
Our undergraduate program mixes strong foundations and flexible outcomes to educate students who are prepared to tackle a wide range of civil and environmental issues.
Below is a quick look at what it means to be a CEE student.
Academic Requirements
Here's the basic outline:
- Start with the foundational courses required of all BSE students.
- Gain specialized knowledge in engineering science, engineering design, and experimentation. You can choose a prescribed path or build a coherent pathway of your own, with the guidance of the faculty.
- Embark on a yearlong project of independent engineering research, known as the senior thesis, advised by a member of the CEE or affiliated faculty.
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SEAS Requirements (All BSE Students) Mathematics 4 courses Physics 2 courses Chemistry 1 course Computer Science 1 course Writing requirement 1 course Humanities and Social Sciences requirement 7 courses CEE Requirements Additional mathematics (typically probability and statistics, and differential calculus) 2 courses Additional basic science (typically a geosciences course) 1 course Engineering science 8 courses Engineering design 2 courses CEE path-specific electives 3 courses Senior thesis 2 courses Free electives 2 courses Total 36 courses
Planning Your Curriculum
Students work closely with an academic adviser to design the series of courses — beyond the engineering fundamentals — that will best fit their academic interests and professional goals.
Faculty advisors meet individually with students who have declared to major in CEE to review curricular requirements and electives. In this meeting, the advisor presents the program mission statement and reviews the program educational objectives (PEOs) and student outcomes (SOs). The advisor explains the importance of ABET accreditation for graduates who will pursue engineering careers. Advisors are also prepared to provide career guidance, and direct students to university resources.
Please reach out to the Director of Undergraduate Studied (DUS) to discuss how civil and environmental engineering can help you achieve your ambitions.
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Program electives are technical courses in engineering, sciences, economics or mathematics. A student's program electives must provide a coherent sequence in the student's area of interest. Approval is based on agreement from the adviser and the departmental representative.
Among the humanities and social sciences electives, BSE students are required to include at least one course in four of the six areas listed: epistemology and cognition, ethical thought and moral values, foreign language at or above the 107/108 level, historical analysis, literature and the arts, social analysis.
Senior Thesis
Every student embarks on a senior thesis project that spans the final two semesters. This is an engineering project of independent research that gives you a culminating experience in the application of your knowledge. The project may include laboratory experiments, field observations, GIS mapping, satellite imagery, computer simulation and analysis of historical documentation.
The student is the intellectual lead, conducting novel work that leads to an original contribution. The end product is a written document, which in some cases leads to a journal publication. Throughout the year, students have the opportunity to present their work orally to the faculty.
Working on the thesis requires independence combined with regular consultation with the thesis advisor. Interim deadlines throughout the year ensure steady progress.
The senior thesis is considered by most Princeton graduates to be one of the most fulfilling academic activities of their four years.