Educational Objectives

Within a few years of graduation, graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.) program in civil engineering will:

  • be productive and contributing members of the civil engineering profession as practitioners, entrepreneurs, researchers, or teachers;
  • be engaged in learning, understanding, and applying new ideas as the field develops;
  • pursue advanced studies, if qualified and interested; and
  • promote the safety, health, and welfare of the public and the environment through professional practice and civic leadership.

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a major in civil engineering requires a minimum of 129 s.h. of credit. Students must have a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in all college work used to satisfy degree requirements as well as on all coursework attempted at the University of Iowa.

All B.S.E. students are required to take the same collegiate curriculum. For information about these collegiate requirements, see the Bachelor of Science in Engineering, B.S.E. in the Catalog. Students completing the major in civil engineering fulfill the collegiate statistics requirement by completing STAT:2020 Probability and Statistics for the Engineering and Physical Sciences. Some focus areas may suggest or require specific courses to fulfill the General Education Component of the collegiate curriculum; see "Focus Area" below.

The major in civil engineering requires the following coursework.

Collegiate Curriculum50
Major Requirements52
Focus Area27-28
Total Hours129-130

Major Requirements

Major requirements include a set of common courses (45 s.h.), four professional skills courses (4 s.h.), and one capstone design course (3 s.h.).

All of these:
CEE:1030Introduction to Earth Science (no lab required)3
CEE:2015Civil Engineering Tools2
CEE:3155Principles of Environmental Engineering4
CEE:3371Principles of Hydraulics and Hydrology3
CEE:3530Geomechanics4
CEE:3533Principles of Structural Engineering4
CEE:3586Civil Engineering Materials3
CEE:3763Principles of Transportation Engineering3
ENGR:2110Statics2
ENGR:2130Thermodynamics3
ENGR:2510Fluid Mechanics4
ENGR:2710Dynamics3
ENGR:2750Mechanics of Deformable Bodies3
And one of these:
CHEM:1120Principles of Chemistry II4
PHYS:1612Introductory Physics II (with lab)4

Professional Skills

All of these:
CEE:2010Civil and Environmental Engineering Professional Practice and Ethics1
CEE:3001Leadership Skills for Engineers1
CEE:3002Technical Communication in Civil and Environmental Engineering1
CEE:3003Project Management Skills1

Capstone Design Course

This course:
CEE:4850Project Design and Management in Civil Engineering3

Focus Area

Students must select focus area courses according to guidelines established by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Civil engineering students may choose from several standard focus areas developed by the department or create an individual focus area tailored to their interests.

Standard focus areas are offered in the broad field of civil practice and in the four technical areas: environmental engineering; hydraulics and water resources; structures, mechanics, and materials; and transportation engineering. Other areas of focus include management, pre-architecture, and urban and regional planning. To see guidelines related to tailored focus areas, visit Civil Engineering Focus Areas on the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering website.

Focus areas in civil engineering consist of content area courses, design courses, and elective courses; carefully selected elective courses may contribute to earning a minor and/or certificate. Some focus areas also may suggest or require specific courses to fulfill the General Education Component of the collegiate curriculum.

Civil Practice

Students complete five civil and environmental engineering electives (15 s.h.), two design electives (6 s.h.), and two additional elective courses (6 s.h.).

Civil and Environmental Engineering Electives

Students complete 15 s.h. in civil and environmental engineering electives. These electives may include any Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering course (prefix CEE) not already taken for the major numbered 3000 or above.

It is recommended that students select from the following courses.

CEE:3783Surveying and Remote Sensing3
CEE:3790Resilient Infrastructure and Emergency Response3
CEE:4102Groundwater3
CEE:4119Hydrology3
CEE:4158/OEH:4920Solid and Hazardous Wastes3
CEE:4159/CBE:4459/IGPI:4159Air Pollution Control Technology3
CEE:4371Water Resources Engineering3
CEE:4539Foundations of Structures3
CEE:4763Traffic Engineering3

Design Electives

Two of these:
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3
CEE:4374Water Resource Design3
CEE:4506Design of Concrete Structures3
or CEE:4535 Design of Steel Structures
CEE:4762Design of Transportation Systems3

Additional Electives

Students complete 6 s.h. in additional electives. These electives may include any Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering course (prefix CEE) numbered 3000 or above and not already taken for the major, or pre-approved courses taken outside of the College of Engineering. Students should consult with an academic advisor.

The following courses are suggested electives in the civil practice focus area.

ENGR:2120Electrical Circuits3
ENGR:2730Computers in Engineering3
ENGR:2995Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Engineering3
ISE:2500Engineering Economy3

Environmental Engineering

Students complete two required courses (7 s.h.), four focus area electives (12 s.h.), one design elective (3 s.h.), and two additional elective courses (6 s.h.).

Required Environmental Courses

Both of these:
CEE:3430Water Treatment4
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3

Environmental Electives

Four of these:
CEE:4102Groundwater3
CEE:4107/CBE:4410Sustainable Systems3
CEE:4119Hydrology3
CEE:4150/CBE:4420Environmental Chemistry3
CEE:4158/OEH:4920Solid and Hazardous Wastes3
CEE:4159/CBE:4459/IGPI:4159Air Pollution Control Technology3

Design Electives

One of these:
CEE:4374Water Resource Design3
CEE:4506Design of Concrete Structures3
CEE:4535Design of Steel Structures3
CEE:4762Design of Transportation Systems3

Additional Electives

Students complete 6 s.h. in additional electives. These electives may include any Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering course (prefix CEE) numbered 3000 or above and not already taken for the major, or pre-approved courses taken outside of the College of Engineering. Students should consult with an academic advisor.

The following courses are suggested electives in the environmental engineering focus area.

ENGR:2120Electrical Circuits3
ENGR:2730Computers in Engineering3
ENGR:2995Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Engineering3
ISE:2500Engineering Economy3

Hydraulics and Water Resources

Students complete three required courses (9 s.h.), three focus area electives (9-10 s.h.), one design elective (3 s.h.), and two additional elective courses (6 s.h.).

Required Hydraulics and Water Resources Courses

All of these:
CEE:4119Hydrology3
CEE:4371Water Resources Engineering3
CEE:4374Water Resource Design3

Hydraulics and Water Resources Electives

Three of these:
CEE:3430Water Treatment4
CEE:3783Surveying and Remote Sensing3
CEE:4102Groundwater3
CEE:4107/CBE:4410Sustainable Systems3
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3
CEE:4180Fundamentals of Atmospheric Science3
CEE:4370Open Channel Flow and Sediment Transport3

Design Elective

One of these:
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3
CEE:4506Design of Concrete Structures3
CEE:4535Design of Steel Structures3
CEE:4762Design of Transportation Systems3

Additional Electives

Students complete 6 s.h. in additional electives. These electives may include any Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering course (prefix CEE) numbered 3000 or above and not already taken for the major, or pre-approved courses taken outside of the College of Engineering. Students should consult with an academic advisor.

The following courses are suggested electives in the hydraulics and water resources focus area.

ENGR:2120Electrical Circuits3
ENGR:2730Computers in Engineering3
ENGR:2995Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Engineering3
ISE:2500Engineering Economy3

Management

Students complete five required courses (15 s.h.), two design electives (6 s.h.), and two additional elective courses (6 s.h.). Students in the management focus area must complete the minor in business administration in the Tippie College of Business; this typically requires additional coursework outside of the civil engineering major.

Required Management Courses

All of these:
ACCT:2100Introduction to Financial Accounting3
ACCT:2200Managerial Accounting3
FIN:3000Introductory Financial Management3
or ISE:2500 Engineering Economy
MGMT:2100Introduction to Management3
MKTG:3000Introduction to Marketing Strategy3

Design Electives

Two of these:
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3
CEE:4374Water Resource Design3
CEE:4506Design of Concrete Structures3
or CEE:4535 Design of Steel Structures
CEE:4762Design of Transportation Systems3

Additional Electives

Students complete 6 s.h. in additional electives. These electives may include any Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering course (prefix CEE) numbered 3000 or above and not already taken for the major. Students should consult with an academic advisor.

The following courses are suggested electives in the management focus area.

CEE:3783Surveying and Remote Sensing3
CEE:3790Resilient Infrastructure and Emergency Response3
CEE:4102Groundwater3
CEE:4119Hydrology3
CEE:4158/OEH:4920Solid and Hazardous Wastes3
CEE:4159/CBE:4459/IGPI:4159Air Pollution Control Technology3
CEE:4371Water Resources Engineering3
CEE:4539Foundations of Structures3
CEE:4763Traffic Engineering3

Pre-Architecture

Students complete two required courses (6 s.h.), one pre-architecture elective (3 s.h.), two structures electives (6 s.h.), one design elective (3 s.h.), one civil and environmental engineering elective (3 s.h.), and two art electives (6 s.h.). Students in the pre-architecture focus area must complete the minor in art in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; this typically requires additional coursework outside of the civil engineering major.

Required Pre-Architecture Courses

Both of these:
CEE:4506Design of Concrete Structures3
TDSN:2210Introduction to 3D Design3

Pre-Architecture Elective

One of these:
ANIM:2125Introduction to Animation3
DRAW:2310Life Drawing I3
DSGN:2500Graphic Design I3
PHTO:2600Photography I3
PNTG:2410Painting I3
PRNT:2610Introduction to Printmaking3

Structures Electives

Two of these:
CEE:4164Design of Wood Structures3
CEE:4535Design of Steel Structures3
CEE:4539Foundations of Structures3

Design Elective

One of these:
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3
CEE:4374Water Resource Design3
CEE:4762Design of Transportation Systems3

Civil and Environmental Engineering Elective

One of these:
A third structures course3
An additional design course3
An additional course with prefix CEE numbered 3000 or above3

Art Electives

Students complete 6 s.h. in additional electives chosen from courses that count toward the art minor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students should consult with an academic advisor.

The following courses are suggested electives in the pre-architecture focus area.

CERM:2010Ceramics I: Handbuilding3
INTM:2710/CINE:2869Introduction to Intermedia3
MTLS:2910Introduction to Jewelry and Metal Arts3
SCLP:2810Undergraduate Sculpture I3
TDSN:2240/CEE:2240Digital Drafting with AutoCAD3
TDSN:2250Digital Prototyping3

Structures, Mechanics, and Materials

Students complete two required courses (6 s.h.), four focus area electives (12 s.h.); one design elective (3 s.h.); and two additional elective courses (6 s.h.).

Required Structures, Mechanics, and Materials Courses

Both of these:
CEE:4506Design of Concrete Structures3
CEE:4535Design of Steel Structures3

Structures, Mechanics, and Materials Electives

12 s.h. from these:
CEE:3783Surveying and Remote Sensing3
CEE:4135Structural Modeling and Health Monitoring3
CEE:4160Introduction to Bridge Engineering3
CEE:4162Structural Systems for Buildings3
CEE:4164Design of Wood Structures3
CEE:4511/ME:4111Scientific Computing and Machine Learning3
CEE:4512/ME:4112Engineering Design Optimization3
CEE:4532/ME:4153Fundamentals of Vibrations3
CEE:4533/IGPI:4115Finite Element I3
CEE:4539Foundations of Structures3
CEE:5179/ME:5179Continuum Mechanicsarr.
CEE:5236/BME:5720Optimization of Structural Systems3
CEE:5540/ME:5150Intermediate Mechanics of Deformable Bodies3

Design Elective

One of these:
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3
CEE:4374Water Resource Design3
CEE:4762Design of Transportation Systems3

Additional Electives

Students complete 6 s.h. in additional electives. These electives may include any Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering course (prefix CEE) numbered 3000 or above and not already taken for the major, or pre-approved courses taken outside of the College of Engineering. Students should consult with an academic advisor.

The following courses are suggested electives in the structures, mechanics, and materials focus area.

ENGR:2120Electrical Circuits3
ENGR:2730Computers in Engineering3
ENGR:2995Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Engineering3
ISE:2500Engineering Economy3

Transportation Engineering

Students complete one required course (3 s.h.), five focus area electives (15 s.h.), one design elective (3 s.h.), and two additional elective courses (6 s.h.).

Required Transportation Course

This course:
CEE:4762Design of Transportation Systems3

Transportation Electives

15 s.h. from these:
CEE:3142/ISE:3600/STAT:3620Quality Control3
CEE:3783Surveying and Remote Sensing3
CEE:3790Resilient Infrastructure and Emergency Response3
CEE:3998Individual Investigations: Civil Engineeringarr.
CEE:4160Introduction to Bridge Engineering3
CEE:4176/URP:4262Transportation Research Methods and Analysis3
CEE:4560Pavement Engineering3
CEE:4730Transportation Infrastructure Construction and Management3
CEE:4763Traffic Engineering3
CEE:5678/URP:5678Application Simulation to Transportation3

Design Elective

One of these:
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3
CEE:4374Water Resource Design3
CEE:4506Design of Concrete Structures3
CEE:4535Design of Steel Structures3

Additional Electives

Students complete 6 s.h. in additional electives. These electives may include any Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering course (prefix CEE) numbered 3000 or above and not already taken for the major, or pre-approved courses taken outside of the College of Engineering. Students should consult with an academic advisor.

The following courses are suggested electives in the transportation engineering focus area.

ENGR:2120Electrical Circuits3
ENGR:2720Materials Science3
ENGR:2995Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Engineering3
ISE:2500Engineering Economy3

Urban and Regional Planning

Students complete two required courses (6 s.h.), three focus area electives (9 s.h.), two design electives (6 s.h.), and two additional elective courses (6 s.h.).

Students planning to pursue the combined Bachelor of Science in Engineering/Master of Science program in urban and regional planning should complete URP:6202 Land Use Planning: Law and Practice and URP:6203 The Making of Cities: Histories and Theories of Planning. These courses can be counted toward the collegiate curriculum General Education Component approved course subjects requirement. See Combined Programs in this section of the Catalog.

Required Urban and Regional Planning Courses

Both of these:
URP:6201/PBAF:6201Analytic Methods II3
URP:6205/PBAF:6205Economics for Policy Analysis3

Urban and Regional Planning Electives

Three of these:
URP:4262/CEE:4176Transportation Research Methods and Analysis3
URP:6233/PBAF:6233Public Finance and Budgeting3
URP:6256/PBAF:6256Environmental Policy3
URP:6266/PBAF:6266Transportation and Land Use Planning3
URP:6271/PBAF:6271Housing Policy3

Design Electives

Two of these:
CEE:4157Environmental Engineering Design3
CEE:4374Water Resource Design3
CEE:4506Design of Concrete Structures3
or CEE:4535 Design of Steel Structures
CEE:4762Design of Transportation Systems3

Additional Electives

Students complete 6 s.h. in additional electives. These electives may include any Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering course (prefix CEE) numbered 3000 or above and not already taken for the major. Students should consult with an academic advisor.

The following courses are suggested electives in the urban and regional planning focus area.

CEE:3783Surveying and Remote Sensing3
CEE:3790Resilient Infrastructure and Emergency Response3
CEE:4102Groundwater3
CEE:4119Hydrology3
CEE:4158/OEH:4920Solid and Hazardous Wastes3
CEE:4159/CBE:4459/IGPI:4159Air Pollution Control Technology3
CEE:4371Water Resources Engineering3
CEE:4539Foundations of Structures3
CEE:4763Traffic Engineering3

B.S.E./M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering

The College of Engineering offers the combined Bachelor of Science in Engineering/Master of Science program for civil engineering undergraduate students who intend to earn a M.S. in civil and environmental engineering. B.S.E./M.S. students may attend the departmental graduate seminar and work on a master's thesis or research project while they are still undergraduates. They may count a limited amount of coursework toward both degrees. Once students complete the requirements for the bachelor's degree, they are granted the B.S.E., and they are expected to complete the M.S. one year later.

To be admitted to the degree program, students must have completed at least 80 s.h. and have a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.25. They must submit an application form to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, along with a letter stating their proposed area of specialization and the name of a department faculty member willing to be their primary M.S. advisor. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores are not required for the degree program.

Applications are due by May 15.

B.S.E./M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning

The College of Engineering and the School of Planning and Public Affairs offer the combined Bachelor of Science in Engineering/Master of Science program in urban and regional planning. The program, which is completed in five years, is designed for students who wish to pursue a public or private sector career in planning, a field that encompasses the development of alternatives to improve the quality of life in cities and regions.

Graduates are technically oriented professionals who have a clear understanding of policy development and implementation, which they apply to civil and industrial engineering problems. They fill positions such as public works director, transportation engineer, and public utilities staff member.

Each student in the combined program has two advisors, one in civil engineering and one in planning and public affairs. Students enroll in the College of Engineering for their first four years in the program and in the Graduate College for their fifth year. They follow the standard curriculum of their B.S.E. program during the first two years and begin adding courses from the planning and public affairs program during the third year. Successful students receive a B.S.E. at the end of the fourth year and an M.S. in urban and regional planning at the end of the fifth year.

Students in the combined program must maintain a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.00 in order to graduate with an M.S. in urban and regional planning.

For more information, see the M.S. in urban and regional planning (Graduate College) in the Catalog. Contact Engineering Student Services for information about applying to the combined program.

When it comes to building the nation’s infrastructure or protecting the natural environment, civil environmental engineers are at the forefront. They not only design roads, bridges, and structures, provide clean drinking water, and protect people from natural hazards like flooding or earthquakes, they also engage with the public to create a more sustainable future. On average, 93-98 percent of graduates are employed in their field of study or pursuing advanced education within seven months of graduation.

Engineering Career Services develops and promotes experiential education and professional opportunities for students in the College of Engineering. Professional staff coordinate the college's co-op and internship program, engage in employer outreach, and provide opportunities for students to network with employers, including engineering career fairs and other programming related to career development.

Engineering Career Services offers individual advising and class presentations on résumé and cover letter preparation, job and internship search strategies, interviewing skills, job offer evaluation, and much more. Engineering Career Services partners with the Pomerantz Career Center to facilitate on-campus interviewing, postgraduation outcome collection, and the University's online recruiting system, Handshake.