Program Overview

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a complete undergraduate program to students on the Lincoln and Omaha campuses of the University of Nebraska. Curriculum requirements are nearly identical on both campuses. The goal is to prepare students for entry into the civil engineering profession immediately after graduation or to pursue graduate-level studies.

The general educational objectives of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln civil engineering undergraduate program are to prepare our graduates so that, with a University of Nebraska–Lincoln BSCE degree, a few years beyond graduation, alumni will:

• Be employed in civil and environmental engineering or a closely related field; or, graduates will be pursuing an advanced degree in civil and environmental engineering or a closely related field.
• Contribute to society and address societal and environmental needs through engagement in professional, community, or service organizations.
• Agree that the civil engineering program prepared them for success in their careers in terms of knowledge and skillsets as embodied in the program and the Complete Engineer ™ Initiative.

As a professional discipline, civil engineering is closely related to the total human environment. In all professional endeavors, the civil engineer must consider ecological effects as well as the social, economic, and political needs of people. The civil engineer designs systems to control and manage our water resources to provide electric power, agricultural irrigation, flood control, recreation, water supplies, and wastewater treatment systems for our urban and industrial needs.

The civil engineer plans, designs, and constructs our transportation systems—including highways, railroads, waterways, and airports—to connect rural, urban, and industrial areas. The civil engineer also designs and constructs housing and facilities for recreational, industrial, and commercial complexes, which comprise the urban environment. It is the responsibility of civil engineering to minimize air, water, and land pollution and protect the environment.