Program Coordinator: Goli Nossoni, Ph.D.
STEM Designation: This program is STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)-designated by the Department of Homeland Security. For more information, please see https://www.newhaven.edu/admissions/stem-designated-programs.php
The B.S. program in civil engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.
Civil engineering is about community service; development and improvement; the planning, design, construction, and operation of facilities essential to modern life. Civil engineers are problem solvers taking on the challenges of environmental pollution, traffic congestion, infrastructure rehabilitation, drinking water and energy needs, urban redevelopment, and community planning. They are at the forefront of technology, leading users of some of the most sophisticated high-tech products available (for example, GPS and GIS systems; fiber-optic sensors; CAD systems; and highly sophisticated, task-specific computer software). Innovation is paramount in the solution to most civil engineering projects.
Program Mission and Educational Objectives
The mission of the Civil Engineering program is to provide a state-of-the-art/state-of-practice program designed to:
- Educate new generations of civil engineers to meet the challenges, demands, and expectations of our global society;
- Promote scholarship, responsibility, and service among our graduates;
- Provide experiences that advance students' technical, interpersonal and teamwork skills, and promote an entrepreneurial mindset;
- Enhance student learning through engaged classroom experiences and exposure to real world applications.
In order to achieve its mission, the Civil Engineering program has adopted the following educational objectives and program outcomes:
Educational Objectives
Within a few years of graduation, the graduates of the Civil Engineering Program at the University of New Haven will:
- Practice the profession of civil engineering, make progress toward Professional Engineering licensure and/or pursue graduate studies.
- Serve the civil engineering profession and society through involvement in community and professional organizations.
- Engage in life-long learning through professional training and/or independent inquiry and study to meet their career goals.
- Develop the expertise that allows graduates to make judgment-based decisions with confidence.
- Contribute creative ideas and innovations that empower others and promotes advancements in their profession.
Program Outcomes
Upon satisfactory completion of the Civil Engineering program, students should:
- Have the ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- Have the ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- Have the ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- Have the ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- Have the ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- Have the ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- Have the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
To help achieve the educational objectives and program outcomes presented above, the faculty of the Civil Engineering program, in combination with the other faculty of the Tagliatela College of Engineering, have developed a new and innovative curriculum: the Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral. It is an effort to provide the student, during the first two years of study, with a multidisciplinary engineering perspective.
The foundation engineering courses (EASC prefix) taken during the first two years of study serve both as the basis for depth in civil engineering study and as part of a broad multidisciplinary background. Each foundation course also stresses the development of several essential skills, such as problem solving, oral and written communication, the design process, teamwork, project management, computer analysis methods, laboratory investigation, data analysis, and model development. In the junior and senior years, the student is exposed to required and elective civil engineering course work embedded with experiences in analysis, design, and professional issues, providing insight into five civil engineering subdisciplines: structural, geotechnical, hydraulics water resources, transportation, and environmental engineering. The critical skills introduced during the first two years are further enhanced through a variety of pedagogical methods, including laboratory reports, team projects, design assignments, oral presentations, and participation in American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter activities, as well as field trips to local civil engineering projects. Upper-level technical electives provide comprehensive exposure to current, emerging, and sustainable technologies in the various civil engineering subdisciplines. Aspects of professional and ethical civil engineering practice and service to the profession and society are covered to a finite degree in all upper-level courses and extensively in the required course, "Professional and Ethical Practice of Engineering." Course work culminates with a capstone design course that provides extensive exposure to real-world design problems faced within contemporary civil engineering professional practice. Humanities and social science courses are included at all levels of the curriculum.
The Civil Engineering program is enriched by a diverse student body, which includes students of a wide range of ages, professional and nonprofessional experiences, and nationalities. Graduates of the program are encouraged to continue their education throughout their professional careers and to become registered professional engineers.
A bachelor's degree from an ABET-accredited institution is required to become a PE, a registered professional engineer. Accreditation is a testament to the quality of the Civil Engineering program.
Internship Requirement
The internship program is intended to enrich the academic experience of our undergraduate students, providing exposure to and participation in a working engineering environment. Each internship must involve a partnership consisting of students, engineering faculty, and employers/organizations to provide each student intern with an optimal experience. A minimum of 300 hours performing relevant engineering duties is required prior to graduation. Students must complete 60 credits toward the bachelor's degree in civil engineering before an internship is attempted.
The internship carries no credit for the degree; however, the requirement may be satisfied utilizing a co-op position, summer employment, and part-time or full-time positions that are approved by the student's employer and by the department/internship coordinator as relevant to the goals of the internship experience. A waiver (or substitution) of the internship requirement may be granted for students who are employed in the field, subject to a formal review by the department/internship coordinator. The student's request for such a waiver must be initiated one year prior to the anticipated graduation date.
Students must complete a total of 130 credits for the bachelor's degree in civil engineering, including the engineering requirements for the freshman year, the University Core Curriculum requirements, and the internship requirement. Students are also required to earn a cumulative quality point ratio of no less than 2.0 in all civil engineering courses and technical electives.
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