School of Information Technology & Engineering

• Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering
  • Faculty
  • Introduction
  • Course Work
• Undergraduate Programs
  • Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, B.S.
    • Degree Requirements
    • Writing-Intensive Requirement
• Graduate Programs
  • Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, M.S.
    • Admission Requirements
    • Degree Requirements
    • Emphases
  • Ph.D Study in Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering

Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering

Faculty

Professors: Bronzini, Houck (chair)
Associate professors: Arciszewski, deMonsabert
Instructor: Liner
Adjunct professors: Chase, Flannery, Freas, Gagne, Harrop-Williams, Matusik, May, Randall, Shacochis, Spencer, Szykman, Ward

Introduction

The Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering (CEIE) Department administers two degree programs: the B.S. and M.S. in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (formerly Urban Systems Engineering). These degree programs complement the study of civil and environmental engineering with advances in information technology, and they focus on the physical and organizational infrastructure essential to the functioning of an urban society. The B.S. in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Civil and infrastructure engineering is the study of land, transportation, water, energy, and telecommunications systems from a civil engineering perspective, within a complex social, political, economic, and environmental context. The focus of the program is on how these systems are successfully conceived, developed, designed, built, operated, maintained, and renewed in the built environment such as the Washington metropolitan area.

An urban society thrives and prospers when adequate, appropriate, reliable, robust, and cost-effective infrastructure systems to support the functioning of the society are provided. The investment in existing infrastructure and other urban systems in the United States is enormous. The investment required to maintain, operate, renew, and manage the evolution of these civil systems in the future is even greater. The need for highly educated professionals to confront and solve these continuing vital problems is pressing. Examples of infrastructure systems include water supply and distribution; streets, roads, and highways; waste water management; transit; storm water management; public utilities; energy supply and distribution; telecommunications; buildings, facilities, and structures; and solid waste management.

Course Work

The Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering Department offers courses designated CEIE in the "Course Descriptions" chapter of this catalog.

Undergraduate Program

Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, B.S.

The bachelor's degree program includes a solid foundation in the theory of civil and infrastructure engineering. Students benefit from exposure to practical civil, environmental, and infrastructure engineering problems and their solutions in the classroom, lab, and field. There is also the opportunity for students to work as junior engineers each summer. The goal of the department is to graduate students who are prepared to

• solve problems in the civil engineering domain including 1) integration across traditional civil engineering disciplines such as transportation, environment, structures, construction, water, etc.; 2) incorporate such elements as social, political, and economic considerations; and 3) include a conscious life-cycle costing philosophy;

• develop and apply information technology to civil engineering problems;

• communicate effectively in written work, orally, and visually;

• pursue a lifelong process of learning; and

• enter the civil engineering profession as productive junior engineers.

The civil and infrastructure engineer can look forward to a career in local, state, and federal government organizations and architectural/engineering firms that specialize in land development, transportation, water resources, environment, construction, and other related civil engineering fields. The program also prepares students for continuing graduate studies.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for the B.S. degree, students must meet the specific requirements for this degree.

Degree requirements for the B.S. in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering include 120 credits distributed in courses in three main areas:

	Credits
Mathematics and basic science	30
CHEM 251; MATH 113, 114, 213, 214; PHYS 160, 260, 261, 266; STAT 344
Humanities and social sciences	24
COMM 100; ECON 103; ENGL 101, 302; literature electives	6
Social science elective (PSYC 100 is recommended)	3
Humanities or social science elective	3
Civil, environmental, and infrastructure engineering analysis and design	66
CS 112; ENGR 107, 183, 210, 310; CEIE 230, 290, 301, 305, 311, 340, 365, 367, 400, 440, 455, 463, 490
Technical electives	9

The prerequisite structure for courses in any engineering curriculum is extensive and complex. Students are required to see their faculty advisors at least once each semester to plan for the following semester's registration. Each student is expected to complete an approved plan of study, which constitutes a "learning plan" for the degree program. For a sample schedule that observes all the course prerequisites, please consult the program's web site through the university's main page (www.gmu.edu) or visit any of the CEIE faculty.

All electives must be selected with the advice and approval of the academic advisor. The technical electives must include at least six credits of CEIE courses.

Writing-Intensive Requirement

The university's writing-intensive requirement for urban systems engineering majors is satisfied by the successful completion of CEIE 400.

The M.S. program educates students in the theory and practice of civil and infrastructure engineering. Information technology and automated tools for analyzing and solving urban systems problems are important components of the program. The civil and infrastructure engineer can look forward to pursuing a career in the private and public sectors or to continuing graduate study toward the Ph.D.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the program, a candidate must

1. satisfy the general university requirements for admission to a graduate program;

2. have earned a baccalaureate degree in engineering, physical sciences, economics, or other civil and infrastructure engineering-related field; and

3. have three letters of reference submitted by former professors or supervisors.

Acceptance to the degree program is based on an assessment of the applicant's capacity to pursue these graduate studies successfully. Consideration is given to the applicant's undergraduate record, any previous graduate work, professional work experience, the letters of reference, and any recent Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Well-qualified students who present minor admission deficiencies may be admitted subject to completing an articulation program. Courses taken in the articulation program extend the minimum requirements for the degree.

Degree Requirements

The M.S. in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering program includes three core courses, one methods course, electives selected by the student with the aid of a faculty advisor, and a thesis or civil and infrastructure engineering project. Students must complete a faculty-approved plan of study with a minimum of 30 credits of graduate work, including the thesis (6 credits) or the research project (3 credits).

Core Courses
Students must complete the following three core courses. These courses provide a common background for understanding the breadth and complexity of civil and infrastructure engineering, and for introducing the application of information technology and the systems approach to analyzing and solving problems in civil and infrastructure engineering.

CEIE 600 Infrastructure Planning and Management

CEIE 601 CEIE Modeling and Problem Solving

SYST 530 System Management and Evaluation

Methods Courses
Students must complete at least one of these courses:

CEIE 585 Automated Support Tools for Civil and Infrastructure Engineers

CEIE 670 Civil and Infrastructure Decision Methods and Tools

CEIE 680 Spatial Decision Support Systems

CEIE 685 Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Information Management

or other appropriate methods courses such as SYST 510, 520; OR 541, 542; and STAT 544, 554, 574

Emphases

Each student must select an additional four or five electives that together constitute an emphasis. With the prior approval of a faculty advisor, a student may design his or her own emphasis, or may select from one of several standard emphases, including the following:

Transportation Systems Engineering

Construction Management

Environmental Systems Engineering

Inventive Engineering

Engineering Management

Water Resource Systems Engineering

Facilities Management

Doctoral study in civil, environmental, and infrastructure engineering is available through the Ph.D. in Information Technology program, which offers advanced courses in this discipline. The doctoral program allows the student to take a broad range of courses and research options.