Princeton’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) offers a program of study in Civil Engineering accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. Under the Civil Engineering program of study, the department offers ABET accredited subplans in Architecture and Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Structural Engineering.
CEE also offers an subplan option in Engineering & the Liberal Arts that does not hold ABET accreditation. The track is for students who wish to obtain an engineering background as a foundation for a wide range of careers, such as medicine, law, public policy, visual arts, or engineering studies in materials, ethics, or history.
The CEE curriculum is sufficiently flexible to provide opportunities for students to pursue minors and certificate programs across the University, and study abroad in the junior year.
The Department firmly believes that independent research is an integral component of an engineer’s education. Consequently, all seniors are required to complete a year-long thesis project, write a thesis and present the results of their work throughout the year. Sophomores and juniors are also encouraged to participate in independent research and should take the initiative to discuss their interests with departmental faculty members.
Undergraduate Program Mission Statement
The department’s mission is to prepare students for careers at the forefront of the dynamic fields of civil and environmental engineering. Challenges for designing and maintaining civil infrastructure require proper accounting for complex interactions between the built and natural environment. Our aim is to educate students to take leadership roles in identifying emerging issues in these fields and to create innovative solutions to the engineering challenges of the future.
Our undergraduate curriculum covers the key components of today’s civil and environmental engineering profession. These include the static and dynamic behaviors of structures, construction materials, and geotechnical materials; the workings of the natural and urban environments, how human activities affect the environment, and technologies to monitor, protect and restore the environment; and elements of design and its philosophy.
Because civil and environmental engineers are called upon to work on large projects of an interdisciplinary nature, it is our mission to educate students to be able to apply a diverse set of skills to solve complex problems, to work in teams and communicate effectively, and to uphold ethical standards of professional practice.
Program Educational Objectives (PEO)
For the ABET accredited program of study.
Objective No. 1
Our graduates will be able to use science and engineering principles to solve important problems and address technological challenges of the future .
Objective No. 2
Our graduates will be prepared to play key roles in interdisciplinary efforts and to solve problems that are important to society.
Objective No. 3
Our graduates will be on a path to leadership positions and be recognized as critical, creative, and independent thinkers.
Objective No. 4
Our graduates will continue their lifelong learning process to remain effective professionals in the workplace.
Student Outcomes
For the ABET accredited program of study.
- An ability to identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics.
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specific needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions.
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
CEE Undergraduate Graduation and Enrollment Data
* The Geological Engineering subplan is discontinued effective on July 1, 2024.