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The Mission, Objectives, and Outcomes of UI's Civil Engineering Program of Undergraduate Education

Mission

The Program's mission in undergraduate education is to serve the citizens of Iowa and the nation by disseminating and developing technical information aimed at improving the physical infrastructure and environmental well being of society. The Program aims to provide a well-rounded and superior engineering education that graduates talented and creative engineers. In so doing, the Program draws upon the broad resources of a comprehensive university that has strong programs in liberal arts and sciences, that offers a wide range of professional programs, and that aspires to be among the best research universities.

Objectives (Revised Fall 2008)

Our goal is to produce B.Sc. [Civil] graduates who integrate and build on the Program’s core curricular concepts in the pursuit of professional leadership, teamwork, life-long learning, and career advancement.  The core concepts include: design and process-modeling experience; open-ended problem solving; teamwork and project management skills; oral, written, and graphical communication skills; contemporary computer usage; multi-disciplinary experience; and ethical, professional, social and global awareness.  The Program Educational Objectives are

  • to produce graduates who have a strong foundation of scientific and technical knowledge and are equipped with problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills that will serve them throughout their careers;
  • to produce graduates who have the ability to pursue careers as practicing civil engineers;
  • to produce graduates who have the ability to pursue advanced studies in disciplines such as transportation Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Hydraulics, Water Resources Engineering, Hydrology, Structural Engineering, Materials Engineering, Mechanics, Law, or Business;
  • to produce graduates who have the ability to assume professional leadership roles; and
  • to produce graduates with skills and qualifications for careers outside the traditional focus areas of civil engineering.

Outcomes

The Outcomes attributes sought for students graduating from the Program are as follows:
(i). the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering in their chosen fields within civil engineering.
(ii). the ability to design and conduct experiments, and to analyze and interpret experimental results.
(iii). an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
(iv). the ability to work as members of multidisciplinary project and/or research teams, and have an understanding of leadership in teams and organizations.
(v). the ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
(vi). an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility and the value of mentorship and peer support.
(vii). the ability to communicate effectively in written, oral, and graphical forms.
(viii). an education that is supportive of a broad awareness of the diversity of the world and its cultures, and that provides an understanding of the impact of engineering practice in the global community.
(ix). understand the importance of updating and maintaining their technical skills and continuing their education throughout their professional careers, and understand the importance and responsibilities of professional licensure.
(x). understand the role of civil and environmental engineering in developing and maintaining society's physical infrastructure.
(xi). the ability to use the principles, techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for successful engineering practice and/or research in their chosen fields associated with civil and environmental engineering.
(xii). a base-level competency in four specialized areas of civil engineering (environmental; hydraulics & hydrology; structures, mechanics & materials; transportation).
(xiii). an understanding of the elements of project management, construction, and asset management.
(xiv). an understanding of business, public policy and administration fundamentals.
(xv). an understanding of the role of the leader and leadership principles.
(xvi). an appreciation of the role of research in civil engineering practice.

The University of Iowa College of Engineering