Dec 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Civil Engineering B.S.C.E.


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TOTAL DEGREE HOURS: 131
Plans of Study

Civil engineers will be entrusted by society to create a sustainable world and enhance the global quality of life. Civil engineers will serve as master planners, designers, constructors, and operators of society’s economic and social engine, the built environment (i.e., infrastructure); innovators and integrators of ideas and technology across the public, private, and academic sectors; managers of risk and uncertainty caused by natural events, accidents, and other threats; stewards of the natural environment and its resources; and, leaders in discussions and decisions shaping public environmental and infrastructure policy.

Mission Statement

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida will provide undergraduate students with strong, broad-based, engineering education which gives them the basic intellectual and organization skills that allow them to work with complex systems with technological, social and environmental components.

As many of the major’s graduates begin work upon graduation in industry or with governmental organizations, the curriculum is designed to prepare students for these roles by requiring a number of courses in the various fields of civil engineering and by providing limited specialization in one given area. The curriculum is designed to encourage lifelong learning and to prepare students for undertaking advanced studies in engineering or in other professional areas.

Program Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes

The Civil Engineering major and curriculum of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are designed to meet the needs of all students within the context of the Major’s Mission Statement. The Major Educational Objectives associated with the Major’s Mission Statement are:

  1. Graduates can obtain positions in both public and private organizations.
  2. Graduates are continuing their professional development by extending their professional knowledge through independent learning, continuing education courses, conferences, workshops, short courses, graduate study and involvement in professional societies.
  3. Graduates who are working in public or private organizations which encourage professional registration, will have made appropriate progress towards achieving that registration.

The following list defines the Student Outcomes of the Civil and Environmental Engineering program:

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics 
  2. 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 
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences 
  4. 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 
  5. 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. 
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Please refer to the mission statement on the department website for additional information.

University Admissions - College of Engineering


Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following urls:

For Admission information specific to the College of Engineering, see the information at College of Engineering .

Progression Requirement in the Upper Division - Civil Engineering B.S.C.E.


Civil Engineering students who have fully met the below requirements and are in good academic standing, may progress into the upper division of the major. Prior to progression into the upper division, a student may be permitted to take no more than two departmental engineering courses. The Department may have continuation requirements which specify minimum performance standards in core engineering courses which must be met before further registration in the Department is granted.

  1. Completion of with a minimum grade of a C in each course and a 3.0 GPA (based on best attempt with a maximum of two attempts) in these prerequisites:
    1. CHM 2045 - General Chemistry I  Credit(s): 3 AND CHM 2045L - General Chemistry I Laboratory  Credit(s): 1 OR CHS 2440 - General Chemistry for Engineers  Credit(s): 3 AND CHS 2440L - General Chemistry for Engineers Lab  Credit(s): 1 
    2. MAC 2311 - Calculus I  Credit(s): 4 OR MAC 2281 - Engineering Calculus I  Credit(s): 4 
      AND MAC 2312 - Calculus II  Credit(s): 4 OR MAC 2282 - Engineering Calculus II  Credit(s): 4 
      AND MAC 2313 - Calculus III  Credit(s): 4 OR MAC 2283 - Engineering Calculus III  Credit(s): 4 
    3. PHY 2048 - General Physics I - Calculus Based  Credit(s): 3 AND PHY 2048L - General Physics I Laboratory  Credit(s): 1 
    4. PHY 2049 - General Physics II - Calculus Based  Credit(s): 3 AND PHY 2049L - General Physics II Laboratory  Credit(s): 1 
  2. A minimum overall GPA of 2.0
  3. A minimum USF GPA of 2.0

Minimum Continuation Requirements - Civil Engineering B.S.C.E.


Continuation requires a minimum grade of C- as well as a 2.5 GPA (based on best attempt) for the following courses:

Departmental Policies


In addition to the College’s graduation requirements, the department has the following policies:

  • All students must participate in mandatory advising prior to each term.
  • All students must participate in department assessment activities and successfully complete an exit interview before graduating.
  • All students must consider the advice of the Department to complete and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (F.E. Exam).
  • All students must periodically provide writing samples as part of the department’s writing assessment program.
  • Students must pass the capstone design course with a grade of C- or better during the calendar year of graduation.

Required Courses: (117 credit hours)


State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites - Civil Engineering B.S.C.E. (27 credit hours)*


Following Florida BOG Regulation 8.010, state mandated common course prerequisites are lower-division courses that are required for progression into the upper-division of a particular baccalaureate degree program.

Transfer students should complete the following prerequisite courses at the lower-level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted. Successful completion of common prerequisites alone does not guarantee a student admission into the degree program.

Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.

  • MAC X311 OR MAC X281 - 4 credit hours
  • MAC X312 OR MAC X282 - 4 credit hours
  • MAC X313 OR MAC X283 - 4 credit hours
  • MAP X302 OR MAP X305 - 3 credit hours
  • (CHM X045 AND CHM X045L) OR CHM X045C OR  (CHS X440 AND CHS X440L) - 4 credit hours
  • (PHY X048 AND PHY X048L) OR PHY X048C OR (PHY X041 AND PHY X048L) - 4-5  credit hours
  • (PHY X049 AND PHY X049L) OR PHY X049C OR (PHY X044 AND PHY X049L) OR (PHY X042 AND PHY X049L) - 4-5 credit hours

* All state common prerequisite courses count towards major required Mathematics and Science courses and are not additional credit hours

State Mathematics Pathway – Civil Engineering B.S.C.E. (7 Credit Hours)*


The Civil Engineering B.S.C.E. uses the Algebra through Calculus Mathematics Pathway with the following requirements:

Major Core Courses: 44 courses; 117 credit hours


Continuation Courses: 4 courses; 12 credit hours


Technical Writing Course: 1 course; 3 credit hours


Capstone Design Course: 1 course; 3 credit hours


Students choose one course from the three tracks listed below:

Structures/Materials/Geotechnical Track


Geotechnical/Transportation Track


Environmental/Water Resources Track


Civil Engineering Track and Capstone Design Requirements: 19 credit hours


Civil Engineering students choose one of the three tracks listed below:

Structures/Materials/Geotechnical Track


Geotechnical/Transportation Track


Environmental/Water Resources Track


Technical Elective Courses for the Tracks


These courses are based on the student’s choice of track. Coursework which cannot be double counted in the major.

Consult with the department undergraduate advisor for additional electives that may be available. The approved list of technical elective courses for the tracks include: 

Additional Information - Civil Engineering B.S.C.E.


GPA Requirements


Students must have and maintain a minimum 2.0 semester GPA,  2.0 Engineering GPA, 2.0 Specialization GPA, 2.0 USF GPA, 2.0 overall GPA, and 2.5 continuation GPA.

Grading Requirements


Unless otherwise stated, the minimum acceptable grade in all BSCE required courses is a C- or higher. 

A total of only two D grades are allowed in all BSCE required engineering, and most specialization courses. Students cannot graduate with Ds in the following lists of courses that correspond to their track (specialty):

Residency Requirements


Transfer students must complete a minimum number of approved specialization courses in the major at USF. The minimum number of USF specialization credit hours required is established by the respective academic department. In no case will this be less than 18 hours. Basic engineering courses are not considered specialization courses. The University residency requirement must also be met.

A dual degree student must meet the requirements of each major and have a minimum of 18 approved specialization hours taken in the degree granting department beyond those specialization hours required for the first degree.

Internship Opportunities


The College of Engineering and USF’s Center for Career and Professional Development Cooperative Education (Co-Op) program provides services for students interested in experiential educational experiences. A wide variety of industries and government agencies offer internships and cooperative education employment opportunities for engineering students. Participants gain valuable expertise in practical applications and other aspects of operations and development in a professional engineering environment. Students normally apply for participation in this program during their first year in the College of Engineering and pursue actual internships during their sophomore, junior and senior years. 

Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathways


Students majoring in Civil Engineering have the option to pursue one of the following Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathways:

  • B.S.C.E. in Civil Engineering and M.S.C.E. in Civil Engineering
  • B.S.C.E. in Civil Engineering and M.S.E.M. in Engineering Management
  • B.S.C.E. in Civil Engineering and M.S.E.V. in Environmental Engineering
  • B.S.C.E. in Civil Engineering and M.S.M.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering

For more information, see the Graduate Catalog.

Accreditation Information


The Civil Engineering (B.S.) program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Research Opportunities - College of Engineering


Undergraduate students in any degree program are able to participate in undergraduate research. Several options exist to show mentored undergraduate research activity on a student’s official transcript. Those who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 4914 - Advanced Undergraduate Research Experience  course. This course will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research (HIPUR) is able to assist with further inquiries.

Advising Information - Civil Engineering B.S.C.E.


All incoming freshman and transfer students must meet with one of the college advisors in the Engineering Student Services (ESS).

Engineering Student Services

Office: Engineering Building III (ENC) 1302

Phone: (813) 974-2684

Email: eng-advisingmail@usf.edu

Website: www.usf.edu/engineering/student-services

Students who have completed the entrance requirements and are accepted into the major: http://www.usf.edu/engineering/cee/about-us/contact-us.aspx.

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