Undergraduate programs - Civil and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering B.S. (BSCE)

The BSCE degree includes required courses in the analysis and design of structures, applied hydraulics, surveying, soil mechanics and foundations, engineering project management, transportation engineering and environmental/water resources engineering.

Students often choose a specialty area in their senior year: structural analysis and design, environmental engineering, water resources, transportation engineering or geotechnical engineering. Students are encouraged to speak with faculty members in specialty areas to find out more about these fields.

The BSCE program is accredited by Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 415 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, a national organization that sets standards for engineering education defined in terms of curricular content, quality of faculty, and adequacy of facilities of engineering programs.

BSCE Program Educational Objectives

The civil engineering program at Portland State University prepares graduates to practice civil engineering responsibly and ethically by (1) working effectively in the professional engineering community and (2) continuing to learn and enhance their abilities in civil engineering.

BSCE Student Outcomes

Graduates of the civil engineering program at Portland State University will have the skills and abilities to prepare them to begin professional practice or to succeed in graduate studies.

Graduates will have:

(A) An ability to apply principles of mathematics, science, and engineering to the analysis and design of civil engineering projects.

(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 participate in projects that cross disciplines and to function on multi-disciplinary teams.

(E) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.

(F) An understanding of the professional and ethical responsibility of engineers in a broad societal context.

(G) An ability to communicate effectively.

(H) The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context.

(I) A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in continuing professional development and life-long learning.

(J) Knowledge of relevant contemporary issues.

(K) An ability to use the modern techniques, skills, and engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

(L) An ability to apply knowledge in the following civil engineering discipline areas: structural, geotechnical, environmental/water resources, and transportation.

(M) An awareness of the need for professional registration in career development.

Requirements

BSCE majors must complete all University and department degree requirements:

  1. Freshmen and sophomore math, science, and engineering courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C;
  2. Junior and senior engineering and science courses, and EC 314U must be completed with a minimum grade of C-;
  3. Prerequisite courses must be passed with the minimum grade ("C" for 100 and 200 level courses, "C-" for 300 and 400 level courses) or better in order to move ahead in the sequence;
  4. The student’s cumulative PSU GPA must be 2.33 or higher to graduate from the BSCE program;
  5. Any deviation from the required courses including engineering and mathematics substitutions must be approved in writing by the Department Chair.

Transfer students should follow the information found on the MCECS Transfer Page: https://www.pdx.edu/cecs/transferring-credits

Freshman Year

CE 111Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering

3

CE 112Civil and Environmental Engineering Computations

3

CE 115Civil Engineering Drawing and Spatial Analysis

3

Ch 221General Chemistry I

4

Ch 222General Chemistry II

4

Ch 227General Chemistry Laboratory

1

Ch 228General Chemistry Laboratory

1

Mth 251Calculus I

4

Mth 252Calculus II

4

Mth 261Introduction to Linear Algebra

4

Freshman Inquiry

15

Total Credit Hours:46

Sophomore Year

EAS 211Statics

4

EAS 212Strength of Materials

4

EAS 215Dynamics

4

CE 211Plane Surveying and Mapping

3

CE 212Field Problems in Plane Surveying

1

Mth 254Calculus IV

4

Mth 256Applied Ordinary Differential Equations

4

Ph 221General Physics (with Calculus) I

3

Ph 222General Physics (with Calculus) II

3

Ph 223General Physics (with Calculus) III

3

Ph 214Lab for Ph 201 or Ph 211 or Ph 221

1

Ph 215Lab for Ph 202 or Ph 212 or Ph 222

1

Ph 216Lab for Ph 203 or Ph 213 or Ph 223

1

Sophomore Inquiry

12

Total Credit Hours:48

Junior Year

CE 315The Civil and Environmental Engineering Profession

1

CE 321CEE Properties of Materials

4

CE 361Fluid Mechanics

4

CE 324Elementary Structural Analysis

4

CE 325Indeterminate Structures

4

CE 341Soil Classification and Properties

4

CE 351Introduction to Transportation Engineering

4

CE 362Engineering Hydraulics

4

CE 364Water Resources Engineering

4

CE 371Environmental Engineering

4

G 301Geology for Engineers

3

Stat 451Applied Statistics for Engineers and Scientists I

4

Ec 314UPrivate and Public Investment Analysis

4

Total Credit Hours:48

Ec 314U is a required course that can be taken as a part of some upper-division clusters.

Senior Year

CE 444Geotechnical Design

4

CE 454Urban Transportation Systems

4

CE 484Civil & Environmental Engineering Project Management and Design I

CE 494Civil & Environmental Engineering Project Management and Design II

3

 

CE 432Structural Steel Design

4

or

CE 434Principles of Reinforced Concrete

4

Approved civil engineering electives

19

Upper-division cluster

8

Total Credit Hours:45

Approved Civil Engineering Electives:

CE 401Research

1-6

CE 403Honors Thesis

1-4

CE 404Cooperative Education/Internship

1-12

CE 405Reading and Conference

1-6

CE 406Special Projects

1-6

CE 407Seminar

1-6

CE 410-499

CE 510-599

CE 401CE 406: 4 credits recommended maximum across all numbers, 2 maximum for CE 404 Internship credit; additional credits require Department Chair approval.

CE 407: 3 credits recommended maximum; additional credits require Department Chair approval.

Total Credit Hours: 187

Students may take one course outside the CEE Department to apply toward senior electives. Approved non-CE courses are ME 321, ME 455, G 424, Geog 488, and Geog 492. Additional non-CE classes require prior approval of the CEE Department; requests should be sent to ceedept@pdx.edu prior to the start of the term.