Mar 28, 2024  
2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Civil Engineering


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OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 129

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: None.

Other GPA requirements to graduate: 2.0 average in all CIE courses.

Contact Information: Eric N. Landis, Professor and Chair, 5711 Boardman Hall, Room 105, Tel: 581 2170, email: landis@maine.edu


Civil and environmental engineers are primarily responsible for planning, designing, and constructing facilities to serve society, all providing for the health and safety of its citizens. These facilities include highways and railroads, bridges and tunnels, airports and harbors, hydroelectric dams and power plants, irrigation and flood control projects, and the foundations and frames of buildings. Environmental engineers plan and design water purification plants, pollution control facilities, and other environmental protection projects. An engineer may specialize in one of these areas and may further specialize in a particular function such as design, management, or construction.


The objectives of the Civil and Environmental Engineering program are:  

  • Prepare individuals to become professional practitioners of civil engineering;
  • Develop fundamental science, mathematics, computer, and engineering knowledge necessary for civil engineering;
  • Provide broad education to understand the relationship between civil engineering and, other design/construction professionals and society as a whole; 
  • Prepare students to communicate facts and ideas;
  • Prepare and encourage students to continue learning beyond the undergraduate years; and
  • Promote and advance the profession of civil engineering.

More information about the department and the program can be found on our web site www.civil.umaine.edu/.

Program Description
The multifaceted nature of this society-serving profession dictates that civil engineers have proficiency in four areas: structural, geotechnical, environmental/water resources, and transportation engineering. To achieve that objective, students need to be proficient in mathematics through differential equations; probability and statistics; calculus-based physics; and general chemistry. The ability to conduct laboratory experiments and to critically analyze and interpret data in more than one of the four above-mentioned major areas is emphasized throughout the program. Design is integrated throughout the professional component of the curriculum by means of design experiences and by functioning on multidisciplinary teams.

Since civil and environmental engineering is a “societal” profession, our engineers may also be faced with economic, ethical, political, social, and legal issues. Moreover, civil engineers must be able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Therefore, societal issues and communication skills are emphasized in our civil and environmental engineering courses. Moreover, the curriculum provides for “Human Values and Social Context” courses, including ethics, writing and public speaking. A senior “capstone” course, taken in the spring semester of the senior year, provides students an opportunity to “put it all together” around an active civil engineering project, while gaining understanding of professional practice issues.

Degrees are awarded upon satisfactory completion of 129 credits at an accumulative grade point average of not less than 2.0 in Civil Engineering courses. The program in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 - telephone (410) 347-7700.

Cooperative “Work Experience” Program Option
Students who are engaged in engineering related summer jobs under the direction of the department’s co-op coordinator can earn three credits of technical elective through the cooperative education program of the department.

Employment Opportunities
Civil and environmental engineers work in consulting firms, construction, manufacturing industries such as paper, chemical, and ship building in the engineering offices of cities and towns, for government agencies and in private practice.

Scholarships
The department offers PaCEsetter Scholarships for outstanding first-year students majoring in civil and environmental engineering. In addition, students can apply for college and departmental scholarships through the College of Engineering and departmental scholarships through the department.

Suggested curriculum for the B.S. in Civil Engineering


The recommended sequence of the four-year curriculum is outlined below. Copies can also be obtained in the Civil and Environmental Engineering office with detailed explanation of the requirements. This program can be adapted to a student’s special scheduling needs in consultation with an academic advisor.

First Year - Second Semester


Second Year - First Semester


Second Year - Second Semester


Third Year - First Semester


Third Year - Second Semester


Fourth Year - First Semester


  • Credits: 2
  • (footnote 6)

  • Credits: 2
  • (footnote 6)

  • Civil Engineering or Technical Elective Credits: 3
  • (footnote 3 and 4)

  • Civil Engineering Elective Credits: 3
  • (footnotes 3 and 4)

  • Civil Engineering Elective Credits: 3
  • (footnotes 3 and 4)

  • Human Values and Social Context Elective Credits:3
  • (footnote 1)

  • CIE 4XX Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Review Credits: 0
  • (footnote 8)

Fourth Year - Second Semester


Explanation of Requirements - footnotes:


1) Students are assisted by faculty advisors in developing an elective program to meet their individual needs within the University’s general education requirements. While most of the general education requirements are automatically met with a civil engineering degree, a student is required to select an additional 15 credit hours of electives to help meet the 18 credit hour “Human Values and Social Context” requirement (the required CMJ 103 satisfies the other three credit hours).

2) General education requirements mandate two writing intensive courses. CIE 225 and CIE 366 are designated as writing intensive courses within the CIE major, while ECP 4XX meets the outside the major writing intensive course. NOTE: CIE 225 must be taken concurrently with ECP 225 and CIE 366 must be taken concurrently with ECP 366 for CIE 225 and CIE 366 to count as writing intensive courses.

3) Civil Engineering and technical electives must be a minimum of 21 credit hours with no more than two technical elective courses. Civil engineering electives are advanced (400 or 500 level) civil engineering courses. The technical elective is an advanced Civil Engineering course or CIE 394 Civil Engineering Practice or other advanced level engineering, science, or mathematics course relevant to Civil Engineering. In addition, either ERS 101 Intro. to Geology or BIO 100 Basic Biology can be taken as the technical elective.

4) It is required that students take a second course in three of the fiveareas (transportation, environmental, water resources, geotechnical, structures) to ensure the breadth required by most civil engineers.

5) Three credits of approved engineering science electives, usually in mechanical or electrical engineering, are required. Civil Engineering courses cannot be used for these three specific credit hours. Typical courses taken are:

MEE 230 Thermodynamics I

MEE 270 Dynamics

ECE 209 Electrical Networks I

6) CIE 412 and CIE 413 must be taken in the Fall semester immediately preceding CIE 411.

7) Courses that will satisfy the Approved Science Elective are: BIO 100 Basic Biology, ERS 101 Introduction to Geology and CHY 122/124 The Molecular Basis of Chemical Change.

8) Students are required to take the FE review course in the Fall semester of their senior year unless they have already passed the FE.   

SPECIAL NOTE:

Sixteen credit hours of engineering design courses are required. Eleven hours are earned in the required courses. At least five additional design must be included in the electives selected by the student. It is strongly recommended that students select electives to have second courses in three of the four areas (environmental, geotechnical, structures, and transportation/construction) as specialization is usually done at the graduate level. (The College of Engineering only allows seniors whose “advancement in the field will permit their taking a graduate level course among graduate students without disadvantage to themselves” to take 500-level courses.) The design content of CIE electives are as follows:

Engineering Science and Design Content of Departmental Electives

Course      Engineering Design    Engineering Science    Subject Area

CIE 394     1-3                          0                             —-

CIE 424     2                             1                             Transportation

CIE 425     1                             2                             Transportation

CIE 426     3                             0                             Transportation

CIE 427     1                             0                             Transportation

CIE 430     3                             1                             Environmental

CIE 431     3                             1                             Environmental

CIE 432     4                             0                             Environmental

CIE 434     4                             0                             Environmental

CIE 439     0                             3                             Environmental

CIE 440     0                             4                             Structures

CIE 442     4                             0                             Structures

CIE 443     4                             0                             Structures

CIE 450     1                             2                             Water Resources

CIE 455     1                             2                             Water Resources

CIE 456     1                             2                             Water Resources

CIE 460     3                             0                             Geotechnical

CIE 533     0                             3                             Environmental

CIE 534     0                             3                             Environmental

CIE 537     0                            3                              Environmental

CIE 540     0                             3                             Structures

CIE 543    2                              1                             Structures

CIE 544    4                              0                             Structures

CIE 545    0                              3                             Structures

CIE 547    3                              0                             Structures

CIE 548    3                              0                             Structures

CIE 549    0                              3                             Structures

CIE 556    1                              2                             Water Resources

CIE 562    3                              0                             Geotechnical

CIE 563    1                              1                             Geotechnical

CIE 564    3                              0                             Geotechnical

CIE 565    3                              0                             Geotechnical

CIE 566    3                              0                             Geotechnical

CIE 567    3                              0                             Geotechnical

Sixteen credit hours of engineering design courses are required. Eleven hours are earned in the required courses. At least five additional design must be included in the electives selected by the student. The College of Engineering only allows seniors whose “advancement in the field will permit their taking a graduate level course among graduate students without disadvantage to themselves” to take 500-level courses.  The design content and subject area of CIE electives are given above.

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