The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Civil engineering graduates qualify for graduate school or professional work in a broad spectrum of engineering activities. The program is well balanced, stressing environmental engineering; engineering mechanics; soil mechanics and foundations; structural analysis and design; surveying and mapping; transportation and traffic engineering; water resources and hydraulics; and construction engineering and management, city planning, and administration.

Civil Engineering Program Mission

The civil enginering program has two comprehensive objectives: to prepare graduates for immediate entry into a variety of professional careers and to provide a solid undergraduate foundation in general principles enabling continued education at advanced levels.

Civil Engineering Educational Objectives

The CSU, Chico Civil Engineering program educational objectives are best framed in terms of the following goals for its graduates:

1. Civil Engineering graduates will be prepared to be effective engineers and problem solvers.

2. They will be well educated in engineering sciences and proficient in at least four recognized civil engineering areas.

3. They will be able to effectively use engineering technology that will enhance their productivity.

4. They will be familiar with applicable regulatory and professional issues.

5. They will be effective written, technical, and oral communicators, and be able to function effectively as members of multi-disciplinary teams.

6. They will have an appreciation for the individual, society, good citizenship, community service, ethical conduct, and human heritage, and they will be aware of the impact of their designs on humankind and the environment.

Civil Engineering Design Experience

The civil engineering program is a traditional balance of engineering science and design. The design sequence follows a logical and progressive path culminating during the senior year with advanced civil engineering design experience in environmental (C E 288), structural (C E 255), and transportation and traffic engineering and design (C E 270). Students progress to these advanced design classes after completion of the foundation courses in mathematics and basic science during the first three years of study. Also, during the first three years of the program there is a comprehensive group of engineering courses on surveying and mapping, engineering computer applications, engineering mechanics, fluid mechanics and hydraulics, structural mechanics, soil mechanics and foundations, thermodynamics and electrical circuits which provide depth of knowledge in the engineering sciences and introduce concepts of basic to mid-level engineering design. During the senior year, there is a group of classes—C E 119 Contracts, Specifications and Technical Report Writing, C E 121 Engineering Economy and Statistics, and ENGR 195 Lifelong Development—which address issues of ethics and professionalism that are essential components of the design projects required in the advanced design classes.

Civil engineering students are initially introduced to CE design concepts during their first year of study in C E 011. This class introduces students to design basics, process and creativity with little or no emphasis from engineering science. Subsequent classes build on the design experience, culminating in the senior design courses. The table below follows the progression of courses including elements of engineering science and design which qualifies students to take the advanced design classes in environmental, structural and transportation engineering.

1. Introduction to civil engineering design: C E 011*

2. Engineering science and basic to mid-level engineering design:
Mechanics: C E 035, C E 101*, C E 102*, C E 150*, and C E 153
Soil Mechanics: C E 250*
Computer Applications: C E 020

3. Breadth subjects: C E 119*, C E 121, and ENGR 195*

*Indicates classes with some design.

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree: 132 units

See “Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree” in The University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

The department has prepared a suggested Four Year Advising Plan to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major adviser or view it and other current advising information on the CSU, Chico Web.

General Education Requirements: 48 units

Civil engineering major requirements have modifications to the university’s General Education Requirements. The following courses, together with the approved General Education courses required for the civil engineering major, fulfill the General Education Requirement.

1. Select one course from each of the following Breadth areas: A1, A2, C (either C1 or C2 or C3), and D (either D1, or D2, or D3).
2. Select two courses from the same Upper-Division Theme. Consult with an adviser to determine which two courses in the selected theme meet the Upper-Division Theme Requirement for civil engineering majors.

Accreditation Requirement

Courses must be selected in such a manner as to satisfy the humanities, social science, mathematics, base science, and engineering topics requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Consult your academic adviser for additional information.

Cultural Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units

See “Cultural Diversity” in The University Catalog. Most courses used to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.

American Institutions Requirement: 6 units

See the “American Institutions Requirement” under “Bachelor’s Degree Requirements.” For this major, this requirement is normally fulfilled by completing HIST 050 and POLS 055. For this major, HIST 050 may also be applied to General Education Breadth Area C1, C2, or C3, and POLS 055 may also be applied to General Education Breadth Area D1, D2, or D3.

Literacy Requirement:

See “Mathematics and Writing Requirements” in The University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or better to receive WP credit. See The Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must pass ENGL 001 (or its equivalent) with a C- or better before you may register for a WP course.

Course Requirements for the Major: 107-109 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree.

Lower-Division Requirements: 53-55 units

14 courses required:

C E    010    Surveying    3.0    FA

Prerequisites: MATH 007A (may be taken concurrently).

C E    011    Intro to Civil Engineering Desn    3.0    SP

Prerequisites: C E 010.

C E    020    Computer Applications in Engr    2.0    SP

Prerequisites: MATH 007B, PHYS 004A.

C E    035    Statics    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: M E 025, PHYS 004A; MATH 007C (may be taken concurrently).

CHEM    037    General Chemistry    4.0    FS *

Prerequisites: Second-year high school algebra; one year high school chemistry or CHEM 016. (One year of high school physics and one year of high school mathematics past Algebra II are recommended.)

ECE    095    Electrical Circuits and Devices    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: PHYS 004B (may be taken concurrently), MATH 007C (may be taken concurrently).
Corequisites: ECE 095L.

ECE    095L    Circuits and Devices Activity    1.0    FS

Corequisite: ECE 095

MATH    007A    Analytic Geometry and Calculus    4.0    FS *

Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; both MATH 004 and MATH 006 (or high school equivalent); a score that meets department guidelines on a department administered calculus readiness exam.

MATH    007B    Analytic Geometry and Calculus    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; MATH 007A with a grade of C- or higher.

MATH    007D    Elem Diff Equation/Vector Calc    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; MATH 007C with a grade of C- or better.

M E    025    Engineering Graphics    2.0    FS

M E    045    Materials Engineering    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: CHEM 037, PHYS 004A.

PHYS    004A    Mechanics    4.0    FS *

Prerequisites: High school physics or faculty permission. Concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of MATH 007B (second semester of calculus) or equivalent.

PHYS    004B    Electricity and Magnetism    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: MATH 007B, PHYS 004A.

1 course selected from:

MATH    007C    Analytic Geometry and Calculus    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; MATH 007B with a grade of C- or higher.

MATH    105A    Intro to Probability/Statistics    3.0    FA

Prerequisites: MATH 007B.

MATH    135    Elementary Linear Algebra    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: MATH 007B.

1 course selected from:

BIOL    001    Concepts of Biology    3.0    FS *

BIOL    008    Principles of Biology    3.0    FS *

Prerequisites: High school biology and chemistry.

1 course selected from:

BIOL    011    General Microbiology    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: A college course in biology and in general chemistry.

CHEM    038    General Chemistry    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: CHEM 037.

GEOS    002    Physical Geology    3.0    FS *

Prerequisites: High school chemistry or physics is recommended; students with no previous science courses are advised to enroll in GEOS 001. No college credit for those who have passed GEOS 001.

PHYS    004C    Heat/Wave Motion/Sound/Light    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: MATH 007B, PHYS 004A.

Upper-Division Requirements: 54 units

13 courses required:

C E    101    Strength of Materials    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: C E 035, MATH 007C. Recommended: M E 045.

C E    102    Materials Testing Laboratory    1.0    FS

Prerequisites: C E 020, C E 101.

C E    119    Contracts/Specs/Tech Reports    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: ENGL 001 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher; junior standing (completion of 60 college units).

C E    121    Engineering Economy & Statistics    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: Either C E 020 or CSCI 065 or ECE 090 or M E 038; CMST 011 (may be taken concurrently); junior standing (completion of 60 college units).

C E    150    Fluid Mechanics    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: C E 035, MATH 007C; either C E 020 or ECE 090 or M E 038 (may be taken concurrently).
Recommended: M E 135 (may be taken concurrently).

C E    153    Structural Mechanics    4.0    FS

Prerequisites: C E 020, C E 101.

C E    250    Soil Mechanics and Foundations    4.0    SP

Prerequisites: C E 020; C E 102 (may be taken concurrently); C E 150; ENGL 001.

C E    255    Reinforced Concrete Design    4.0    FA

Prerequisites: C E 102; C E 153; C E 250.

C E    270    Transportation Engineering    4.0    FA

Prerequisites: C E 011; C E 102; C E 121 (may be taken concurrently); C E 250.

C E    288    Environmental Engineering I    4.0    SP

Prerequisites: CHEM 037; C E 150.

ENGR    195    Lifelong Development Engineers    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: ENGL 001; graduation in engineering expected within 12 months.

M E    135    Dynamics    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: C E 035; MATH 007D (may be taken concurrently).

M E    152    Thermodynamics    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: PHYS 004A. Recommended: PHYS 004C.

C E 121 and ENGR 195 are approved General Education courses for the Civil Engineering major.

6 units selected from:

Any 200-level Engineering courses (C E, ECE, or M E).

3 units selected from:

Other technical courses to be chosen from a list approved by the department.

Patterns of Specialization:

CONSTRUCTION, ENVIRONMENTAL, STRUCTURAL, TRANSPORTATION, and WATER RESOURCE ENGINEERING patterns are available to civil engineering students who choose to select the four major electives from a restricted group of classes which emphasize study in the selected pattern. Graduates who satisfy an elective pattern will receive Civil Engineering Department recognition for the specialty area of their degree. Additional information is available from the CE office or faculty adviser.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade, except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

All students must attain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) in all college courses attempted and for all courses attempted at Chico. Civil Engineering majors must also attain a 2.0 GPA in:
(a) All courses required for the major, and
(b) All Civil Engineering (C E) courses taken at CSU, Chico to meet major requirements.

By policy, a student receiving a grade of D+ or lower in C E 035, C E 101, or C E 150 (or their transfer equivalents) may not progress in the Civil Engineering program until the course is repeated with a grade of C- or higher. The student may petition the Department of Civil Engineering to review the application of the policy in his/her situation if serious and compelling conditions contributed to the poor grade.

Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate adviser for specific information.

A sample program for students who wish to complete their major in four years is available upon written request to the department, CSU, Chico, CA 95929-0930.

Honors in the Major

Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major.
It involves 6 units of honors course work over two semesters.

Your Honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair. Most importantly, however, the Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the university for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or competition in shows; such experience is valuable for graduate school and later professional life.

Some common features of Honors in the Major are

1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. You must complete the 6 units with a minimum grade of B.
2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 units overall in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department.
4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department.
5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year.
6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your Honors project.

While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your department chair to apply.

Honors in Civil Engineering

The common elements of the Honors in the Major program listed above apply to Honors in Civil Engineering. Specific information for this program includes:
1. In addition to meeting the GPA requirements, you must be recommended by a faculty member.
2. Students who are admitted into the department’s Honors in the Major program may elect to take any two upper-division civil engineering electives for honors credit. The honors section will be identified on your transcript. The courses are usually spread over two semesters. You must complete them with a minimum grade of B and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall.
3. Each Honors in the Major class will require completion of the course plus an additional honors project and culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.