Curriculum
Overview of Curriculum
The current civil engineering curriculum is best visualized by referring to the relevant flowsheet showing courses by semester and pre or co-requisites. The curricular plan can be viewed in the UB undergraduate catalog. In addition to the foundational courses in math and science, students are exposed to all areas of civil engineering. Four specialization tracks are available to seniors during their final year of study. Contact the undergraduate studies coordinator.
Flowsheet
Interactive flowsheets show students the recommended sequence of courses based on the curricular plan. View yours at this link
Specialization Tracks
UB Curriculum
UB Curriculum is our innovative, student-centered approach to general education for undergraduate students. Our purpose-driven general education program lets students build upon their experiences from semester to semester. Review the UB Curriculum page for more information.
Required Coursework
Required courses include a number of general engineering, math and science courses, as well as courses in civil engineering. For more information on required courses in civil engineering, review the Program Requirements.
Below are curricular overviews for each year of the program:
The first two years of study build the foundation students need to be successful in the field of civil engineering. Students will take courses in physics, chemistry, earth science (geology), math through calculus and differential equations, mechanics of rigid and deformable bodies, materials, graphics, CAD, BIM and computer programming. These course develop problem solving and analytical thinking skills, which are essential for civil engineers.
Students in the third year have two-class sequences in each of the Department's civil engineering sub-disciplines: structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, transportation engineering and environmental engineering. Hands-on laboratories build practical skills from classroom instruction.
With the background acquired in the junior year, students are equipped to take design classes and engage in the professional practice/capstone design sequence. At this point, students may choose to pursue a specialization track through relevant technical electives in one of the sub-disciplines investigated during their junior year.
Technical Electives
Four upper-level technical electives are required for the BS civil engineering program. Students may select any combination of approved technical electives, subject to constraints.
Co-Ops and Internships
CIE 496 Civil Engineering Internship is a technical elective and an opportunity for students to earn academic credit while gaining experience working on a civil engineering project in a practical setting. An internship typically takes place over the summer, but students may also enroll in this course during the semester. For more information on internship requirements, visit CIE 496 on the undergraduate catalog.
EAS 496 Engineering Co-op is also a technical elective and can be used by students wishing to take a semester or two away from their studies to pursue an industry experience for an extended periods of time.
Specialization Tracks
Civil engineering majors may pursue a general degree program or configure their electives to provide specialization in one of four sub-disciplines, as detailed in the subsequent sections.
Environmental engineering is a multidisciplinary profession blending engineering and natural science principles with mathematics, statistics and computer science. Environmental engineers address diverse problems such as sustainability, drinking water supply, pollution control, and other issues, and typically find employment at public and private laboratories, industry, municipalities and other government agencies.
The Department offers a BS in environmental engineering, separate from this specialization track. The environmental engineering specialization track is designed to prepare students for a variety of career opportunities.
CIE 340 Environmental Engineering
For students who desire additional specialization in environmental engineering within the civil engineering program, the following technical electives are recommended:
CIE 441 Ecological Engineering
CIE 442 Treatment Process Engineering
CIE 444 Hydrologic Engineering
Other environmental engineering technical electives include:
CIE 445 Ground water Engineering
Geotechnical engineering is vital to the design, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and resistance of the nation’s infrastructure. Geotechnical engineers design foundations, dams, shoring, retaining walls and other systems. They often work in conjunction with environmental engineers in solid waste management and groundwater protection.
CIE 435 Foundation Engineering
For students interested in a specialization in geotechnical engineering, the following technical electives are recommended:
CIE 438 Advanced Foundation Design and Construction
CIE 445 Groundwater Engineering
CIE 476 Design and Construction of Earth Structures
Other relevant technical electives include:
CIE 437 Pavement Design and Materials
CIE 469 Brownfield Restoration
In some cases, students may also select from certain graduate courses in the geotechnical engineering program. Typical selections include:
Structural engineering focuses on the analysis and design of different systems like bridges, buildings, pipelines, automobiles, spacecrafts, etc. Structural engineers develop new designs, evaluate and enhance capabilities of existing structures. Students in this program develop knowledge about the behavior of deformable bodies, the occurrences, magnitudes and probability of occurrence of applied loads, governmental design codes and other information crucial to structural engineering. Most of the business codes students learn have seismic design requirements, and structural engineers must also learn about earthquake resistant design for new structures and seismic retrofitting of existing structures.
CIE 324 Introduction to Structural Design
For students who desire additional specialization in structural engineering, the following technical electives are recommended:
CIE 423 Structural Engineering III
CIE 429 Reinforced Concrete Design
CIE 430 Design of Wood Structures
CIE 423 is particularly valuable for those students planning to attend graduate school to specialize in structural engineering. Other relevant technical electives include:
CIE 424 Computer-Aided Design in Civil Engineering
CIE 411 Applied Mathematics in Civil Engineering
In some cases, students may also select from certain graduate courses in the structural engineering program. Typical selections include:
CIE 519 Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering I
Transportation systems engineering is responsible for the planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of transportation infrastructure (highways, airports, railways, etc.). Engineers in this field typically work for federal and state agencies, private consulting firms and other transportation agencies. Transportation systems provide indispensable societal and economical functions, and transportation engineers must be equipped with an understanding transportation principles and knowledge of engineering fundamentals, science, statistics, economics and social sciences.
GEO 481 Geographic Information Systems
CIE 308 Engineering Statistics
CIE 439 Transportation System Analysis
For students who desire additional specialization in transportation engineering, the following technical electives are recommended:
CIE 424 Computer-Aided Design in Civil Engineering (MicroStation)
CIE 429 Reinforced Concrete Design
CIE 436 Traffic Operations and Design
CIE 437 Pavement Design and Materials
CIE 440 Travel Demand Forecasting
CIE 475 Geometric Design of Highways
In some cases, students may also select (please see the Director of Undergraduate Studies for approval) from certain out-of-department courses, such as: