Department of Civil Engineering

Mission and Goals of the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Program of Study

The mission of the Department of Civil Engineering is to advance civil engineering knowledge, solutions and practices, through research and the education of civil engineers who: have a balanced and integrated education; are creative, independent, practical thinkers; and are world-class leaders and designers. Our goal is to prepare our students to be productive contributors to an increasingly technical society, but with an appreciation for the broader societal issues in which technical decisions are made.

 

The undergraduate program goals that appear in the department strategic plan are to continuously improve a curriculum that is fundamentally sound, while introducing state-of-the-art concepts. The areas of environmental, geotechnical, structural and transportation engineering must be thriving elements of the program. We make efficient use of resources through an integrated curriculum that supports and makes best-use of the mandatory co-op program that was established for all students entering fall 1997 and thereafter.

 

The Department is committed to a high degree of student service. The advising and student service functions are designed to provide a very visible, accessible and approachable team. Frequent, personal and accurate communications are key to good student service and advising. Making good use of available technologies, such as e-mail and the Department web page, increases communication and convenience for the student. Retention is a natural consequence of providing a quality, contemporary learning experience in a caring atmosphere.

 

Each student is taught to apply basic scientific principles to the planning, design and construction of public facilities. Students are expected to gain a broad understanding of technical fundamentals, to increase problem solving skills and to develop professional attitudes and abilities. Through laboratory experiences, our students are able to make measurements on and to interpret data obtained from physical phenomena. Opportunities for our students to work on a variety of group projects, to prepare written reports and to make oral presentations are all used to develop communication skills and teamwork throughout the curriculum. Furthermore, the co-operative education experiences of our students provide them with real-world work experiences that introduce them to the practice of civil engineering while placing their academic studies in a realistic context with social and fiscal constraints. Graduates of our program are prepared for positions of increasing responsibility, and ultimately leadership, as practicing engineers in industry and government agencies. Students also develop an appreciation of the need for continued, life-long learning to keep pace with the rapidly expanding body of knowledge available to them. Our BSCE program graduates have the preparation needed for continued study in graduate school or other forms of continued learning.

Program Educational Objectives

To satisfy the needs of our constituencies, we have defined educational objectives for the CE program. Program educational objectives (PEOs) are statements that describe what is expected of graduates during the first few years after graduation. The following PEOs have been identified:

 
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Graduates, who wish to pursue professional employment, will obtain a position in Civil Engineering or related engineering field, and will be successful in that position.
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Graduates will demonstrate continuing professional development.
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Graduates, who wish to pursue further study, will be successful. 

 

 

Civil Engineering Constituencies

The PEOs are developed based on numerous interactions of the department faculty with various constituencies and stakeholders. The educational objectives that we have developed for the program represent the collective needs and wisdom of our most important constituencies, which are enlisted below:

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Current students in the CE program
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Department of CE Industrial Advisory Board (IAB)
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Co-operative educational program employers
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Graduate and professional schools
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Employers of our graduates
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Alumni of the CE program

Civil Engineering Program Outcomes

 The faculty in the Department of Civil Engineering has adopted the program outcomes listed in Criterion 3 of the Engineering Accreditation Criteria and the CE Program Criteria and other similar programs. They are shown below:   

General Engineering Program Outcomes

Engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have:

  a.    an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;

  b.    an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data;

  c.    an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as 

       economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability ;

  d.    an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams;

  e.    an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems;

  f.     an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility;

  g.    an ability to communicate effectively;

  h.    the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context;

  i.     a recognition and the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning;

  j.     a knowledge of contemporary issues;

  k.    an ability to use the techniques, skills,, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

  Civil Engineering Program Outcomes  

The civil engineering program must demonstrate that graduates have:

A.     proficiency in mathematics through differential equations, probability and statistics; calculus-based physics, and general chemistry;

B.     proficiency in a minimum of four (4) recognized major civil engineering areas;

C.      the ability to conduct laboratory experiments and to critically analyze and interpret data in more than one of the recognized major civil engineering areas;

D.     the ability to perform civil engineering design by means of design experiences integrated throughout the professional component of the curriculum; and

E.      an understanding of professional practice issues such as: procurement of work; bidding versus quality based selection processes;  how the design professionals and the construction professions interact to construct a project;  the importance of professional licensure and continuing education; and/or other professional practice issues.

The nine Civil Engineering Program Educational Objectives are summarized and mapped to Criterion 3 in the following table. By studying this table it can be determined that attainment of the (a – k) program outcomes listed above ensures that we will also achieve our program educational objectives. It illustrates how attainment of these specific program outcomes maps to our educational objectives. One sees that all of the specific program outcomes relate to at least one educational objective. Therefore, by assuring that our Civil Engineering program meets the program outcomes, then we are achieving the educational objectives that we have defined.

 

                         Relationship Between Civil Engineering Educational Objectives and Program Outcomes and Civil Specific Prgram Outcomes

 

Civil Engineering Educational Objectives

Civil Engineering Program Outcomes (Criteria)                                      

Civil Specific Program Outcomes

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

A

B

C

D

E

Graduates, who wish     to pursue professional employment, will     obtain a position in     Civil Engineering or related engineering   field, and will be successful in that position.      

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

X

  

 

 

X

  

 

 

X

  

 

 

X

  

 

 

X

Graduates will demonstrate   continuing      professional  development.

                  

X

  

X

  

 

        

X

Graduates, who  wish    to pursue further    study, will be   successful.

 

X

 

X 

 

X

 

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

  

X

  

X

  

X

  

 

The Civil Engineering curriculum at the University of Toledo is designed to ensure that our students meet the educational objectives and the program outcomes described by Criteria 3(a-k). The table below shows the mapping between our specific Civil Engineering courses and the ABET's (a-k) criteria and the Civil Specific Program Outcomes (A-E). In total, our curriculum satisfies the (a-k) and (A-E) program outcomes based on the satisfactory completion of the requirements identified for this assembly of courses.

Outcome Objectives

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

A

B

C

D

E

MATH 1850  Calculus I

T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T

        
MATH 1860  Calculus II T                    

T

        

MATH 2850

Calculus III

T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T

        

 MATH 2890  Num Methods & Lin Algebra

T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T

        

MATH 3860  Differential Eq

T