The Department of Civil Engineering provides an undergraduate program leading to the award of the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, and instruction and research leading to the Master's degree in Civil Engineering. The department offers contemporary educational programs and a faculty poised to deliver a quality engineering education.

Lists of all Civil Engineering undergraduate and graduate course descriptions are available on separate pages.

Mission:
"The mission of the Department of Civil Engineering is to maximize the development of our students through programs of instruction and research in preparation for rewarding careers in the practice of civil engineering."

Goals:

  • To provide a high quality contemporary curriculum
  • To provide a vibrant research program
  • To significantly improve the retention rate of students
  • To provide an environment that encourages students to experience and develop initiatives, leadership, ethical behavior, and teamwork.

Educational Objective:

The educational objective of the Civil Engineering program at Howard University is to provide a broad-based civil engineering educational experience primarily to promising Black students that:

  • Prepares graduates for employment in the Civil Engineering discipline government agencies and the private sector.
  • Provides graduates with the basic competencies required to pursue advanced study and research in civil engineering and related disciplines.
  • Prepares graduates for leadership opportunities.

The educational objective of the Department is compatible with the missions of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences and the University, which are stated below.

Civil Engineering is the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of systems and physical facilities necessary to maintain and improve our society. The Department offers specialized areas of civil engineering in environmental, geotechnical, structures, transportation and water resources engineering.

Environmental engineering is concerned with the engineering control and protection of the environment. It involves the engineering design and operations of systems for water quality management, water supply and wastewater treatment, and hazardous waste management and treatment.

Geotechnical engineering encompasses the areas of soil mechanics and foundation engineering. It is concerned with the problems involved in the design and construction of structures built on and of soil and rocks. Geotechnical engineering includes the design of foundations of bridges, buildings, design of tunnels and dams, and the geological factors affecting all structures.

Structural engineering includes the design of all types of structures including office buildings, dams, bridges and tunnels and the monitoring of their construction. A primary concern of structural engineers is predicting the loadings that a structure will have to resist during its life and ensuring that it will be both safe and useful. Computers are used extensively in this discipline.

Transportation engineering deals with the planning, design, construction, operation and management of highways, railways, air transportation systems and marine terminals. Transportation engineers are involved in the total transportation system including the administration, environmental impact, economics and performance evaluation of the system.

Water resources engineering involves flood control, harbor and river development and water quantity management. It also includes hydrology, which encompasses the occurrence, distribution, movement and properties of the waters of the Earth and their environmental relationships.


The undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.

Students seeking the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering must complete a minimum of 130 credits. This includes 12 credits of electives in one of the five specialized areas of civil engineering.

The general curriculum is shown below with credits on the right. Follow the linked course titles for the course description listed on the undergraduate course description page.

Arts & Science/Social Science
    Calculus/Differential Equations

16

    Chemistry

9

    Physics

7

    Social Science/Humanities

18

    Freshman English

6

    Physical Education or ROTC

4

Engineering Courses
    2
    1
    3
    3
    3
    3
    4
    4
    4
    3
    3
    3
    3
    3
    3
    3
    3
    1
    3
    3
    Civil Engineering Electives
    12
Total Credit Hours

130

 

Program Learning Outcomes

The undergraduate program is aimed at achieving the following learning outcomes:

(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 desired needs.
(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 ability to engage in life-long learning.
(j) a knowledge of contempoary issues.
(k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering told necessary for engineering practice.
(l) an understanding of issues related to minorities and gender diversity, society and culture, and an historical awareness of Afica and its Dispora.


The department of Civil Engineering offers studies leading to the Master of Engineering in civil engineering. This degree program requires 31 credit hours of study, which may include 6 credit hours for the thesis and a final oral examination on the thesis or a written comprehensive examination if no thesis is written.

Major areas of study are environmental and water resources engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering and mechanics and transportation systems engineering. Current areas of research include beneficial aspects of wastewater sludges; mechanical behavior of large, repetitive lattice structures; behavior of concrete; turbulent open channel flow studies; geoenvironmental studies; soil-structure interactions; and treatment of contaminated soils and groundwater.

Complete descriptions of all graduate courses offered by the department are available on the graduate course description page.

   

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