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.
A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared 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 Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, telephone: (410) 347-7700
Note: The highlighted is different from what appears in the printed catalog. What is displayed is current and correct.
. Consult your academic adviser for additional information.
Cultural Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
See "Cultural Diversity" in The University Catalog. Most courses taken 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 130 and POLS 155. For this major, HIST 130 may also be applied to General Education Breadth Area C1, C2, or C3, and POLS 155 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 130 (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:
Prerequisites: MATH 120 (may be taken concurrently).
| CIVL | 131 | Intro to Civil Engr Design | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CIVL 130.
| CIVL | 205 | Computer Applications in Engr | 2.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: PHYS 204A (may be taken concurrently).
Prerequisites: MATH 121; MECH 100 or MECH 102 (may be taken concurrently); PHYS 204A.
| CHEM | 111 | General Chemistry | 4.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Second-year high school algebra; one year high school chemistry. (One year of high school physics and one year of high school mathematics past Algebra II are recommended.)
| EECE | 211 | Linear Circuits I | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204B.
| EECE | 211L | Linear Circuits I Activity | 1.0 | FS |
Corequisites: EECE 211.
| MATH | 120 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; both MATH 118 and MATH 119 (or high school equivalent); a score that meets department guidelines on a department administered calculus readiness exam.
| MATH | 121 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; MATH 120 with a grade of C- or higher.
| MATH | 260 | Elem Differential Equations | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement, MATH 121 with a grade of C- or better.
| MECH | 102 | Graphics for Civil Engineers | 2.0 | FS |
| MECH | 210 | Materials Science/Engineering | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: PHYS 204A; CHEM 111 (may be taken concurrently).
Prerequisites: High school physics or faculty permission. Concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of MATH 121 (second semester of calculus) or equivalent.
| PHYS | 204B | Electricity and Magnetism | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204A with a grade of C- or higher.
1 course selected from:
| MATH | 220 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; MATH 121 with a grade of C- or higher.
| MATH | 335 | Elementary Linear Algebra | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: MATH 121.
| MATH | 350 | Intro to Probability/Stat | 3.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: MATH 121.
1 course selected from:
| BIOL | 101 | Concepts of Biology | 3.0 | FS * |
| BIOL | 108 | Principles of Biology | 3.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: High school biology and chemistry.
1 course selected from:
| BIOL | 211 | General Microbiology | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: A college course in biology and in general chemistry.
| CHEM | 112 | General Chemistry | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 111.
| GEOS | 102 | 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 101. No college credit for those who have passed GEOS 101.
| PHYS | 204C | Heat/Wave Motion/Sound/Light | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204A with a grade of C- or higher.
Upper-Division Requirements: 54 units
13 courses required:
| CIVL | 302 | Engineering Econ & Statistics | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: MATH 121, junior standing.
| CIVL | 311 | Strength of Materials | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CIVL 211; MECH 100 or MECH 102. Recommended: MECH 210.
| CIVL | 312 | Structural Testing Laboratory | 1.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CIVL 205, CIVL 311.
| CIVL | 313 | Structural Mechanics | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CIVL 205 (may be taken concurrently), CIVL 311.
| CIVL | 321 | Fluid Mechanics | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CIVL 211. Recommended: MATH 260, MECH 320 (may be taken concurrently).
| CIVL | 402 | Contracts/Specs/Tech Reports | 4.0 | FS WP |
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, junior standing.
| CIVL | 411 | Soil Mechanics and Foundations | 4.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CIVL 312 and CIVL 321 (may be taken concurrently); ENGL 130 or equivalent.
| CIVL | 415 | Reinforced Concrete Design | 4.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: CIVL 312, CIVL 313. Recommended: CIVL 411.
| CIVL | 431 | Environmental Engineering | 4.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: CHEM 111, CIVL 321; BIOL 101 or BIOL 108.
| CIVL | 441 | Transportation Engineering | 4.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: CIVL 131; CIVL 302 (may be taken concurrently); CIVL 312, CIVL 411.
| CIVL | 495 | Lifelong Development Engineers | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 or equivalent; senior standing.
Prerequisites: CIVL 211; MATH 260 (may be taken concurrently).
| MECH | 332 | Thermodynamics | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: PHYS 204A. Recommended: PHYS 204C.
CIVL 302 and CIVL 495 are approved General Education courses for the Civil Engineering major.
6 units selected from:
Any 500-level CIVL, 400/500-level MECH, or 400-level EECE courses, or MECH 308 or MECH 338.
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 minimum 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 minimum 2.0 GPA in: (a) All courses required for the major, and (b) All Civil Engineering (CIVL) courses taken at CSU, Chico to meet major requirements.
A student receiving a grade of D+ or lower in CIVL 211, CIVL 311, or CIVL 321 (or their transfer equivalents) must repeat the course with a grade of C- or higher prior to enrolling in any other CIVL course for which the subject course is prerequisite. The student may petition the Department of Civil Engineering to review the application of this 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.