The Bachelor of Science and Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
Civil engineering is a diverse professional field with discipline specialties in structures, transportation, water supply and water pollution control, geotechnical engineering, hydrology, hydraulics and water resources, geomatics, ocean engineering, construction, and engineering planning and economics. All CE students receive basic instruction in the various disciplines, with the option for additional elective courses in desired areas. The program is supported by highly qualified faculty and staff that maintain the programs and facilities at the highest level of quality.
The civil engineering curriculum within the School of Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE) includes the basic sciences, social sciences, humanities, communication skills, engineering sciences, and engineering design to teach students an integrated approach to finding practical solutions.
Mission and Program Objectives
The mission of the civil engineering program is to provide a comprehensive, state-of-the-art education to prepare students for professional and responsible engineering positions with business, industry, consulting firms or government.
Degree Requirements
PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES – CIVIL ENGINEERING
Note: The Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, which requires stated program educational objectives and student outcomes to support these.
Oregon State University Civil Engineering graduates receive a compelling education, and within 3 to 5 years of graduation will have:
- Assembled, analyzed and synthesized/evaluated information to solve engineering problems and perform modern civil engineering design by applying mathematics, engineering sciences and fundamentals of civil engineering.
- Participated in modern professional practice or a graduate program in a specialty area of civil engineering, demonstrating effective communication, collaborative work and leadership in diverse teams, ethical decision-making, successful management of personal and professional career objectives, and continual development through lifelong learning and professional involvement.
- Recognized the importance of professional licensure and have achieved or prepared to achieve this significant accomplishment. In this endeavor, consideration of the public health, welfare and safety is seen as the paramount priority.
- Applied an understanding of public policy and contemporary societal issues with sensitivity to the challenge of meeting social, environmental, and economic constraints within a global community.
STUDENT OUTCOMES FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAMS
The Oregon State Civil Engineering program prepares its graduates to achieve the Program Educational Objectives above several years into their careers. This is achieved by having students able to perform the following on graduation, well preparing them for active immediate and lifelong service in the profession:
- an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- an 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.
- an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- an 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.
- an 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.
- an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Design is the essence of civil engineering. Junior and senior level courses include extensive design content, culminating in a team approach to the solution of open-ended, realistic problems, including capstone design and professional practice courses. Courses with design content include those with "design" in their titles. A more detailed explanation of the design experience and design course sequences is contained in the Civil Engineering Advising Guide, which may be viewed on the school’s website.
Graduate Programs
Outcomes Assessment of Graduate Programs
In addition to these detailed external reviews, each graduate program assesses its students' progress and gathers additional information that allows it to improve its policies and procedures. These assessments are designed to determine whether students are achieving graduate program learning objectives and whether strategies used to assist students in reaching their learning outcomes should be modified.
Overarching Graduate Learning Outcomes for doctoral and masters programs were proposed by the Graduate Council and approved by the Faculty Senate on Jan 13, 2011 (doctoral) and April 14, 2011 (masters). The graduate outcomes, as approved by Faculty Senate, are:
Learning outcomes for PhD Degree programs state that the student shall:
- produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge;
- demonstrate mastery of subject material; and
- be able to conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner.
These outcomes are to be assessed at the program level. Outcome (a) is already part of the assessment performed at the final oral exam and the GCR is specifically required to raise this metric. Outcome (b) is part of every unit's requirements for students and is assessed by course work grades and preliminary examinations. Outcome (c) is new and will require the units to be sure the students are informed/trained as to what is required to conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner. There is an array of methods the units could choose to use, such as the Graduate School course on Responsible Conduct of Research, along with other courses, instruction in research groups, etc.
Additional outcomes, the assessment of all outcomes and the specification of learning objectives related to these outcomes are to be carried out at the program level and reviewed periodically.
Learning outcomes for Master's Degree programs state that the student shall:
- Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work, and
- Demonstrate mastery of subject material, and
- Be able to conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner.
The assessment of these outcomes and the specification of learning objectives related to these outcomes are to be carried out at the program level.
The assessment of program-level learning outcomes is to be formative, providing guidance for students as they work toward achieving required outcomes, and summative, determining satisfactory progress toward degree completion. Students are to be informed of the additional outcomes and the strategies used to assess progress toward achieving the outcomes. The current Graduate assessment plans, submitted to the Director of Assessment, were implemented beginning in January 2012.