Texas Tech University

Undergraduate Programs

Civil Engineering BS


The Civil Engineering BS curriculum provides training in the basic sciences, engineering science, general education and design experience. Basic science includes mathematics, chemistry and physics. Engineering science includes statics, dynamics, fluid dynamics, mechanics of solids, soil mechanics, construction materials, surveying, thermodynamics and electrical systems. The broad category of general education includes courses in history, political science, humanities and communication. Design experience entails five subdisciplines of civil engineering: structural, environmental, water resources, geotechnical and transportation engineering.

Lecture and laboratory classes train the student in theory and practical applications. The overall objective is to provide design experience which involves open ended problems that are subject to various constraints. The student learns to work on teams, to examine options and make informed decisions regarding the design of a civil engineering system (building, bridge, pipeline, airport, water treatment plant, etc.). The curriculum concludes with a semester−long design project of a typical civil engineering project. The project brings all the knowledge gained from the curriculum to focus on the design. Students practice planning, scheduling, data collection, report writing, oral and graphical (CAD) communication in a simulated design office setting.

Construction Engineering BS


Construction engineers are responsible for the execution of a wide range of duties associated with the design and management of construction processes required to take a project described in written form by a set of plans and specifications and transform it into a finished, usable, physical facility or structure. Construction engineers are concerned with planning and managing construction sequences and operations, estimating and managing construction costs and cash flow, managing quality control of the materials and construction processes, designing temporary structures, controlling building geometry, maintaining site safety and site layout, and controlling material procurement and storage. These concerns are applied to primary projects and to secondary mechanical/electrical subsystems contained within the projects. Projects that construction engineers manage include, but are not limited to, highways, bridges, hospitals, commercial buildings, schools, power generation plants, dams, and offshore drilling platforms.

The Construction Engineering BS program at Texas Tech prepares students for job duties that emphasize the application of engineering knowledge to the solution of practical construction problems.

The Construction Engineering BS curriculum stresses structural design, general construction operations and procedures, mechanical/electrical subsystems design and installation, and interpretation of code requirements to prepare students to enter various phases of the construction industry. Coursework includes structural design and analysis, contracts and specifications, construction management, safety, surveying, cost estimating, scheduling, steel and/or concrete structures, mechanical/electrical subsystems, various design codes, and field applications.

Environmental Engineering MEV


The Environmental Engineering MEV program at Texas Tech University is a unique program in the United States in which students can directly earn an ABET-accredited Master of Environmental Engineering. The Environmental Engineering MEV. degree consists of successful completion of a 5-year "first year-to-master's degree" program administered by the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at Texas Tech University. The program has been ABET-accredited at the advanced level, which qualifies the program graduates for reciprocal professional accreditation in Europe, Australia, and many foreign countries, and also qualifies them to pursue their Professional Engineering License in environmental engineering. The Environmental Engineering MEV program is referred to as a professional degree program because the program stresses engineering practice rather than research. Students in the program have numerous opportunities for internships, summer jobs, and participation in research activities while in the program.

The first Environmental Engineering MEV graduates received their degrees in May 1997. Since that time, the Environmental Engineering MEV graduates have found employment with national Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering consulting firms (such as CDM, Montgomery Watson Harza, HNTB, Freese and Nichols, Halff and Associates and Kimley-Horn), petrochemical industries (ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips), regional and local consultants, and government agencies. The program has received praise from the employers, as they are impressed by the depth and breadth of the coursework requirements. The employers are also pleased with the team design experiences that are provided in several of the Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering courses. Those graduates who choose to pursue the Professional Engineer license are doing so according to the testing and experience requirements of their states' professional engineering boards.

The curriculum, consisting of 151 hours of coursework shown on the following page, provides graduates with strong preparation in biology, chemistry, the engineering sciences, and in the specifics of environmental engineering. Students learn to apply the appropriate unit operations or unit processes to treatment systems for solving water or wastewater problem situations. These same systems are applicable to problems encountered in air, soil, and solid/hazardous waste management as demonstrated through advanced courses in these areas. The program strives to instill in each student a spirit of service and leadership and an appreciation of life long learning, as new technological advances and regulatory incentives crop up often. Development of leadership skills, an awareness of professional ethics, and participation in student organizations prepare graduates from the program for professional practice.

Students are formally admitted to the Environmental Engineering MEV program at the end of the second curriculum year after a review is made of the student's progress. Transfer students can be admitted into the program. Those interested in transferring should consult with one of the Environmental Engineering MEV program advisors to identify courses that will directly transfer between institutions and programs. Each student meets with an assigned faculty counselor at least once a semester to review the student's progress and academic effort. Students are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and must meet the university's graduate school admission requirements before enrolling in graduate level courses. Those students who fail to meet the Graduate School guidelines are encouraged to complete the undergraduate curriculum through the fourth year and receive a non-accredited Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering degree. Students admitted to the graduate program must then adhere to the graduate school requirements to be eligible for graduation.

Students


The Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering student body enjoys a cohesive, friendly intermingling of classifications. A helpful, cooperative attitude prevails among the students. The enrollment reflects recent increased interest in Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering by women and ethnic minorities. Strong capabilities of the students in math, science, and problem solving are translated into a widely recognized work ethic that makes Texas Tech graduates in high demand upon graduation.

Prospective Students

Engineering involves applying scientific and mathematical principles and knowledge to solve the technical problems that confront society. Students studying engineering must develop an understanding of the forces at work within nature in order to learn to control and direct them.

From airports and mass transit systems to a country's first roads, bridges and safe drinking water, civil engineers are responsible for advancing civilization and making the world a better place to live. Students pursuing the Civil Engineering BS degree receive training in basic sciences, engineering science, general education and design experience entailing the five subdisciplines of structures, transportation, water resources, geotechnical and environmental.

In the Environmental Engineering MEV degree program, students find a design-oriented program that culminates in a comprehensive design problem rather than a research-oriented thesis. The program duration is 5 years whereas students typically enter the program as a freshman. Students pursuing a Environmental Engineering MEV degree receive strong preparation in biology, chemistry, and environmental engineering. Students choosing the Environmental Engineering MEV degree are Environmental Engineering BS majors until formally admitted to the Environmental Engineering MEV program at the end of the second curriculum year. Students must pass the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and meet the university's graduate school admission requirements before enrolling in graduate level courses.

All students are responsible for their academic progress. Requirements for undergraduate degrees are established at three different levels:

  • The university as a whole (Uniform Undergraduate Degree Requirements).
  • The college through which the degree is conferred.
  • The particular degree program in which the student is working.
  • Students should familiarize themselves with all three sets of requirements that must be fulfilled before the degree is granted.

More Questions


Additional information on any of the Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering programs or Texas Tech University may be obtained by contacting:

Schedule an Appointment

 

We invite you and your parents to visit the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering and discuss career opportunities. We suggest calling beforehand to ensure that faculty advisors are available when you arrive on campus.

Texas Tech University is committed to the principle that in no aspects of its programs shall there be differences in the treatment of persons because of race, creed, national origin, age, sex, or disability, and that equal opportunity and access to facilities shall be available to all.

Undergraduate Links

Department of Civil, Environmental, & Construction Engineering