Courses of Study 2024-2025 
    
    Oct 07, 2024  
Courses of Study 2024-2025

Civil and Environmental Engineering


In the College of Engineering .


Course Offerings  

Faculty


L. K. Nozick, Director; J. D. Albertson, C. F. Arson, E. A. Cowen, R. A. Daziano, P. J. Diamessis, C. Earls, G. Gadikota, S. Galelli, H. O. Gao, A. Giometto, M. D. Grigoriu, A. Z. Gu,  D. E. Helbling, A. K. Ippolito, Q. Li, A. Malikopoulos, J.P. Mays, G. C. McLaskey, S.D. Nair, R. T. Newman, P. M. Reed, M. C. Reid, M.T. Reiter, R. E. Richardson, M. S. Rolband, S. Samaranayake, D. Swart, F.M. Vanek, D. Walton, R. Yu.

Civil Engineering:


Offered by the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Contact: 221 Hollister Hall, (607) 255-3412.

The Civil Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

While it is not a requirement, students may choose to focus in environmental engineering, fluid mechanics, hydrology, and water resources, smart cities, structural engineering, or transportation and systems.

Students must complete a minimum of 125 total credit hours to graduate.

Admission Requirements:


Students planning to affiliate with this major must complete ENGRD 2020 - Statics and Mechanics of Solids  with at least a grade of C. It is strongly recommended that ENGRD 2020  be taken as an engineering distribution during the first semester of the sophomore year.

Engineering Distribution Courses:


Civil Engineering majors are required to take ENGRD 2020 - Statics and Mechanics of Solids  as an engineering distribution course. For the second engineering distribution course, one of the following is recommended:

Major Program:


Students may substitute CHEM 2080  or CHEM 1570  for PHYS 2214  in the common curriculum. The following nine courses are required in addition to those required for the Common Curriculum.

Additional requirements:

  • 2 Major-Approved electives
  • 1 Capstone Design elective and 2 design electives from a list of approved courses that is available in Hollister 221 (also can be found in the CEE undergraduate handbook). All three design courses cannot address the same engineering context (e.g., structural engineering) . Instead, at least one of the three design courses must address a different engineering context from the others.
  • 1 technical communication course from among the courses designated ENGRC or approved communications courses. ENGRC 3610  is recommended.  If the technical communications course also fulfills another requirement (liberal studies, major approved elective, etc.), then an additional advisor-approved elective must be taken. 
  • Students must also complete an additional science course (not physics or chemistry) beyond the science requirements in the common curriculum.  This course may be selected from the approved list available in Hollister 221 or approved by petition.

Total Credits (minimum): 125

Note:

a MAE 2030  should be taken in sophomore year, CEE 4780  should not be taken until junior or senior year.

b ENGRD 3200  or BEE 2510  can be used to satisfy an ENGRD requirement. If a student elects to use one of these two courses as a second distribution course, the student  must take an additional major-approved elective to fulfill the core course requirements.

c  ENGRD 2700  may be substituted (by petition) for CEE 3040  in the major, but only if ENGRD 2700  is taken before affiliation, or in some special cases where co-op or study abroad programs necessitate such a substitution.

d Students may substitute CEE 4725  or MAE 3270  for either BEE 2510   or CEE 3610 , if they also complete either CEE 4760  or CEE 4740 . However, CEE 4725  then counts as a core course only and not as a CEE design course or major-approved elective.

e Students may substitute CEE 4800  for either BEE 2510  or CEE 3410 , if they also complete CEE 4665 , CEE 4795 , or CEE 5735 . However, CEE 4800  will then count as a core course only.

Academic Standing


 Majors in Civil Engineering are expected to meet the following standards:

  1. Semester GPA ≥ 2.0
  2. Cumulative GPA ≥ 2.0
  3. *A semester GPA ≥ 2.0 in core courses, design courses, major-approved electives, and engineering distribution courses (Tech GPA).
  4. No failing grades.
  5. 12 credit hours each semester
  6. At most, one grade below a C- in required core courses, design courses, major approved electives, and engineering distribution courses can count towards completion of undergraduate major.

*Grade(s) below C- in these courses beyond the first will require that the course(s) so graded be repeated.  (The College of Engineering also requires that each course in the required mathematics sequence - 1910, 1920, 2930, 2940 - be passed with a grade of C- or better.)

Civil Engineering Honors Program:


The B.S. degree with honors is granted to engineering students who satisfy the requirements given on the “Undergraduate Study and Graduation Requirements  ” page as well as the following requirements.

The 9 credits beyond the B.S. degree requirements shall be drawn from the following components (with no fewer than 2 credits in any selected component):

  1. A significant research experience or honors project under the direct supervision of a CEE faculty member using CEE 4000 - Senior Honors Thesis  (1–6 credits per semester). A  significant written report or senior honors thesis must be submitted as part of this component. Letter grades only.
  2. A significant teaching experience under the direct supervision of a faculty member or as part of a regularly recognized course in the College of Engineering, i.e., CEE 4010 - Undergraduate Engineering Teaching in CEE  (1–3 credits per semester).
  3. Advanced or graduate courses at the 5000 level or above.

Procedures:


Students must apply no later than the beginning of the first semester of their senior year but are encouraged to apply as early as the first semester of their junior year.  All honors program students must be in the program for at least two semesters before graduation.  Students must enter with and maintain a cumulative GPA equal or greater than 3.50. Each applicant to the CEE Honors Program must have a faculty advisor or faculty member to supervise the student’s individual program. (This need not be the student’s faculty advisor.) Applications can be obtained from Hollister 221. Each program must be approved by the CEE Curriculum Committee, although the committee may delegate approval authority to the associate director for all but unusual proposals.

Environmental Engineering:



Offered jointly by the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering and the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Contact: BEE Office, 207 Riley-Robb Hall, bee-ugrad@cornell.edu or CEE Office, 221 Hollister Hall, nw346@cornell.edu or visit our website.

Overview


The Environmental Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Environmental Engineering is the study and practice of analyzing, designing, and managing natural and engineered systems in ways consistent with the maintenance or enhancement of environmental amenities and social sustainability goals. It requires the ability to predict interactions and impacts among natural and engineered system components at various spatial and temporal scales in response to alternative projects, designs, and management policies. It requires a thorough understanding of interactions among the natural environment, the constructed environment, and human activities. Environmental engineers pursue development of sustainable systems and the mitigation of and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

Major Learning Outcomes


In this program, Environmental Engineering students will learn how to:

  • Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  • 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.
  • Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  • 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.
  • Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  • Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  • Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Program Information


  • All coursework for this major is in person, in Ithaca, unless otherwise noted. 
  • All major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.
  • Only one grade of ”D” is allowed in the major, excluding the math sequence in which students must earn a ”C-” or higher, to meet major requirements. 
  • Engineering distribution and major courses require a minimum of 57 credits (includes design and major approved elective credits). 
  • Design courses and major approved electives require a minimum of 18 credits.

Students who matriculate in the College of Engineering (CoE) may affiliate with the Environmental Engineering (EnvE) major in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in their second year of Study or directly if an external transfer. Students in the CoE seeking to transfer internally to the EnvE major should contact Nicholas Wagner (nw346@cornell.edu) for more information.

 

Students who enroll in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) as first-years or external transfers majoring in Environmental Engineering (EnvE) affiliate immediately with the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering. Students in CALS seeking to transfer internally to the EnvE major should contact Brenda Marchewka (bee-ugrad@cornell.edu) for more information.

Coursework:


Engineering distribution courses:


Required: (4 Credits)

Recommended: (3-4 Credits)

Major-required courses:


Major Courses:

Engineering Management: (3 Credits)

Electives


Technical communications course (select one from list of options for fulfilling technical communications) (d)

See technical communications requirements for information on communications course options.

Design electives (9 credit minimum):

Need a total of three (3) courses, at least one from the list of capstone design courses and the remainder from the list of design courses (e)

Major Approved Electives (9 credit minimum):

  • Three courses from a list of major-approved engineering electives or from design course list to complete total credit requirement (f)
Additional Requirements:

  • First-year writing seminar (6)
  • Two advisor approved electives (6)
  • Liberal studies (18)
  • All students take ENGRG 1050  
  • EHS Lab Safety Online Training #2555(g)

Total credits (minimum): 125


Note:


  1. Engineering matriculates must enroll in CHEM 2090 ; CALS matriculates must enroll in CHEM 2070 .  Students in either college may substitute CHEM 2150  for CHEM 2090  or CHEM 2070 .
  2. ENGRD 3200  is required by the major.  Students can count ENGRD 3200  as their second engineering distribution.  Students who do so have the flexibility then to take any other ENGRD or a 3000 level or higher engineering course (that is not cross-listed as a liberal studies) to fulfill the required credit minimum in the major.

  3. ENGRD 2700  may be accepted (by petition) to substitute for CEE 3040  if taken prior to affiliation with the Environmental Engineering major or if necessary because of scheduling conflicts. Students cannot use credit from both CEE 3040  and ENGRD 2700  towards the major.
  4. In addition to the First-Year Writing Seminars, an engineering communications course must be taken as an engineering distribution, liberal studies, advisor approved elective or Major course. An approved COMM or ENGRC course or BEE 4730  will satisfy this requirement. Students meeting the technical communications requirement with a course that fulfills another requirement (e.g., liberal studies, lab, design), can use that one to satisfy both requirements.
  5. To be chosen from a list of design courses on the Environmental Engineering website.
  6. The list of suggested courses covers the areas of environmental engineering and includes the four focus area: Sustainable Energy, Environmental Processes, Hydrology and Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Sustainable Systems and Environmental Analytics. The respective lists are available on the Environmental Engineering website.
  7. Students must complete the EHS Lab Safety Online Training #2555 before graduation.  Please email your certificate of completion to the environmental engineering coordinator: Nicholas Wagner, CEE or Brenda Marchewka, BEE.

Academic Standing


Majors in Environmental Engineering are expected to meet the following standards:

  1. Semester GPA ≥ 2.0
  2. Cumulative GPA ≥ 2.0
  3. A semester GPA ≥ 2.0 in core courses, design courses, major-approved electives, and engineering distribution courses (Tech GPA).*
  4. At most one course with a grade below C- can be used to fulfill the EnvE degree requirement [in the following four categories required core courses, design courses, major-approved electives, and engineering distribution courses*].
  5. 12 credit hours each semester
  6. No failing grades

*Grade(s) below C- in these courses beyond the first will require that some of the courses so graded be repeated.  (The College of Engineering also requires that each course in the required mathematics sequence - 1910, 1920, 2930, 2940 - be passed with a grade of C- or better.)

Environmental Engineering Honors Program:


The environmental engineering honors program consists of at least nine credits beyond the minimum required for graduation in the environmental engineering major. These nine credits must be drawn from one or more of the following categories with at least 3 credit hours in the first category:

  1. A significant research experience or honors project under the direct supervision of an Environmental Engineering faculty member using BEE 4993 : Honors Thesis or CEE 4000 : Senior Honors Thesis (1 to 6 credits per semester). A significant written report or senior honors thesis must be submitted to the research advisor as part of this component. Letter grade only.
  2. A significant teaching experience under the direct supervision of a faculty member or as part of a regularly recognized course in the College of Engineering (i.e., Undergraduate Engineering Teaching, BEE 4980  or CEE 4010  [1 to 4 credits per semester]).
  3. Advanced or graduate courses at the 4000 level or above.

No research, independent study, or teaching for which the student is paid may be counted toward the honors program. 

Eligibility: students must enter with and maintain a cumulative GPA equal or greater than 3.50.

Application: students must apply no later than the beginning of the first semester of their senior year but are encouraged to apply as early as the first semester of their junior year. All honors program students must be in the program for at least two semesters before graduation.