Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

Bruce W. Berdanier, Head
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Crothers Engineering Hall 120
605-688-5427
fax: 605-688-6476
e-mail: bruce.berdanier@sdstate.edu
http://www3.sdstate.edu/Academics/CollegeOfEngineering/CivilandEnvironmentalEngineering/

Faculty

Professor Berdanier, Head; Professors Burckhard, DeBoer, Reid, Schmit, Ting, Wehbe; Professors Emeriti Dornbush, Hassoun, Rollag, Selim, Sigl; Associate Professors Jones, Mahgoub; Associate Professor Emeritus Tiltrum; Assistant Professors Emmons, Pei, Qin.

Programs

Civil Engineering includes the location, design, construction, and the operation and maintenance of highways, airports, buildings, bridges, dams, water supply and distribution systems, waste water collection systems and treatment plants, irrigation and drainage systems, river and harbor improvements and many other infrastructure facilities essential in modern life.

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department’s mission is to provide a highly respected, rigorous, practical education for our students, oriented toward problem solving through the integration of education, research and lifelong learning. In fulfillment of this mission the Department has established the following program educational objectives that describe the expected accomplishments of our graduates after graduation.

The Civil Engineering Program at SDSU prepares students to achieve the following educational objectives within the first five years of their career: 

1. Completion of professional licensure or specialized certification,
2. Completion of advanced academic degrees and/or active participation in professional development societies, and
3. Assume leadership positions within organizations in their profession, in their communities, and in the global society.

The program’s mission and educational objectives are accomplished by providing undergraduate students with an educational program that will result in the following outcomes:

Graduates of the CEE Department will have:

a. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;
b. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data;
c. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet prescribed objectives;
d. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams;
e. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems;
f. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility;
g. an ability to communicate effectively;
h. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context;
i. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in lifelong learning;
j. a knowledge of contemporary issues;
k. the skills to apply the tools and techniques of modern engineering practice.

Additionally, the program strives to assist students in developing a commitment to high standards of professional conduct by maintaining a strong, active American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter Program; encouraging seniors to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination; and promoting summer, cooperative education, and internship employment experiences in civil engineering.

First year engineering students are introduced to engineering design in GE 101, Introduction to Engineering, where they learn about the creative process through exposure to “real world” examples illustrating each step of the design process. Through the sophomore and junior courses, exposure to design experiences is gradually increased to demonstrate how knowledge gained in the engineering sciences can be used to solve engineering problems, promote original thought, illustrate the work expected of engineers and stimulate interest and enthusiasm for design. As students enter the senior year, the design experiences in the core courses become more complex and open-ended. Design experience culminates in CEE 464-465, Civil Engineering Capstone Design I and II, where design teams work on comprehensive, open-ended projects involving scope and definition, evaluation of alternatives on the basis of economics, safety, ethical implications, and other factors, concluding with the preparation of a functional design, plans, specifications and final cost estimates.

Electives are provided to broaden the student’s knowledge in the social-humanistic area and to provide the opportunity for technical specialization. A minimum number of credits of Humanities/Arts and Social Sciences are required and must be selected to satisfy the System General Education Core and the SDSU Institutional Graduation Requirements under the Graduation Requirements in this catalog. Students should consult with their academic adviser or the department head for guidance on humanities and arts and social science electives. Civil Engineering elective credits are provided in order to provide the students technical specialization and breadth in the sub-discipline or subdisciplines of their interest. The sub-disciplines within Civil Engineering at SDSU include Environmental, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, and Water Resources engineering. The program requirements for selecting Civil Engineering electives are available from the adviser or department head. All technical electives must be approved by the adviser or department head.

In addition to the Graduation Requirements and Academic Performance Requirements specified in this catalog, the following grade requirements must be met to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering: a combined average of “C” or better in the Civil Engineering courses; a combined average of “C” or better in the mathematics courses; and a minimum grade of “C” in each of the following courses: Math 123, Math 125, EM 214, EM 215, EM 321, and EM 331. Students that fail to earn a “C” or better in any of these courses will be required to take them in each subsequent semester until the requirement is met. Students must follow course prerequisite requirements and take the Fundamentals of Engineering examination prior to graduation.

The Department will assist those interested in arranging internships and cooperative education work-study programs with consulting and testing firms, governmental agencies and industry. Credit may be obtained for work experiences by registering for CEE 494 Internship, CEE 496 Field Experience, or CEE 497 Cooperative Education. These credits, upon approval of the Department, may fulfill part of the technical-elective requirements.

The Civil Engineering program at South Dakota State University has been continuously accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission/Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) since 1936.

To make the transition easier for high school students interested in a career in Civil Engineering, the following guidelines are suggested: study as much mathematics as available, including trigonometry and calculus (if possible), one year of physics, one year of chemistry, and four years of English.

Environmental Science and Engineering Specialization

The Environmental Science and Engineering Specialization is an interdisciplinary specialization with faculty from the Environmental Management, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Agricultural Systems Technology, and Civil and Environmental Engineering programs. The specialization is open to students with majors in any of the aforementioned programs and its goal is to incorporate the biological and ecological features of the involved programs to provide students with an interdisciplinary experience. Students from this specialization will be well prepared to apply the engineering, science, and environmental management aspects of each of these existing programs to engineer environmentally sustainable systems. Students graduating from the specialization will have that distinction noted on their transcript. Every student in this specialization is required to take four classes that are unique to the specialization. In addition to the required classes, restrictive prerequisites on selected technical electives in the various participating programs will be relaxed allowing students in this specialization access that was formerly not available.