About the Program
The Civil Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Purdue civil engineers are shaping the world! From the communities we live in, to the air we breathe and water we drink, civil engineers are constantly working to make the planet a better place to live.
Civil engineering is a diverse and incredibly wide-reaching field that affects nearly every facet of our lives. Civil engineers are the creators of our built environment. They design our skyscrapers and stadiums, expand our harbors and ports, provide us access to energy, and ensure safe travel across our bridges and through our airports.
Civil engineers are also stewards of our natural environment. They study weather shifts, ocean coasts, and wetlands to ensure our ecosystems are sustained. They work to improve air quality and ensure everyone has access to clean water.
Innovation is synonymous with civil engineering. As the world becomes more digital, so have we. Civil engineers are designing smart, sustainable, self-regulating buildings; they are harnessing heat and vibration by converting them to electricity; and are designing roads that will charge electric vehicles.
You can explore the nine areas of study within civil engineering along with selecting the courses to design your own plan of study. You and your advisor can discuss your career goals to tailor a program to meet your goals.
Instructional laboratories in structural behavior, hydraulics, geomatics, and civil engineering materials are offered in the sophomore and junior years. Further study includes 30 credits of technical electives allowing students to tailor their studies to their specialty area of choice. Specialty areas include architectural, construction, environmental, geomatics, geotechnical, hydraulics and hydrology, materials, structures, and transportation and infrastructure systems engineering.
A Senior Design Capstone course culminates undergraduate students’ academic careers. This course allows students to connect with real-world projects and develop and build skills such as problem solving, engineering design, teamwork, communication, project management, and project planning. Student teams act as their own engineering companies and present their work throughout the semester via presentations and written reports.
Experiential learning opportunities within Civil Engineering are encouraged and include: Study Abroad experiences either short-term or semester long programs, Undergraduate research and service learning (EPICS), Internships and Co-ops, clubs and organizations, and the honors program.
Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering
Civil Engineering Major Change (CODO) Requirements
Combined Degree Information
Combined BSCE and MSCE Program
A combined BSCE + MSCE program is available for outstanding Civil Engineering undergraduate students. This program can be completed in as little as five years (non-thesis and thesis option MSCE are possible) and result in receiving both the BSCE and MSCE degrees.
The BSCE + MSCE program is a mechanism for:
- Providing a seamless transition from the BSCE to the MSCE program.
- Stimulating interest in graduate study for advanced learning which would support more opportunities and faster advancement in professional and research/academic careers.
- Allowing for special recognition of high levels of academic achievement.
The BSCE + MSCE program allows students to take up to 6 credits of graduate coursework (500 level) toward their BSCE professional elective requirement. These same 6 credits likewise count toward the MSCE degree. Additional graduate level courses taken in excess of the bachelor’s requirement may also be eligible for transfer to a MSCE program for a total of 12 credits (6 dual counted; 6 excess).
Interested students typically apply as an “internal CE applicant” in the first half of their junior year with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or higher. If the internal application is accepted, the student would apply for combined program status to begin in the first semester of their senior year with a formal Graduate School application. A GPA of 3.3 must be maintained during combined program status. Grades of “B” or better must be earned for any course that would be dual counted.
Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical.
In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”
