Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BS CiE)

Civil and Environmental engineers solve problems that directly affect nearly everyone’s daily life and health. They are vital to our nation’s effort to rebuild and repair the public infrastructure and protect our natural resources. One of engineering’s oldest disciplines, civil engineering focuses on designing, managing and strengthening:

• Bridges, dams and waterways
• Buildings and transportation hubs
• Energy resources and management
• Pollution control
• Roads and tunnels
• Soil science
• Waste and hazardous material disposal systems
• Water supply and sewage systems

You'll be prepared for a growing industry by the civil and environmental engineering program at Mizzou. You'll find talented and dedicated faculty focused on top notch research and teaching.

More than one-third of civil engineering graduates today go on to earn a master's degree.

Most full-time graduate students are supported as Teaching or Research Assistants. Some pursue graduate studies parttime while working full-time.

More and more civil engineers are continuing on to the doctorate degree, usually to prepare for careers in research or teaching, and to solve more sophisticated design problems. Obtaining a master's degree or Ph. D. will greatly help you become an expert in your chosen field.

In civil engineering, as in any profession, your education never ends; old knowledge is continually supplemented by new knowledge. To keep up with the changes, you may pursue continuing education programs made available by universities and by professional societies, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Becoming a Professional Engineer

As a civil engineering professional, you will be directly responsible for public safety and welfare.

Your buildings must perform according to their specifications. Your highways must carry traffic safely. Your dams cannot fail. In other words, your work reflects your experience, and must conform with accepted principles and practices of civil engineering.

To become a licensed civil engineer (professional engineer), you must complete the requirements for professional licensure established by the state or territories in which you plan to practice. This requires a combination of education, experience, and the successful completion of at least two exams. Each individual state and/or territory maintains updated information regarding specific licensing requirements.

Your first Job

In your first job, you will likely be teamed with a senior engineer. You will be guided through a variety of assignments, depending on the civil engineering specialty area you pursue. Later, job responsibility will increase with your continuing education and experience. This allows you to build your problem-solving skills and your self-confidence.

What will you do at Mizzou?

The Engineering Topics are selected to provide the necessary technical abilities and skills to meet the departmental educational objectives.

• Freshman Year
  • Basic computer and graphics courses
• Sophomore Year
  • Basic engineering science courses which ground the students in fundamentals necessary for future coursework and a sophomore design experience
• Junior Year
  • Courses provide students with the basic fundamentals in the areas of environmental engineering:
    • geotechnical engineering
    • water resources
    • structural engineering
    • and transportation/traffic engineering.
  • Many of the junior level topics courses contain elements of civil engineering design
• Senior Year
  • Elective courses in the senior year enable students to specialize in one or more areas of the program or to obtain a broad educational background across the civil engineering discipline.
  • Design is integrated throughout the curriculum starting with a sophomore design experience ( CE 3010, Decision Methods for Civil Engineering Design)

Design components are contained in most required engineering topics courses. These include:

• CE 3100 Fundamentals of Transportation Engineering
• CE 3200 Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering
• CE 3312 Reinforced Concrete Design
• CE 3313 Structural Steel Design
• CE 3400 Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering
• CE 3702 Hydrology

Design is also included in many of the elective courses, including

• CE 4100 Traffic Engineering
• CE 4300 Structural Steel Design II
• CE 4302 Advanced and Prestressed Concrete Design
• CE 4410 Foundation Engineering, etc.

Senior Capstone Project

The design experience culminates in a major senior capstone design experience, CE 4980 Civil Engineering Systems Design. The capstone design project is supplied by consultants, governmental agencies, etc. and is a project they have worked on or are currently working on. The capstone course is a real-life design experience which draws upon most prior course knowledge. The course involves working in teams, both oral and written presentations, a final design report and oversight, interaction and evaluation by practicing engineers from industry and government organizations.

ABET Outcomes

Why's this important?

ABET accreditation is assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students.

The following list of program outcomes describes what students are expected to know and be able to do at the time of graduation. Students at graduation will have:

1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics through differential equations; probability and statistics; calculus-based physics; and general chemistry to civil engineering problems,
2. the ability to conduct laboratory experiments and to critically analyze and interpret experimental data related to soil mechanics, fluid mechanics, and civil engineering materials,
3. the ability to perform civil engineering design by means of design experiences integrated throughout the professional component of the curriculum,
4. an ability to function on teams, that must integrate contributions from different areas of civil engineering towards the solution of multi-disciplinary projects,
5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve civil engineering problems,
6. an understanding of professional practice issues in civil engineering including professional and ethical responsibility, procurement of work, bidding versus quality based selection processes, how the design professionals and construction professions interact to construct a project, and the importance of professional licensure and continuing education
7. an ability to write and speak effectively,
8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of civil engineering solutions in a global and societal context,
9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning,
10. a knowledge of contemporary issues as they relate to civil engineering problems and solutions, and
11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern tools necessary for civil engineering practice particularly in the areas of environmental/water resources, geotechnical, structural and transportation engineering.