requirements are potentially applicable depending on when (year) and how (transfer or freshman) a student entered UB. These requirements are summarized at www.wings.buffalo.edu/eng/oss/gened.html. For more information, contact the SEAS Office of Student Services.

Technical Electives

Five (5) upper-level technical electives are required for the BS civil engineering program. Many students select technical electives to provide specialization in one of the civil engineering subdisciplines (see Specialization Tracks below). However, any combination of approved technical electives (see Table 2) may be selected, subject to the following constraints:

• At least one course must be selected from CIE428, CIE429, CIE430, CIE438, CIE 442, or CIE449.

• Only one of the work-experience courses (CIE404, 3 credits of CIE406-408, EAS396, or EAS496) may be counted as one technical elective towards the BS civil engineering degree requirements.

• In some cases, graduate courses or senior-level courses from outside of civil engineering may be taken as technical electives with prior approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Table 1. BS CIVIL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM

FIRST YEAR
FALL			SPRING
MTH141 Calculus I	4		MTH142 Calculus II	4
CHE107 Chemistry I	4		PHY107 Physics I	4
EAS140 Engineering Solutions	3		CHE108 Chemistry II	4
General Education	3		MAE177 Intro to Engineering Drawing/CAD	2
ENG101 Writing 1 or ENG102 Writing 2*	3		ENG201 Reading and Adv. Writing or Gen. Ed.*	3
Library Skills	-
CIE101 Great Creations of Civil Engineering	1
TOTAL:	18		TOTAL:	17

SECOND YEAR
FALL			SPRING
MTH241 Calculus III	4		MTH306 Differential Equations	4
PHY108 and PHY158 Physics II	4		EAS208 Dynamics	3
EAS207 Statics	3		EAS209 Mechanics of Solids	3
EAS230 Higher-Level Language (or CSE 113)	3		General Education	3
General Education	3		Engineering Elective (see notes)	3
TOTAL:	17		TOTAL:	16

THIRD YEAR
FALL			SPRING
CIE323 Structural Engineering I	3		CIE324 Structural Engineering II	3
CIE354 Fluid Mechanics	3		CIE334 Mechanics of Soils	3
CIE327 Civil Engineering Materials	3		CIE340 Environmental Engineering	3
CIE303 Geodesy, GPS, GIS	3		CIE343 Hydraulic Engineering	3
EAS308 Engineering Statistics	3		General Education	3
CIE361 Civil Engineering Laboratory 1	2		CIE362 Civil Engineering Laboratory II	2
TOTAL:	17		TOTAL:	17

FOURTH YEAR
FALL			SPRING
CIE439 Transportation System Analysis	3		CIE415 Professional Practice Issues	3
CIE435 Foundation Engineering	3		Technical Elective**	3
Technical Elective**	3		Technical Elective**	3
Technical Elective**	3		Technical Elective**	3
Applied Math Elective (see notes)	3		General Education	3
TOTAL:	15		TOTAL:	15

NOTES:

Applied Math Elective Select one from: MTH417 Multivariable Calculus, MTH418 Analytical Methods (or MAE428), MTH309 Linear Algebra

Engineering Elective Select one from: EE200 Circuits, MAE204 Thermodynamics, IE320 Engineering Economy, or CSE114 Computer Science II

* Writing skill requirement: ENG101 and ENG201 (or ENG102, contingent upon SAT or ACT score)

** At least one of the technical electives must be selected from CIE428, CIE429, CIE430, CIE438, CIE442 or CIE449

TABLE 2. APPROVED TECHNICAL ELECTIVES

F = Fall semester, S = Spring semester, Su = summer

NOTES

* Only one of the technical electives may be satisfied by work experience courses (CIE404, EAS396, EAS496, or 3-credits of co-op from CIE406-408).

The flexibility in technical electives provides students with an opportunity to specialize in one of the civil engineering subdisciplines (see Specialization Tracks below). Recommended technical electives include the following:

• Structural Engineering: CIE423, CIE428, CIE429, CIE430, plus two others

• Geotechnical Engineering: CIE438, CIE458, CIE476, plus two others

• Environmental Engineering: CIE441, CIE442, CIE449, plus two others

• Construction Engineering and Management: CIE429, CIE491, CIE493, plus two others

Specialization Tracks

Civil engineering majors may pursue a general degree program or configure their electives to provide specialization in one of four subdisciplines, as detailed in the subsequent sections.

Construction Engineering and Management

Construction Engineering and Management provides 15 out of every 100 employment opportunities in the United States. Construction engineers are responsible for constructing and maintaining facilities that provide fundamental support for our modern societies, including, but not limited to, roads, bridges, water and sewer lines, power plants, and dams. These projects require an extensive knowledge and understanding of engineering and management fundamentals, as well as the use of computers and new technologies for the management of time, money, people and materials and equipment. Construction engineers also address the specific concerns of improvement of safety and occupational health.

The Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering offers a broad-based education in civil engineering designed to equip students for a variety of career opportunities. As part of the required civil engineering curriculum, all students take the following courses related to construction engineering and management:

• CIE303 Geodesy/GIS/GPS

• CIE415 Professional Practice Issues

For students who desire specialization in construction engineering and management, the following technical electives are recommended:

• CIE429 Reinforced Concrete Design

• CIE491 Construction Estimating

• CIE493 Project Management

• EAS480 Technical Communications

In some cases, students may also select from certain graduate courses in the construction engineering and management program (see Registration in the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Studies Manual). Typical selections include:

• CIE592 Construction Scheduling

• CIE594 Computer Applications In Construction

• CIE595 Construction Technology, Equipment, and Safety

• CIE597 Construction Safety and Health

In addition to the above courses, students may obtain field experience by enrolling in CIE404 (Civil Engineering Internship), which may be used as a technical elective during the senior year. Currently, internships are available with several consulting firms that specialize in construction engineering and management.

Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering addresses diverse problems such as drinking water supply, air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials control, storm water management, solid waste disposal, public health, and ecosystem management. Environmental engineering is a multidisciplinary profession that blends engineering principles with the natural sciences (chemistry, biology, geology), mathematics, statistics, and computer science. Environmental engineers find employment in a wide range of positions including engineering consulting firms, industry, government agencies, municipalities, public and private laboratories, research organizations, and educational institutions.

The Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering offers a B.S. degree in environmental engineering in addition to the specialization track within the B.S. civil engineering program. The latter program is designed to equip students for a variety of career opportunities. As part of the required civil engineering curriculum, all students take the following courses related to environmental engineering:

• CIE340 Environmental Engineering

• CIE343 Hydraulic Engineering

• CIE354 Fluid Mechanics

For students who desire additional specialization in environmental engineering within the civil engineering program, the following technical electives are recommended:

• CIE441 Ecological Engineering

• CIE442 Treatment Process Engineering

• CIE449 Environmental Engineering Design

Other environmental engineering technical electives include:

• CIE444 Hydrologic Engineering

• CIE445 Groundwater Engineering

• CIE447 Environmental Engineering Practicum

• CIE448 Chemical Principles of Environmental Engineering

• CIE469 Hazardous Waste Management

• EAS480 Technical Communications

In some cases, students may also select from certain graduate courses in the environmental engineering program (see Registration in the Civil Engineering Graduate Studies Manual). Typical selections include:

• CIE543 Water Quality Modeling

• CIE546 Environmental Fluid Mechanics

• CIE565 Biological Principles in Environmental Engineering

In addition to the above courses, students may obtain field experience by enrolling in a civil engineering Internship (CIE404), which may be used as a technical elective during the senior year. Currently, internships are available with several consulting firms that specialize in environmental engineering.

Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering plays a vital role in the design and construction of the nation's civil infrastructure against natural forces, as well as in its maintenance and rehabilitation. Geotechnical engineers design foundations, ground improvement, slopes and embankments, retaining walls, dams, shoring, underpinning of structures, below-ground waste containment, soil clean-up, landfills, and wetland drainage systems. They also work in conjunction with environmental engineers in the areas of solid waste management and groundwater protection, maintaining the quality of our land and groundwater resources.

The Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering offers a broad-based education in civil engineering designed to equip students for a variety of career opportunities. As part of the required civil engineering curriculum, all students take the following courses related to geotechnical engineering:

• EAS209 Mechanics of Solids

• CIE354 Fluid Mechanics

• CIE334 Soil Mechanics

• CIE435 Foundation Engineering

For students interested in a specialization in geotechnical engineering, the following technical electives are recommended:

• CIE438 Structural Design and Construction of Foundations

• CIE458 Introduction to Geoenvironmental Engineering

• CIE476 Design and Construction of Earth Structures

Other relevant technical electives include:

• CIE426 Finite Element Structural Analysis

• CIE429 Reinforced Concrete Design

• CIE437 Pavement Design and Materials

• EAS480 Technical Communications

In some cases, students may also select from certain graduate courses in the geotechnical engineering program (see Registration in the Civil Engineering Graduate Studies Manual). Typical selections include:

• CIE530 Mechanical Behavior of Civil Engineering Materials

• CIE534 Earthquake Engineering and Foundation Dynamics

In addition to the above courses, students may obtain field experience by enrolling in a civil engineering internship (CIE404), which may be used as a technical elective during the senior year. Currently, internships are available with several consulting firms that specialize in geotechnical engineering.

Structural Engineering

Structural Engineering focuses on the design and analysis of different types of structural systems. All structures, regardless of their function, are subjected to natural forces (wind, water and earthquakes) and by man-made forces (cargo and automobile traffic), and they must be designed to withstand these forces. These structures can be as varied as buildings, bridges, pipelines, machinery, automobiles, and spacecraft. The job of the structural engineer is to create new designs or to evaluate and improve the capabilities of existing structures. In order to accomplish this, the structural engineer must be knowledgeable about the behavior of deformable bodies, about the sources, magnitudes and probability of occurrence of applied loads, about material properties, design philosophies and governmental design codes, and about computer programming and usage. As most of the building codes have seismic design requirements, structural engineers must also learn about earthquake resistant design of new structures and seismic retrofitting of existing structures.

The Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering offers a broad-based education in civil engineering designed to equip students for a variety of career opportunities. As part of the required civil engineering curriculum, all students take the following courses related to structural engineering:

• EAS209 Mechanics of Solids

• CIE323 Structural Engineering I

• CIE324 Structural Engineering II

For students who desire additional specialization in structural engineering, the following technical electives are recommended:

• CIE423 Structural Engineering III

• CIE428 Steel Design

• CIE429 Reinforced Concrete Design

• CIE430 Wood Design

Other relevant technical electives include:

• CIE424 Computer Aided Design in Civil Engineering

• CIE426 Finite Element Structural Analysis

• CIE438 Structural Design & Construction of Foundations

• EAS480 Technical Communications

In some cases, students may also select from certain graduate courses in the structural engineering program (see Registration in the Civil Engineering Graduate Studies Manual). Typical selections include:

• CIE519 Structural Dynamics & Earthquake Engineering I

• CIE521 Plastic Analysis and Design

• CIE524 Steel Structures

• CIE525 Concrete Structures

• CIE527 Design & Construction of Structural Systems

• CIE534 Earthquake Engineering and Foundation Dynamics

In addition to the above courses, students may obtain field experience by enrolling in a civil engineering internship (CIE404), which may be used as a technical elective during the senior year. Currently, internships are available with several consulting firms that specialize in structural engineering.