Accreditation

The mission of the Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering is to proactively utilize teaching, research, and service to educate baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral students so they can become competent, dynamic, and ethical engineers.

To complement the classroom experience, our students are encouraged to reinforce instruction by participating in cooperative education programs, assisting faculty with research, or becoming involved in professional societies. Students are expected to develop an appreciation for life-long learning and pursue professional engineering licensure. The ultimate goal is to prepare our students to be future leaders who will positively impact their profession and society.

Furthermore, our students should become prepared to combine research and classroom experiences to solve complex inter-disciplinary problems. Our Master of Science students should develop expertise in an area of specialization within the civil engineering profession and be capable of applying their skills to resolve problems of interest in that area. Our doctoral students are expected to achieve a standard of excellence in civil engineering by advancing the body of knowledge and creating solutions, applied or basic, for today’s challenges. Our overall goal is to enable all of our students to study and innovatively solve the global sustainability challenges that they encounter.

Finally, our faculty, students, and staff will be engaged in professional organizations, campus committees, consultancy, student organizations, and continuing education. Through these service activities, our goal is to be a reliable professional resource for our institution, our alumni, and our society.

Graduates of the civil engineering program should, within a few years after graduation:

1. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the principles and fundamentals of civil engineering and their applications through their successful practice as professional civil engineers, their pursuit of graduate or professional degrees, or their engagement in  other professional careers that involve the application of the engineering method.
2. Achieve success in the multidisciplinary environment of the 21st century and demonstrate their ability to adapt to emerging and evolving technologies, social  conditions, professional standards, and career opportunities by  attaining leadership,  managerial, administrative, supervisory, or other positions of responsibility.
3. Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the ethical, societal and professional responsibilities of a civil engineer through professional registration and active membership in professional organizations.
4. Demonstrate an appreciation for lifelong learning and for the value of continuing professional development in maintaining their professional competence through participation in graduate and continuing education activities.