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undergradstudents.program
Civil and environmental engineers plan, design, manage, and maintain the construction and operation of systems that support our society. With increasing population density and with dwindling resources, maintaining the quality of life presents new challenges to industrialized nations. In many developing countries, rapid urbanization is giving rise to both local and international issues for the civil and environmental engineer. The coming decades will demand civil and environmental engineers who are prepared to seek efficient and effective solutions to these new challenges. Opportunities for civil and environmental engineers encompass public and private sectors and vary widely in nature, size and scope. Examples include the analysis and design of pollution remediation systems, space structures, hazardous waste disposal facilities, water treatment and distribution facilities, power plants, buildings, bridges, tunnels, airports, and offshore structures. Civil and environmental engineers will also contribute significantly to studies of global climate change, and in the development of sustainable infrastructure and energy systems.
Program Goals
The goals of the program are to help graduates develop:
- a solid understanding of the engineering sciences and the process
of engineering design;
- the ability to think critically;
- the ability to communicate orally, in writing, and mathematically;
- the ability to analyze and understand the social, economic,
ethical and environmental implications of their engineering work;
- the ability to work individually, as well as in teams, and
manage the work of others;
- and a commitment to life-long learning and professional development.
Pratt's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a tightly integrated academic program designed to develop advanced skills in the analysis and design of structural and environmental systems. The program is characterized by close student-faculty interaction, and abundant internship and independent study opportunities. The curriculum emphasizes the tools needed for leadership roles in technical fields, and recognizes students professional and personal obligations to the broader society and culture.
The department offers a major in civil engineering
in which students can focus on water resources and environmental engineering or
on structural engineering and mechanics. The curriculum in the first
two years is essentially the same for all students. The curriculum
differentiates in the last two years according to the focus area,
leading to two distinct “capstone” courses, CE192, Integrated
Structural Design or CE193, Integrated Environmental Design. Many
(if not most) students take courses from both tracks and some students
complete the requirements for both tracks.
In addition to these areas of emphasis, the department offers a
Program in
Architectural Engineering. Students may also pursue a
degree in civil engineering coupled with a double major in another
department at Duke. Examples of recently completed double majors
reflect the breadth of interests shared by civil and environmental
engineering students at Duke: public policy studies, economics,
French, mathematics, and music.
The civil and environmental engineering program at Duke is built
upon the expertise and experience of a dedicated faculty and is
supported by specialized laboratory and instructional facilities.
Duke's civil and environmental engineering professors are committed
to provide quality classroom instruction, advising, and laboratory
experiences in settings that encourage student-faculty as well as
student-student interactions. The faculty conducts research of national
and international consequence and undergraduates have ample opportunities
to be involved in such research, by undertaking independent study
projects and/or by working as research assistants.
Depth and Breadth Criteria
All majors gain breadth and depth in their curriculum by taking
more than one course in at least four of the following five areas:
- 1. Structures and Mechanics (EGR 25L, EGR 75L, EGR 123L, CE
130L, CE 131L, CE 192)
- 2. Water Resources (CE 122L, CE 123L, CE 139L, CE 193)
- 3. Environmental Engineering (CE 24L, CE 120L, CE 124L, CE 139L,
CE 193)
- 4. Systems and Transportation (EGR 115, CE 116, CE 130L)
- 5. Architectural Engineering (CE 161, CE 162)
Experiential Learning
In addition to the required course work, our students have the opportunity for experiential "hands-on" learning where they have the opportunity to apply their engineering education in designing and creating new systems, structures and processes.
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