The undergraduate programs in Civil and Environmental Engineering offer broad-based education in engineering fundamentals, coupled with the development of leadership, management and communications skills to establish a foundation for lifelong learning and flexible career development. (Please see the Department's Objectives and Outcomes statement.)
The bachelor of engineering program in civil engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.
B.E. in Civil Engineering
Civil engineers must be able to face complex problems of modern society involving the development of physical facilities that serve the public while protecting the environment and preserving social values. Undergraduates majoring in civil engineering receive a strong background in mathematics, science, engineering science, and engineering design. The program also includes courses in economics, humanities, social sciences, resources management, and public policy. Students participate in design teams and laboratory studies as well as classroom activities. Use of various computer-based methods is integral to problem solving and design. Vanderbilt’s B.E. in civil engineering prepares students for entry-level positions in many specialty areas of civil engineering, as well as many other types of careers, such as business, construction, and law.
B.E. in Environmental Engineering
The environmental engineering program prepares students for entry-level positions in many specialty areas of environmental engineering, as well as a variety of other careers, such as business, government, and law. The major will provide students with the tools necessary to develop effective solutions to solve emerging and existing issues such as water resources, quality, and treatment; aging infrastructures; climate change and carbon neutral innovations; energy and material resources; wastes and pollution; and other environmental challenges. Recognizing that environmental solutions cannot be realized without consideration of social, cultural, economic, and political factors, students will be required to extend the breadth of their studies with courses in Data Science and Global Perspective courses in social sciences, economics, political sciences, and the humanities. These will be in addition to foundational courses in the basic and applied sciences, mathematics, engineering, and advanced courses in fate, transport, and treatment of contaminants in the environment. The curriculum culminates with a senior design project in which students will have the opportunity to draw on and integrate the broad knowledge they have gained from the Data Science and Global Perspective courses with the Science and Engineering knowledge they gained in the major.