Bachelor of Science - Civil Engineering

Program Description Montana State University's Department of Civil Engineering anticipates that engineering and construction practice will continue to evolve quickly with several very fundamental precepts for success. Among these is the premise that the engineers and constructors will continue to rely on fundamental engineering science coupled with contemporary computational tools to meet the engineering and construction challenges of the future. We therefore choose to focus our curriculum on fundamental engineering basics and the application of modern engineering tools. Our civil and environmental engineering programs will be acknowledged for their strong emphasis and rigor in engineering science, design, and applications. Our construction programs will be acknowledged for their emphasis on engineering and management skills and the application of those skills to the construction industry. The emphasis of these programs will continue to be preparation of students for professional practice in the engineering and construction industries. Civil Engineering Civil Engineers design and construct facilities which improve the welfare and raise the living standards of society. Civil Engineers are also involved with protecting and restoring our natural environment. These activities often are conducted at a large scale, involve a substantial investment of society's resources, and are expected to perform their intended function well into the future; each such project is unique and demands ingenuity and creativity in its execution. A registered civil engineer is a professional with the legally recognized education and experience to work on these challenging projects under their own authority. Civil Engineering graduates enjoy extensive opportunities for employment in Montana, the Pacific Northwest, and the rest of the nation, both in private industry and government agencies involved in infrastructure development, operations and maintenance, and protection of the natural environment. The following sub-areas comprise the field of civil engineering: environmental engineering for water and wastewater treatment, solid and toxic waste handling, and air and water pollution problems; geotechnical engineering for making use of soil, rock, and ice as foundation materials; structural engineering for buildings, bridges, dams, piers, towers, and other erected facilities; transportation engineering for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, highways, railroads, airports, and pipelines; water resources engineering for water supply, irrigation, flood control, aquatic habitat improvement, groundwater management, and hydroelectric power generation; construction of engineered facilities; and engineering measurements, which include surveying, photogrammetry, and mapping. The Civil Engineering Bachelor of Science Program is a traditionally structured program that provides graduates with a strong background in math, basic sciences and engineering mechanics, and prepares graduates to become registered professional engineers capable of practicing civil engineering in the areas of environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation and water resources engineering. Graduates that pursue the Land Surveying minor are prepared to become registered land surveyors engaged in measurement and mapping.