BS in Civil Engineering
Melbourne, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 21,173 / per semester
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
What is a Civil Engineering Degree?
Civil engineering at Florida Tech is a rigorous, accredited curriculum that prepares students to enter the workforce with a minimum of additional training and a maximum of opportunity, or for admission to top graduate schools. The program has six areas of engineering specialization available:
- Construction Management
- Environmental
- Geotechnical
- Structural
- Transportation
- Water Resources
Whether you want to engage in land development or design your dream house, bridges, foundations, water distribution systems, water, and wastewater treatment plants, canals, highways, or transportation systems, a civil engineering degree from Florida Tech will help you develop a strong background in engineering with hands-on experience in computer-aided design and construction management.
Why Pursue a Civil Engineering Degree at Florida Tech?
The ABET-accredited civil engineering program at Florida Tech offers a small student-to-faculty ratio, with an average of 18 students per class within the department. The supportive community of teachers and peers at Florida Tech is conducive to academic success even in the face of a challenging academic environment. Qualified students are encouraged by professors to get involved in research projects. About 80% of our students have at least some internship experience before they graduate; 90% are offered jobs at their place of internship, further supporting our reputation for being one of the best civil engineering schools.
Internationally Recognized Faculty of Professional Engineers
Florida Tech’s civil engineering department is staffed with experienced instructors who are professional engineers—another reason that students consider us one of the best civil engineering schools. All the faculty members have experience in real-world design and conduct research. Many hold several awards such as the College of Engineering (COE) Teacher of the Year Award, Florida Tech Researcher of the Year Award, COE Research Award, and Florida Tech Service Award.
Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-Tech Corridor
Florida Tech is the perfect place for a civil engineering degree. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.
The area has the fifth-largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.
Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches and is a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.
Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations
Beyond the classroom, civil engineering degree students build leadership and professional experience through exciting internships and participation in academic organizations like Tau Beta Pi (the oldest engineering honor society in the US, student government, and over 100 other campus-wide student organizations.
Florida Tech’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is among the most active organizations on campus. ASCE takes part in several national competitions to test their engineering skills, including concrete canoe and steel bridges. Our concrete canoe team has reached the national level several times and receives sponsorships from a variety of local businesses.
Chi Epsilon is a civil engineering honor society dedicated to honoring engineering students who have exemplified the principles of scholarship, character, practicality, and sociability in the civil engineering profession.
These organizations allow for networking opportunities for future civil engineering internships and careers.
Curriculum
Gain Practical Experience
During your first two years of your civil engineering degree program at Florida Tech, emphasis is placed on foundation courses in chemistry, mathematics, physics, and engineering mechanics, augmented by practice-oriented civil engineering courses. Classroom study is enhanced through field trips and lab work.
As a junior and senior, you will be completing several real-world design projects as part of course assignments and will culminate with a two-course sequence called a capstone design project in collaboration with a team of your peers. During the capstone design project sequence, you will design a large-scale, real-world project, using good sustainability concepts, while paying attention to local and global issues. You will learn to work in a multidisciplinary team, and greatly enhance your communication skills by writing a technical report and making presentations to industry leaders and prospective employers.
Curriculum
The curriculum for the civil engineering major is designed to prepare students for professional careers and graduate school. Students begin preparing for a civil engineering career during the first semester. CVE 1000 Introduction to Civil Engineering is offered in the first semester and includes field trips, an introduction to the key disciplines of civil engineering, and hands-on activities in laboratories. The one-credit CVE 1001 Computer Applications Lab introduces students to AutoCAD software. During the freshman year, students learn how to use state-of-the-art civil engineering construction equipment and conduct data analyses. Therefore, students are well-equipped to undertake an internship following their freshman year. Emphasis is placed on foundation courses in chemistry, mathematics, physics, technical writing, communication skills, and engineering mechanics during the first two years.
The curriculum covers the entire breadth of civil engineering and requires students to take courses in all of the six main disciplines of civil engineering (construction engineering, construction management, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, water resources engineering). Students are given the flexibility of taking additional courses in the disciplines of their choice by selecting appropriate restricted and design electives. Thus, students not only get broad exposure to all major disciplines of civil engineering but also develop a specialization in selected disciplines. Civil engineering majors are required to take five civil engineering laboratory courses to understand fundamental concepts. Engineering fundamentals are emphasized in all courses so students are well-prepared to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination during the senior year. Projects are assigned in each civil engineering design course, which prepares students to find solutions for real-world design problems using appropriate codes and incorporating all design and client-related constraints.
Each student is required to be part of a multidisciplinary design project team that identifies, formulates, and designs a real-world project while addressing sustainable societal and global needs. The team provides engineering and construction cost estimates and construction schedules. Several courses in the curriculum hone student skills in leadership, teamwork, oral and written communication, and ethics. Mandatory electives in the humanities and social sciences provide a broader understanding of the professional work environment, human history, and culture.
Candidates for the degree must successfully complete the following curriculum.
Freshman Year
Fall (16 credit hours)
- CHM 1101 General Chemistry 1
- COM 1101 Composition and Rhetoric
- CVE 1000 Introduction to Civil Engineering
- CVE 1001 Computer Applications Lab
- FYE 1000 University Experience
- MTH 1001 Calculus 1 or MTH 1010 Honors Calculus 1
Spring (18 credit hours)
- COM 1102 Writing About Literature
- CVE 2080 Construction Measurements
- MTH 1002 Calculus 2 or MTH 1020 Honors Calculus 2
- PHY 1001 Physics 1
- PHY 2091 Physics Laboratory 1
- Social Science Elective Credit Hours: 3
Sophomore Year
Fall (15 credit hours)
- COM 2223 Scientific and Technical Communication
- MEE 2081 Applied Mechanics: Statics
- MTH 2001 Calculus 3 or MTH 2010 Honors Calculus 3
- PHY 2002 Physics 2
- PHY 2092 Physics Laboratory 2
Spring (17 credit hours)
AEE 3083 Mechanics of Materials
- MEE 2082 Applied Mechanics: Dynamics
- MTH 2201 Differential Equations/Linear Algebra or MTH 3200 Honors Differential Equations
- Business or Technical Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Free Elective Credit Hours: 1
Select the first HUM Core Course:
- HUM 2051 Civilization 1: Ancient Through Medieval
- HUM 2141 World Art History 1: Pre-History to Early Global Awareness
- HUM 2211 British Literature and Culture
- HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1
- HUM 2331 American History: Pre-Columbian to Civil War Era
- HUM 2551 Survey of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
Junior Year
Fall (17 credit hours)
- CVE 3012 Engineering Materials
- CVE 3013 Civil Engineering Materials Lab
- CVE 3015 Structural Analysis and Design
- CVE 3030 Fluid Mechanics
- CVE 3033 Hydraulics Lab
Select the second HUM Core Course:
- HUM 2052 Civilization 2: Renaissance Through Modern
- HUM 2142 World Art History 2: Early Modern to Post-Colonial
- HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1 (may not be repeated for credit)
- HUM 2213 British and American Literature 2
- HUM 2332 American History: From Reconstruction to the Present
- HUM 2552 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy
Select one Science Elective:
- BIO 1010 Biological Discovery 1
and
- BIO 1030 Introduction to Biotechnology
or
- BIO 1020 Biological Discovery 2
and
- BIO 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology
or
- MAR 1010 Biological Discovery 1
and
- MAR 1030 Introduction to Biotechnology
or
- MAR 1020 Biological Discovery 2
and
- MAR 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology
- ENS 1001 The Whole Earth Course
- ENS 3101 Atmospheric Environments
- OCN 1010 Oceanography
- OCN 2407 Meteorology
- OCN 2602 Environmental Geology
Spring (16 credit hours)
- CVE 3020 Soils and Foundations
- CVE 3021 Soil Mechanics Lab
- CVE 4032 Hydraulics and Hydrology
- MTH 2401 Probability and Statistics
Select one Environmental Engineering Elective:
- CVE 3042 Water and Wastewater Systems for Land Development
- CVE 3052 Municipal Water and Wastewater Systems
Select one Structures Elective:
- CVE 4013 Steel Structures
- CVE 4016 Reinforced Concrete Structures
Senior Year
Fall (16 credit hours)
- CVE 4060 Transportation Engineering
- CVE 4070 Construction Engineering
- CVE 4091 Design Project 1 (Q)
- Humanities Elective (HU) 3000-level or higher recommended Credit Hours: 3
- Restricted Elective (CVE) Credit Hours: 3
- Design Elective (CVE) Credit Hours: 3
Spring (16 credit hours)
- CVE 4000 Engineering Economy and Planning
- CVE 4074 Leading Construction Operations
- CVE 4092 Design Project 2 (Q)
- Free Elective Credit Hours: 1
- Restricted Electives (CVE) Credit Hours: 6
Total Credits Required: 131
Note: A list of approved design and restricted electives is available from the department office.
Program Outcome
Education Objectives
The educational objectives of the civil engineering program are to produce graduates who:
- Collaborate in teams and independently appraise and conduct work-related projects to serve their constituents;
- Continuously seek professional growth;
- Display ethical responsibility and leadership qualities; and
- Communicate effectively with their clients, constituents, peers, subordinates, and supervisors.
Career Opportunities
Career Outlook
Civil engineers are needed everywhere; job location is never a problem. Florida Tech’s civil engineering students are hired by private architectural, construction, environmental, geotechnical, land development, structural, transportation, and water resources companies including several national and multi-national companies. Our students also work for the local, state (water management districts, department of transportation), and federal agencies (USGS) as well as organizations such as Walt Disney World. Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions, while others work in design, project management, research, and teaching.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in civil engineering careers is expected to grow 19.7% between 2012 and 2022, producing about 53,700 new jobs. While government funding is often the source for civil engineering projects, private company projects will continue to create demand for civil engineering careers.
The BLS provides information about specific jobs including median annual pay, working conditions, and job outlook, among other things. Civil engineers are among the highest-paid in engineering.
Facilities
English Language Requirements
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