Civil Engineering, B.S.

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Civil Engineers design, build, and maintain the foundation of our modern society - our roads and bridges, drinking water, and energy systems, sea ports and airports, and the infrastructure for a cleaner environment. They are responsible for our built environment. Civil engineers work in many sectors - including structural, environmental, transportation, geotechnical, construction management, and water resources. Throughout our day we are continually touched by the works of civil engineers whether by enabling power to reach us, providing clean water, handling waste and recycling, or providing the infrastructure that allows us to move and travel. The Civil Engineering major places a strong emphasis on hands-on experience and the art of engineering design along with concepts of sustainability and the design of Green Infrastructure and systems. The curriculum provides for breadth of knowledge in the civil engineering disciplines as well as offering an ability to focus on a specific area through the choice of electives.

Graduates will be well prepared to work as civil engineers in the public or private sectors as practicing engineers and to pursue further education in graduate school.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the civil engineering program will be able to have and demonstrate:

An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Program Educational Objectives

The civil engineering program at York College is designed to prepare its graduates for productive careers and/or graduate study. Within a few years following graduation, our alumni:

Will be performing essential engineering functions in the design, management, or construction industries.
Will be solving creatively complex, multi-disciplinary problems effectively as civil engineers, taking into account physical, technological, social, political, business, sustainability, and ethical aspects.
Will be demonstrating their ability to communicate effectively to varying audiences, work as a valued team member, and their potential for technical leadership and management while contributing to their field, profession, and society.

Engineering Cooperative Work Experience (Co-op)

Students are required to complete three semesters of co-op (six credits) prior to graduation. One co-op (two credits) will be waived for students who successfully complete a semester-long study abroad experience and with prior permission of the department chair. Through this program, students gain practical hands-on experience in industry and other engineering-related enterprises. After their first two years of study, students alternate academic semesters with semesters of full-time paid professional engineering experience in industry. One or more co-ops may be waived for students with a history of qualified engineering work.

To be eligible for a civil engineering co-op, a student must have:

A cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
Completed EGR 250
Completed or be currently enrolled in EGR 264/265 and CVE 280/281

Requirements for Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Civil Engineering must complete a minimum of 134 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, also earn a 2.0 grade average in required and elective major courses, and satisfy the College’s residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for First Year Seminar and all courses taken as part of Foundations. Courses used to complete General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.

The General Education Requirements of the college require students to successfully complete a First Year Seminar, Foundations, Disciplinary Perspectives, and a Constellation. Students who enter the college with 30 credit hours completed will not take a First Year Seminar course and therefore must take an additional 3 credits for graduation. Transfer students that are awarded 60 or more credits upon acceptance to York College will not be required to complete a Constellation.

General Education Requirement

First Year Seminar

FYS 100 First-Year Seminar 3 credit hours

Foundations Requirement

Communication course:
FCO 105 Rhetorical Communication 3 credit hours
Advanced Communication:

Satisfied by major
Quantitative Fluency:

Satisfied by major
Choose one of the following American Citizenship courses:
ECO 201 Principles of Economics (Micro) 3 credit hours
HIS 111 American Civilization I 3 credit hours
HIS 112 American Civilization II 3 credit hours
LIT 281 American Literature and Identity I 3 credit hours
LIT 282 American Literature and Identity II 3 credit hours
PHL 245 American Philosophical Thought 3 credit hours
PS 101 American Government and Citizenship 3 credit hours
REL 269 American Religious Thought and Culture 3 credit hours
Choose one of the following Global Citizenship courses or students have the option to complete this requirement by successfully completing six credits of the same language:
ECO 200 Principles of Economics (Macro) 3 credit hours
G 100 World Regional Geography 3 credit hours
HIS 102 The West in the World 3 credit hours
PS 102 Contemporary Global Issues 3 credit hours

Disciplinary Perspectives Requirement

Choose one of the following Humanities courses:
FLM 216 Introduction to Film 3 credit hours
HIS 101 The Foundation of the West 3 credit hours
LIT 200 Introduction to Literary and Textual Studies 3 credit hours
PHL 221 Introduction to Philosophy 3 credit hours
REL 265 World Religions 3 credit hours
PHL 238 Race, Gender, and Sexuality 3 credit hours
OR
WGS 238 Race, Gender, and Sexuality 3 credit hours
Choose one of the following Arts courses:
ART 101 Art and Visual Culture 3 credit hours
CRW 272 Introduction to Creative Writing 3 credit hours
MUS 186 Listening to Music 3 credit hours
THE 154 Introduction to Theatre 3 credit hours
Choose one of the following Social and Behavioral Sciences courses:
ECO 205 Economic Perspectives 3 credit hours
ENT 150 Introduction to Entrepreneurship 3 credit hours
MKT 100 Principles of Marketing 3 credit hours
PS 110 Introduction to Political Science 3 credit hours
PSY 100 General Psychology 3 credit hours
REC 101 Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society 3 credit hours
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology 3 credit hours
Natural/Physical Sciences:

Satisfied by major

Constellation Requirement

The Constellation requirement is met when a student completes four courses from a minimum of three disciplines within the Constellation requirements. Transfer students that are awarded 60 or more credits upon acceptance to York College will not be required to complete a Constellation except for Education majors.