Civil & Environmental Engr: Intro to Civil & Envir Engr

Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering, sustainability, ethics, systems thinking, teamwork in engineering, laboratories, computational exercises, and project-based.

Must register for a lab, L01-L04 Limit to CE, EENV, ENGR, EMGT majors, PACE students with instructor permission.

This 2-credit course introduces Civil and Environmental Engineering through hands-on design, group projects, inquiry-based learning, systems thinking, critical thinking, and computational exercises. Course objectives include: • To learn about Civil and Environmental Engineering, associated sub-disciplines, and the public and private sector design and construction context in which these disciplines apply. • To understand the local and global sustainability elements applicable to engineered systems, including the importance of systems thinking and ethics in engineering research and practice. • To develop and practice essential skills for engineers (communication, leadership, critical and systems thinking, cooperation, and professionalism). • To learn and understand the principles of standards of engineering practice applicable to professional engineering. • To understand ABET-directed outcomes and their importance for engineering practice. Course topics include: • The range of Civil &Environmental Engineering disciplines and associated sub-disciplines in which these disciplines apply. • Approaches and next steps for entering this field, specifically the importance of systems thinking in research and practice. • Essential skills for engineers (computing, sensors, problem-solving, critical and systems thinking, communication, leadership, cooperation, and professionalism).

Class sessions include lectures and discussion of course content and invited talks by civil and environmental engineering professionals. Students are also expected to attend a lab session each week. Lab sessions allow you to learn more about topics discussed in class. Students must attend the lab session to turn in a lab report.

The course is evaluated based on homework assignments (15%), lab reports (50%), quizzes (20%), and a final essay (15%).