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 thenine areas of studywithin 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 laboratoriesin structural behavior, hydraulics, geomatics, and civil engineering materials are offered in the sophom*ore 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
Engineering Requirements for First Year (29-39 credits)
All courses in this area must have a C- or higher
Requirement #1 - Intro to Engineering I (2-4 credits)
- ENGR 13100 - Transforming Ideas To Innovation I Credits: 2.00
OR
- ENGR 16100 - Honors Introduction To Innovation And The Physical Science Of Engineering Design I Credits: 4.00
OR
- EPCS 11100 - First Year Participation In EPICS I Credits: 1.00 and
- EPCS 12100 - First Year Participation In EPICS II Credits: 1.00
OR
- VIP 17911 - First Year Participation In Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) I Credits: 1.00 and
- VIP 17912 - First Year Participation In Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) II Credits: 1.00
OR
- ENGR 13000 - Transforming Ideas To Innovation, EPICS/VIP
Requirement #2 - Intro to Engineering II (2-4 credits)
- ENGR 13000 - Transforming Ideas To Innovation, EPICS/VIP Credits: 4.00 or
- ENGR 13200 - Transforming Ideas To Innovation II Credits: 2.00 or
- ENGR 13300 - Transforming Ideas To Innovation, EPICS/VIP Credits: 2.00 or
- ENGR 16200 - Honors Introduction To Innovation And The Physical Science Of Engineering Design II Credits: 4.00
Requirement #3 - Calculus I (4-5 credits)- satisfies Quantitative Resoning for core
- MA 16100 - Plane Analytic Geometry And Calculus I Credits: 5.00 or
- MA 16500 - Analytic Geometry And Calculus I Credits: 4.00
Requirement #4: Calculus II (4-5 credits)
- MA 16200 - Plane Analytic Geometry And Calculus II Credits: 5.00 or
- MA 16600 - Analytic Geometry And Calculus II Credits: 4.00
Requirement #5: Chemistry (4-6 credits) - satisfies Science #1 for core
- CHM 11500 - General Chemistry Credits: 4.00 or
- CHM 11510 - General Chemistry I Credits: 3.00
AND
- CHM 11520 - General Chemistry I - Laboratory Credits: 1.00 or
- CHM 11530 - General Chemistry I - Virtual Laboratory Credits: 1.00
OR
- CHM 11100 - General Chemistry Credits: 3.00 and
- CHM 11200 - General Chemistry Credits: 3.00
Requirement #6: Physics (4 credits) - satisfies Science #2 for core
- PHYS 17200 - Modern Mechanics Credits: 4.00
OR
ENGR 16100 - Honors Introduction To Innovation And The Physical Science Of Engineering Design Iand
ENGR 16200 - Honors Introduction To Innovation And The Physical Science Of Engineering Design II
Requirement #7: First-Year Engineering Selective (3-4 credits)
- CHM 11600 - General Chemistry Credits: 4.00 or
- CS 15900 - C Programming Credits: 3.00 or
- BIOL 11000 - Fundamentals Of Biology I Credits: 4.00 or
- BIOL 11100 - Fundamentals Of Biology II Credits: 4.00
Requirement #8: Written and Oral Communication (6-7 credits) - could satisfy Written Communication, Information Literacy or Oral Communication for core
- Written Communication - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00 (satisfies Written Communication for core)
- Oral Communication - Credit Hours: 3.00 (satisfies Oral Communication for core)
- SCLA 11000 - American Language And Culture For International Students I Credits: 3.00
- SCLA 11100 - Language And Cultural Exchange II: Texts And Contexts Credits: 3.00
OR
Optional Concentrations
- Architectural Engineering Concentration in Civil Engineering
- Construction Engineering Concentration in Civil Engineering
- Environmental Engineering Concentration for Civil Engineering
- Geomatics Engineering Concentration in Civil Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering Concentration in Civil Engineering
- Hydraulic and Hydrologic Engineering Concentration in Civil Engineering
- Materials Engineering Concentration in Civil Engineering
- Structural Engineering Concentration in Civil Engineering
- Transportation and Infrastructure Systems Engineering Concentration in Civil Engineering
Grade Requirements
- Grade of C- or better required for all CE courses in Major Requirement and should meet 2.0 GPA.(CE Core Course Policy)
- (D- or better is required for Technical Electives)
- Other Departmental:Grade of C- or better is required
- Students must have a grade of C- or better in all courses except Technical Electives and General Education courses.
GPA Requirements
- Students must have a graduation index of 2.0
- Student must have an index of 2.0 in all CE courses
Transfer Credit Policy
A maximum of 10 transfer credits of 300-level Civil Engineering required courses and technical electives can be used for the degree. Courses that are undistributed will need to be evaluated by the CE department for approval.
University Requirements
University Core Requirements
For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.
- Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (BSS)
- Human Cultures: Humanities (HUM)
- Information Literacy (IL)
- Oral Communication (OC)
- Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
- Science #1 (SCI)
- Science #2 (SCI)
- Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
- Written Communication (WC)
Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement
The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry.For more information visit the Civics Literacy Proficiencywebsite.
To obtain the Civics Literacy Proficiency, students will complete an educational activity as part of their chosen Civics Literacy Pathway and pass the Purdue Civics knowledge test. The knowledge test can be completed at any time while the pathway is being perused. There are three different pathways:
- Civics Event pathway - Attend six approved civics-related events and pass the required exam; or
- Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required exam; or
- Approved course pathway - Complete one of the following approved coursesand pass the required exam.
More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue.
Upper Level Requirement
- Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+)courses.
- Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.
Sample First-Year Engineering Plan of Study
Fall 1st Year
- Requirement #1 - Intro to Engineering - Credit Hours: 2.00-4.00
- Requirement #3 - Calculus I - Credit Hours: 4.00-5.00
- Requirement #5 - Chemistry - Credit Hours: 4.00-6.00
- Requirement #8 - Written orOral Communication - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00
Spring 1st Year
- Requirement #2 - Intro to Engineering II - Credit Hours: 2.00-4.00
- Requirement #4 - Calculus II - Credit Hours: 4.00-5.00
- Requirement #6 - Physics - Credit Hours: 4.00
- Requirement #7 - First-Year Engineering Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00
- Requirement #8 - Written or Oral Communication - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00
Combined Degree Information
Combined BSCE and MSCE Program
A combinedBSCE + MSCEprogram 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.
TheBSCE + MSCEprogram 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.
Complete details of the combinedBSCE + MSCEprogram can be found athttps://engineering.purdue.edu/CE/Academics/Graduate/Combined-BSCE-MSCE.
Questions about this information should be directed tocegrad@purdue.edu
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.”
Disclaimer
The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.
Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through theCollege Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through theU.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
