Program Director:

Dr. William Gonwa
Office: CC27C
Phone: (414) 277-7320
Fax: (414) 277-7415
Email: gonwa@msoe.edu

Civil engineers are responsible for the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the infrastructure necessary to support modern society. The design of MSOE’s civil engineering degree program was guided by the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge requirements developed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). These requirements call for civil engineers to be proficient in both technical and professional skills, including familiarity with issues of business and public administration, public policy, leadership, and teamwork. Addressing these requirements will equip students to meet the proposed new licensing requirements advocated by ASCE that call for a minimum of a master’s degree or equivalent as a prerequisite for professional engineering licensure.

MSOE students will be able to specialize in one of the following four civil engineering specialty areas: structural engineering (StrE), environmental and water resources engineering (EWRE), construction management (ConM), and transportation engineering (Transpo). Students may choose to use their technical electives taking classes from other specialty areas, or to pursue a minor in a related discipline such as mathematics, chemistry, or physics.

Program Educational Objectives

Program educational objectives are “broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years after graduation and are based on the needs of the program’s constituencies.” The program objectives of the Bachelor of Science (BSCVE) program are as follows:

• Graduates of the BSCVE program are expected to pursue and achieve registration as a professional engineer after attaining the required years of work experience stipulated by the relevant licensing board
• Graduates of the BSCVE program are expected to advance their technical and professional skills through lifelong learning (e.g., attaining advanced degrees, attending conferences and seminars, achieving specialty certifications)
• Graduates of the BSCVE program are expected to demonstrate a commitment to their profession and to their community by participating in and providing leadership for professional society and/or public service activities
• Graduates of the BSCVE program are expected to demonstrate an appreciation for sustainability in civil engineering design and construction by considering and including sustainable aspects in many of their completed projects
• Graduates of the BSCVE program are expected to demonstrate appropriate courses of action in situations involving conflicting professional and ethical interests
• Graduates of the BSCVE program who desire to do so are expected to move into management positions within their company or business, demonstrating the business, communications, leadership, and teamwork skills required for the positions

Student Outcomes

Student outcomes are narrower statements that “describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These student outcomes relate to the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students acquire as they progress through the program.” The student outcomes of the Bachelor of Science (BSCVE) program are as follows:

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

View Annual Student Enrollment and Graduation Data