The Washington State University General Catalog

Civil Engineering

The online catalog includes the most recent changes to courses and degree requirements that have been approved by the Faculty Senate, including changes that are not yet effective.

WARNING: The following information reflects a degree requirement which expired as of Summer 2019. Please click the appropriate link under "Degree Programs" on the right side of this page to view the currently effective requirements for this program. If a link to this program does not appear, the program may no longer be available, or may be available under a different academic unit. You can find past requirements under the appropriate archived catalog.

Civil Engineering (129 Credits)

Certification Criteria

Students may certify in the Civil Engineering degree program either in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, on the Pullman campus, or in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, on the Tri-Cities campus. To be eligible for certification, students must have completed 45 semester hours of course work including CE 211, MATH 171, 172, and PHYSICS 201, or course equivalents.

The certification criteria are the same on all campuses, but the application process may vary. Students should consult with their advisor about their readiness for certification and apply for certification during the semester in which certification requirements will be met.

The number of students certified into the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences depends upon the available resources and facilities on their respective campuses. The best-qualified students, based on cumulative GPA and grades in the prerequisite courses above, as well as all engineering, math, and science courses taken to date will be certified into the department and the school until the carrying capacity is reached.

The Certification Committee reviews applicants’ academic credentials and a decision is made on the basis of the following guidelines:
  1. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will establish the total number of students to be certified into the Civil Engineering program on each campus.
  2. Applicants are ranked on the basis of an index number that includes weighted contribution from the student’s overall GPA and the GPA from all engineering, math, and science courses taken as part of the curriculum. For transfer students, a composite overall GPA will normally be constructed on the basis of the percentage of total credits from each institution. A weight of .25 is used for the overall GPA and .75 is used for the engineering, math, and science GPA. Students must have a minimum index value of 2.5 to be considered for certification. However, the cutoff certification index number may fluctuate each semester depending upon the number of applicants.
  3. Certification Guarantee: Students who complete the required certification courses with an average GPA of at least 3.2, who have an overall GPA of at least 3.2 in the completed courses required in the major, and who have not repeated any required courses, are guaranteed certification.
  4. Students who are not guaranteed certification will be ranked on the basis of their index value. If the number of students who meet minimum certification requirements exceeds the number of available spaces, the following factors may also be considered:
    1. Performance in engineering-related courses.
    2. Summer and other work experience.
    3. Expressed interest in Civil Engineering.
    4. Progress toward completion of the degree.
    5. Professional and ethical behavior.
  5. The certification procedure is as follows:
    1. Certification applications will normally be reviewed in August, December and May of each academic year.
    2. Only students with index numbers of 3.0 or higher, or up to a departmental predefined limit, will normally be certified in August or December. All other eligible applications (i.e. with index values above 2.5) will receive a letter informing them that they must wait until the following semester for a decision.
    3. Applications for students who are not certified will be held for consideration in subsequent terms in the same academic year. Students who are not certified within one academic year should contact their advisor to determine if reapplication is recommended.
    4. Uncertified students may take the following courses based on index number and space availability: CE 302, 303, 315, 317, 322, 330, 341, 351, 414, and 463. Permission to enroll in these classes does not imply acceptance for certification. A student with an index number below 2.5 is not permitted to take any upper-division CE courses. If already enrolled, the student will be removed from the course.
  6. The certification is only valid for the current campus of residence. Should student decide to change campus after certification, they will need to reapply for certification for the campus to which they transfer.
  7. Students who are deficient under the University’s Academic Regulations or whose GPA in CE courses falls below 2.0 are subject to decertification. The undergraduate studies committee on each campus will determine the eligibility and probation conditions for decertified students who will be permitted to apply for recertification.

Experiential Requirement


To earn a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering, students must complete one of the following experiential requirements:
  1. An internship of at least eight weeks duration, with at least one credit of CE 495.
  2. A research position of at least eight weeks duration under the supervision of a departmental faculty member or approved mentor, with at least one credit of CE 499.
  3. Study abroad for six or more credit hours. International students in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will meet this requirement through their study in the United States.
  4. Participation in a recognized ROTC program. Veterans in the Department of Civil Environmental Engineering or in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will have met this requirement through their prior service in the armed forces.
  5. A leadership or service experience of at least one semester, subject to departmental approval, with at least one credit of CE 499.

At least 50 of the total hours required for this degree must be in 300-400-level courses. None of the courses listed below may be taken on a pass/fail basis. A grade of C or higher in all CE courses used to fulfill major requirements is required for graduation.

Students should consult with their advisor at their campus of residence for approved alternative course sequences and choices as well as allowed substitutions to the schedule of studies listed below.
First Year
First TermCredits
Arts [ARTS]3
CHEM 105 [PSCI]4
ENGLISH 101 [WRTG]3
ENGR 1202
MATH 171 [QUAN]14
Second TermCredits
BIOLOGY 102 [BSCI] or MBIOS 101 [BSCI]4
ECONS 101 [SSCI] or 102 [SSCI]3
HISTORY 105 [ROOT]3
MATH 17214
MATH 2202
Second Year
First TermCredits
CE 21113
COM 102 [COMM] or H D 205 [COMM] or Humanities [HUM]23
Diversity [DIVR]3
MATH 273 2
PHYSICS 201 [PSCI]14
Second TermCredits
C E 2153
CHEM 106, PHYSICS 202, or SOE 10234
E E 2212
ME 2123
ME 2201
STAT 360 or 3703
Complete Writing Portfolio
Third Year
First TermCredits
CE 3022
CE 3153
CE 317 [M] 4
CE Breadth Electives4,56
CST M 2542
Second TermCredits
CE 3032
CE Breadth Electives4,56
ENGLISH 402 [WRTG] or COM 400 [COMM]23
MATH 3153
MSE 201 or ME 3013
Fourth Year
First TermCredits
CE 463 3
CE 480 [M]1
CE Electives5,69
CE Laboratory Elective73
Fundamentals of Engineering Exam
Second TermCredits
CE 465 [CAPS] [M]83
CE 4661
CE Electives5,69
Humanities [HUM] or upper-division CE Elective2,93
Complete Experiential Requirement100 - 1
Exit Interview

Footnotes
1Classes that must be completed prior to certification.
2To fulfill their upper-division CE elective and technical writing requirements, students can choose one of the following course combinations: COM 400 and a 300-400-level CE elective; COM 400 and COM 102; COM 400 and H D 205; ENGLISH 402 and COM 102; ENGLISH 402 and H D 205.
3CHEM 106 strongly recommended for students emphasizing environmental engineering; SOE 101 or 102 strongly recommended for students emphasizing structural, geotechnical, or infrastructure engineering.
4CE Breadth Electives: Choose three courses from CE 322, 330, 341 and 351 and one other 300-400-level CE elective not including 495, 499 or any course used to fulfill a major requirement.
5CE Electives and CE Breadth Electives: One course must be chosen from CE 341, 401, 403, 405, 433, 436, 450, 456, 472, 473, or 476, which are designated as having a sustainability component.
6CE Elective courses: The 18-credit hours for elective courses must be distributed such that at least three courses, not including the lab, are designated as having design emphasis. Those courses must be selected such that at least one is chosen from two different areas of study, which include Environmental (CE 401, 402, 403, 415, 418, 419, and 442); Geotechnical (CE 400, 425, and 435); Hydraulics (CE 416,450, 451, 456, 460, and 475); Structural (CE 414, 430, 431, 433, 434, and 436); Sustainability (CE 405, 456, and 472); and Transportation/Pavement (CE 400, 472, 473, and 476); Other approved courses include: 4 credits of CE 488, 498, CST M 462, 466, or as approved by advisor.
7CE Laboratory Elective: Choose one from CE 400, 415, or 416.
8Course to be taken in final semester. With permission of advisor, student may substitute ENGR 421 or 431 for CE 465.
9Upper-division CE Elective – any CE Elective not used to fulfill major requirements, or as approved by advisor. In addition, CE 495 and 499 cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
10Experiential Requirement: Requires completion of one of the following: 1) one credit of CE 495 or 499; 2) six or more credits of study abroad; 3) military service or participation in recognized ROTC program.

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