Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What is Civil and Environmental Engineering?

Civil and Environmental Engineering is a profession that applies technology to meet society's needs. Civil and environmental engineers are essential to provide buildings, clean water, roadways, and the protection of the natural environment. With the advent of new information technologies, civil and environmental engineering is at the intersection of the built, natural and information environments. The information environment for civil and environmental engineering includes computer-aided design, remote sensing, environmental monitoring, field robotic control, and models of complex natural and built systems. The challenge of civil and environmental engineering is to meld the built, information and natural environments effectively to meet society's needs.

• What do Civil Engineers do?

Civil engineers conceive and manage the physical infrastructure and environmental protection systems of our society. They design, plan, construct and manage physical facilities, including roadways, dams, buildings and pipelines. They may own a construction firm, be a partner in a consulting company, or work for a government agency or corporation. They can find work anywhere in the world, because there are needs for physical facilities everywhere.

Graduates with a civil engineering degree also enter other professions or career paths. These graduates have a broad, problem solving background from their civil engineering studies, which can provide an excellent preparation for many careers. Indeed, engineering might be considered to be the "liberal arts" of the 21st Century. Civil engineering graduates may work as medical doctors, lawyers, military officers, managers, software engineers or in many other positions.

• What do Environmental Engineers do?

Environmental engineering developed as an area of civil engineering and now is important in all civil engineering activities. Environmental engineers identify and design solutions for environmental problems. They provide safe drinking water, manage wastes, maintain air quality, control water pollution, and clean sites contaminated by spills or improper disposal of hazardous wastes. Increasingly, pollution prevention is as important a concern for environmental engineers as treatment and management of wastes. Environmental engineers may work for government agencies, private industry or a variety of non-governmental, non-profit organizations.

• What degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering are offered for undergraduates at Carnegie Mellon?

Carnegie Mellon offers a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and an undergraduate engineering minor in Environmental Engineering. The Bachelor of Science program in Civil Engineering is an accredited and widely recognized degree program for entry into the civil engineering profession. The minor in environmental engineering is offered for any engineering students interested in focusing on this important specialization area. The Civil Engineering curriculum is very flexible, allowing students to pursue specializations in a variety of areas such as structural engineering or industrial management.

While the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering is adequate for entry into professional work, it is advisable for engineering professionals to continue learning throughout their careers. In most cases, a post-graduate degree such as a Master of Science is an important goal at some point during a career. A Master of Science in Environmental Engineering is often required for even entry-level positions in this specialization area.

• What is different about Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon?

Carnegie Mellon's Civil and Environmental Engineering is distinctive:

• Freshmen engineering courses provide an early introduction to civil engineering and a chance to apply your mathematics and science tools to real problems.

• We provide more flexibility in course selection than any other civil engineering program in the United States. This allows students to pursue their own interests, but still remain within the framework of an accredited program.

• As a small program, students and faculty know each other very well. Students receive personal attention. Opportunities for leadership and involvement abound, including participation in research projects.

• The regular faculty teaches required courses, while many elective classes are offered by professional practitioners to provide a different viewpoint. We pride ourselves on excellence in teaching throughout the department.

• Our faculty is passionately interested in both educational and research innovation. Many faculty have received support from sources such as the National Science Foundation to develop new course materials or to disseminate new teaching techniques.

• Computer use and information technology are integrated throughout the curriculum. Graduates are prepared for the modern workplace, which places a premium on effective use of information technology. We maintain a computer cluster for the exclusive use of our undergraduates.

• What is required for the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering?

Carnegie Mellon's Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering requires roughly a year of work in mathematics and science, two years in engineering (predominantly in civil engineering), a half year of general education, and a half year of free elective courses. A typical course of study is shown below. Nearly all students complete the program within four years. Advanced placement credits allow more flexibility in course selection.

	Course 1	Course 2	Course 3	Course 4	Course 5
Freshman Fall	H&SS	Intro to CEE	Physics 1	Calculus 1	Computer Skills Workshop
Freshman Spring	H&SS	Other Intro to Eng.	Physics 2	Calculus 2
Sophomore Fall	H&SS	Intro to Environ. Eng. and Lab	Intro to CEE Computing	Chemistry 1 and Lab
Sophomore Spring	H&SS	Statics	Computer Programming	Differential equations	Elective
Junior Fall	H&SS	CEE Projects	Solid Mechanics and Lab	Materials	Calculus in 3D
Junior Spring	H&SS	Fluid Mechanics and Lab	Solid Mechanics and Lab	Elective	Elective
Senior Fall	H&SS	CEE Design	Engineering Economics	Statistics	Elective
Senior Spring	H&SS	Elective	Elective	Elective	Elective

• What is required for the Minor in Environmental Engineering?

The minor in Environmental Engineering requires additional course work in the specialized area of environmental engineering beyond a traditional engineering major degree program. Seven courses are required, including two courses in environmental science, three in environmental engineering, and two in environmental policy. The environmental policy courses can also be counted towards the general education course requirements and two of the engineering and science courses can be counted towards a student's major program of study.

• Can undergraduates in Civil Engineering complete other double majors or minors at Carnegie Mellon?

Yes. A variety of double majors and minors are available at Carnegie Mellon. A double major in Engineering and Public Policy is the most popular. Other common double major programs include Biomedical and Health Engineering, Business, Economics, Mathematics and Modern Languages. Popular minors include business, engineering design, environmental engineering and architecture.

• Can Civil Engineering undergraduates participate in varsity sports?

Certainly. Civil engineers have played all of the varsity sports at Carnegie Mellon. Football and swimming are the most common sports for these varsity athletes. As a Division III NCAA program, academics and athletic participation are designed to be compatible.

• How long does it take to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, especially if I double major?

Nearly all civil engineering students finish within four years of starting their program. With seven free elective courses, there is ample opportunity to pursue specific interests such as a double major or minor. Students pursuing these programs need to plan ahead in selecting elective courses.

• Is it possible to study overseas or have co-op industrial experiences as an undergraduate?

Yes. Civil Engineering students have spent either a semester or a year abroad in countries such as Australia, Japan, South Africa or Switzerland. The College of Engineering has a long-standing exchange program with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland. The availability of seven free elective courses in the undergraduate curriculum gives considerable flexibility for overseas study. For co-op industrial experiences, students can undertake internships over the summers or opt for a semester and summer combined industrial internship. However, these longer co-op experiences will delay graduation.

• Can I get involved in a research or other group project?

Absolutely. Undergraduates have worked on research projects ranging from acid mine drainage to construction robots to computer aided design methods. Courses require hands-on project work in each of the four years of study. Elective courses also have projects, such as the annual "Design and Construction" course, which involves designing and building a facility on campus. Past projects have included stairways, parks and amphitheaters.

• How does undergraduate advising in Civil and Environmental Engineering work?

Each undergraduate in Civil Engineering is assigned a faculty advisor. Faculty advisors usually stay with a student throughout their undergraduate careers. The faculty advisors and students meet periodically to discuss programs of study, career plans or student problems. Students also seek advice from other faculty members or staff in the department for specialized fields of study or internship opportunities.