The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Civil Engineering prepares students for a career in Civil Engineering and associated professional fields. Civil engineering is the design, construction, and maintenance of the built environment, including roads, bridges, buildings, harbors and other public works. The Civil Engineering program partners with local consulting firms, government agencies and non-profit organizations to offer students hands-on experience designing real-world projects that make a difference in our community.
The BS in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.
Licensure and/or Certification
Graduates of the BS in Civil Engineering gain four years of education credit toward obtaining a Professional Engineer (P.E.) license. It also fulfills the “Arctic Engineering” requirement for registration as a P.E. in Alaska as set forth in 12 AAC 36.110.
This program is designed to meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in the State of Alaska. However, the program might not meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in other states. Please see UAA's Licensure and Certification website for more information.
Admission Requirements
- Complete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
Special Considerations
- Students who intend to enroll in this degree of study are strongly encouraged to complete the following courses in high school with a minimum grade of C. Insufficient preparation may increase the number of semesters required to complete the degree.
- Algebra - 2 years
- Chemistry - 1 year
- English - 3 years
- Physics - 1 year
- Trigonometry - 1/2 year
- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering students must meet with their faculty advisor at least once per semester to review their academic progress and future course plan.
Graduation Requirements
- Complete the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- For 3 credits of Tier 1 Quantitative Skills, choose MATH A251 or MATH A251F.
- For 3 credits of Tier 2 Humanities, choose PHIL A305.
- Complete the following major requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CE A201 | Introduction to Civil Engineering 1 | 1 |
| CE A206 | Civil Engineering 3D Modeling | 1 |
| CE A310 & A310L | Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering and Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering Lab 1 | 4 |
| CE A334 & A334L | Properties of Materials and Properties of Materials Laboratory 1 | 3 |
| CE A341 | Environmental Engineering 1 | 3 |
| CE A351 | Structural Analysis 1 | 4 |
| CE A403 | Arctic Engineering | 3 |
| CE A420 | Fundamentals of Transportation Engineering 1 | 3 |
| CE A437 | Project Planning 1 | 1 |
| CE A438 | Design of Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
| CE A461 | Hydraulic Analysis and Design | 3 |
| CHEM A105 & A105L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| CHEM A106 & A106L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| ENGR A151 | Introduction to Engineering 1 | 1 |
| ES A106 | Engineering Graphics | 2 |
| ES A209 | Statics 1 | 3 |
| ES A210 | Dynamics 1 | 3 |
| ES A261 | Introduction to Engineering Computation 1 | 3 |
| ES A302 | Engineering Data Analysis 1 | 3 |
| ES A331 | Mechanics of Materials 1 | 3 |
| ES A341 & A341L | Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| ESM A450 | Economic Analysis and Operations 1 | 3 |
| GEO A155 | Introduction to Surveying 1 | 3 |
| MATH A251 | Calculus I 1 | 4-6 |
| or MATH A251F | F.A.T. Calculus I | |
| MATH A252 | Calculus II 1 | 4-6 |
| or MATH A252F | F.A.T. Calculus II | |
| MATH A253 | Calculus III 1 | 4 |
| MATH A302 | Ordinary Differential Equations 1 | 3 |
| PHIL A305 | Professional Ethics | 3 |
| PHYS A211 & A211L | General Physics I and General Physics I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| Discipline-Specific Courses | ||
| Complete 12 credits of discipline-specific courses from the following list in the disciplines of environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation and water resources engineering. At least one course must be taken in four of the five disciplines. | 12 | |
Environmental Engineering | ||
| Environmental Engineering Design | ||
Geotechnical Engineering | ||
| Foundation Engineering | ||
Structural Engineering | ||
| Steel Design 2 | ||
| Reinforced Concrete Design | ||
Transportation Engineering | ||
| Design of Highways | ||
Water Resources Engineering | ||
| Hydrologic Analysis and Design | ||
| Basic Science Elective | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Oceanography | ||
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| Planet Earth | ||
| Dangerous Earth | ||
| Technical Electives | ||
| Complete 6 credits of technical elective courses from the following list. Graduate courses may not be applied to both a baccalaureate and master degree unless a student has been accepted into the Accelerated Masters program. Students are encouraged to take 6 credits from a single subdiscipline. 3 | 6 | |
Geotechnical Engineering | ||
| Soil Strength and Slope Stability | ||
| Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering | ||
| Advanced Foundation Design | ||
Structural Engineering | ||
| Steel Design 2 | ||
or CE A433 | Reinforced Concrete Design | |
| Advanced Structural Analysis | ||
| Timber Design | ||
| Advanced Steel Design | ||
Transportation Engineering | ||
| Traffic Engineering | ||
| Pavement Design | ||
| Highway Engineering | ||
Water Resources Engineering | ||
| Surface Water Dynamics | ||
| Coastal Engineering | ||
| Sediment Transport and Coastal Processes | ||
| Ground Water Dynamics | ||
| Total | 108-112 | |
- 1
Must be completed with a minimum grade of C.
- 2
Either CE A432 or CE A433 may be chosen as a technical elective if not applied to satisfy the requirements described above.
- 3
Three credits of technical electives may be substituted for one discipline-specific course, provided the following criteria are met: all 9 credits of technical electives are completed in the same discipline, and the student has a minimum GPA of 3.00 prior to enrolling in the third technical elective.
A minimum of 129 credits is required for the degree, of which 39 credits must be upper-division.
Honors in Civil Engineering
The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering recognizes distinguished achievement by conferring programmatic honors in civil engineering. In order to receive honors in civil engineering, a student must meet the following requirements:
- Complete all requirements for a BS in Civil Engineering. A minimum of 30 credits applicable to the civil engineering degree must be completed at UAA;
- Be an active member for at least one year of both a national and an on-campus student chapter of a professional engineering society that addresses issues relevant to the civil engineering profession;
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.30 in courses applicable to the BS in Civil Engineering;
- Complete one of the following:
- Complete an approved design or research project (other than projects completed in CE A438) prior to applying for graduation. Gain project approval through a written proposal submitted to the project advisor no later than the semester prior to applying for graduation. Present an oral presentation and written report of project results four weeks prior to graduation. The project proposal and final written report must be approved by the student’s project advisor and acknowledged by the chair of the Department of Civil Engineering.
- Document a minimum of eight weeks of work experience in an engineering or engineering-related position and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination prior to applying for graduation.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering will be able to:
- Identify, formulate, and solve complex civil engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics;
- Apply civil engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as cold regions, 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; and
- Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Sample Plan
The academic plan below is one pathway through the degree/certificate. It includes all requirements, taking into account recommendations from program faculty. Each student’s plan may vary according to their initial course placement, intended course load, additional majors and/or minors, and their placement into required prerequisite courses. Any change in the plan below can have an unforeseen impact on the rest of the plan. Therefore, it is very important to meet with your academic advisor to verify your personal academic plan.
Please review the following terms, definitions, and resources associated with the sample academic plan below.
- Each course in the far left column links to a pop-up bubble with a course description, prerequisite requirements, and associations with university requirements. For example, if a course fulfills a general education requirement, you will see that in the pop-up bubble.
- GER: indicates a General Education Requirement. GERs that also count toward degree/certificate requirements appear as a specific course in the plan. For these courses, "GER" is not indicated explicitly in the table, but if you click on the course, you will see the course's GER status in the pop-up bubble.
- Program Elective: indicates a specific course selection determined by program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
- Elective: indicates an open selection of 100-400 level university courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate.
- Upper Division Program Elective: indicates a specific 300-400 level course selection determined by the program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
- Upper Division Elective: indicates an open selection of 300-400 level courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate. These courses must be upper division in order to meet General University Requirements for the particular degree/certificate type.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| CHEM A105 & A105L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| ENGR A151 | Introduction to Engineering | 1 |
| ES A106 | Engineering Graphics | 2 |
| MATH A251 or MATH A251F | Calculus I 1 or F.A.T. Calculus I | 4-6 |
| WRTG A111 | Writing Across Contexts | 3 |
| GER Oral Communication Skills | 3 | |
| Credits | 17-19 | |
| Spring | ||
| CHEM A106 & A106L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | 4 |
| ES A261 | Introduction to Engineering Computation | 3 |
| GEO A155 | Introduction to Surveying | 3 |
| MATH A252 or MATH A252F | Calculus II or F.A.T. Calculus II | 4-6 |
| PHYS A211 & A211L | General Physics I and General Physics I Laboratory | 4 |
| Credits | 18-20 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CE A201 | Introduction to Civil Engineering | 1 |
| ES A209 | Statics | 3 |
| MATH A253 | Calculus III | 4 |
| PHYS A212 & A212L | General Physics II and General Physics II Laboratory | 4 |
| GER Written Communication Skills (200-level) | 3 | |
| GER Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| CE A206 | Civil Engineering 3D Modeling | 1 |
| ES A210 | Dynamics | 3 |
| ES A302 | Engineering Data Analysis | 3 |
| MATH A302 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHIL A305 | Professional Ethics | 3 |
| Program Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CE A334 & A334L | Properties of Materials and Properties of Materials Laboratory | 3 |
| CE A341 | Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| ES A331 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| ES A341 & A341L | Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics Laboratory | 4 |
| GER Social Sciences 2 | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| CE A310 & A310L | Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering and Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering Lab | 4 |
| CE A351 | Structural Analysis | 4 |
| CE A420 | Fundamentals of Transportation Engineering | 3 |
| ESM A450 | Economic Analysis and Operations | 3 |
| GER Humanities 2 | 3 | |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CE A437 | Project Planning | 1 |
| CE A461 | Hydraulic Analysis and Design | 3 |
| Discipline-Specific course 3 | 3 | |
| Discipline-Specific course 3 | 3 | |
| GER Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| CE A403 | Arctic Engineering | 3 |
| CE A438 | Design of Civil Engineering Systems | 3 |
| Discipline-Specific Course 3 | 3 | |
| Discipline-Specific Course 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 133-137 | |
- 1
MATH A251 or MATH A251F have prerequisites.
- 2
Choose a course that also fulfills the Alaska Native-Themed GER or Diversity & Inclusion GER.
- 3
Students must take one course in four out of the following five categories: Environmental, Water Resources, Transportation, Geotechnical, and Structural. See the section Graduation Requirements: Discipline-Specific Courses for the list of approved courses.