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College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Academic Information

This program provides a strong foundation in engineering and design, with emphasis in structural, geotechnical, water resources and transportation engineering. Students graduating from this program can design solutions to complex problems with society's infrastructure systems, and are prepared to become registered professional engineers specializing in civil engineering in their future careers.

This program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Careers

What Can I Do with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering?

Society's demand for essentials such as clean water and sustainable infrastructure pose large-scale, practical problems. Civil engineers design and operate facilities such as bridges, highway systems, waterworks, dams/levees and foundations. Learn to be part of the solution to some of society's greatest challenges when you study civil engineering at NAU. Taught by faculty who are also registered professional engineers, you will have multiple opportunities for undergraduate research and hands-on experience, including coursework in our four-year Design4Practice program. This program leads to exciting careers in the public or private sectors where you can make a difference.

Career opportunities that might be pursued:

City or county planning agency
Construction firm
Consulting engineering firm
Federal or state agency

With further education, one of these paths is possible:

Civil engineer
Researcher
Civil engineering management
University professor

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

University Requirements

To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
- All of Northern Arizona University's general studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
- All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
- At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
- At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.
The full policy can be viewed here.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

53 - 54 units of preprofessional requirements.
48 units of major courses.

For this major the General Studies prefix is CENE.

Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General Studies Requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion	120
Highest Mathematics Required	MAT 239
University Honors Program	Optional
Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan	Optional
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-S	Recommended
Progression Plan Link	Not Available

Purpose Statement

Society's demand for essentials such as clean water, efficient transportation systems and sustainable infrastructure pose large-scale, practical problems. Civil engineers design and operate facilities such as bridges, highway systems, waterworks (water supply, storm and sanitary sewer drainage and wastewater treatment), dams/levees and foundations. Civil engineering is the oldest of the engineering disciplines. This exciting engineering field requires a solid understanding of core concepts including mathematics, physics, statics, mechanics of materials, structural analysis, surveying, and fluid hydraulics. These courses serve as a basis for advanced content in:

Transportation (traffic signal systems, highway design)
Structural (reinforced concrete, structural steel design)
Water resources (hydrology and flood control, open channel flow, municipal engineering).
Geotechnical (soil mechanics and foundations)

In addition to this content, our civil engineering curriculum will provide you with a solid foundation in design, project management and preparation for professional licensure.

Student Learning Outcomes

Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Details

Major Requirements

This major requires 101 - 102 units distributed as follows:
- Preprofessional Requirements: 53 - 54 units
  - Mathematics and Science Courses: 30 - 31 units
  - Engineering Science Courses: 20 units
  - Additional Requirements: 3 units
- Civil Engineering Common Courses: 48 units
  - Major Courses: 39 units
  - Technical Coursework: 9 units
Take the following 101 - 102 units:

Preprofessional Requirements (53 - 54 units)

- Mathematics and Science Courses (30 - 31 units)
  - CHM 151*, CHM 151L (5 units)
  - Select from the following (3 - 4 units):
    - ENV 115 (3 units)
    - ENV 171 and ENV 171L(4 units)
    - GLG 101 and GLG 103L (4 units)
    - GLG 107 (3 units)
    - GLG 112 and GLG 112L (4 units)
  - MAT 136*, MAT 137*, MAT 238*, MAT 239 (15 units)
  - PHY 161*, PHY 262* (7 units)

- Engineering Science Courses (20 units)
  - CENE 186*, CENE 225*, CENE 251*, CENE 253*, CENE 253L, CENE 286* (17 units)
  - ME 252 (3 units)

- Additional Requirements (3 units)
  - Select from the following (3 units):
    - PHI 105, PHI 331, PHI 334

Civil Engineering Common Courses (48 units)

- Major Courses (39 units)
  - CENE 150, CENE 333*, CENE 336*, CENE 376*, CENE 383*, CENE 383L*, CENE 418, CENE 420*, CENE 431, CENE 438, CENE 450 (31 units)
  - CENE 386W* which meets the junior-level writing requirement (3 units)
  - CENE 476* and CENE 486C which together meet the senior capstone requirement (5 units)

- Technical Coursework (9 units)
  - Select from the following (6 - 9 units):
    - CENE 419, CENE 436, CENE 440, CENE 460, CENE 470 CENE 471, CENE 477, CENE 485, CENE 497, CENE 499, CENE 503, CENE 536, CENE 539, CENE 540, CENE 543, CENE 545, CENE 547, CENE 548, CENE 559, CENE 560, CENE 567, CENE 568, CENE 573, CENE 580, CENE 582, CENE 599
  - Select 0 - 3 units as needed from the following to total 9 units of Technical Coursework (0 - 3 units):
    - CM 329, CM 388, CM 391, CM 403, CM 405, CM 460, CM 499
    - CS 122
    - EE 188
    - GLG 451
    - MAT 316
    - ME 240, ME 291, ME 425, ME 435, ME 450, ME 451, ME 454, ME 455

*Prerequisites to Engineering coursework that must be completed with a Grade of 'C' or better.

ENG 105 must be completed with a Grade of 'C' or better.

You may not have more than one grade of 'D' in your required engineering, mathematics, and science courses.

If you wish to enhance your education in the area of environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, mathematics, or construction management, you can easily pursue a minor in each discipline with the addition of a small number of courses and by consulting with the respective disciplinary advisors.

Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program

- This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.

- Students enrolled at the Flagstaff campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and start the Master of Science in Civil Engineering at NAU.

- Students must apply to the master's program by the graduate program's application deadline, meet all admissions requirements listed in the policy Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs, as well as the admissions requirements for the specified master's plan to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year.
  
  Be sure to speak with the Master's Program Director/Coordinator regarding your interest in the accelerated plan.

Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:

- Major Requirements
  
  This major requires 101 - 102 units distributed as follows:
  - Preprofessional Requirements: 53 - 54 units
    - Mathematics and Science Courses: 30 - 31 units
    - Engineering Science Courses: 20 units
    - Additional Requirements: 3 units
  - Civil Engineering Common Courses: 48 units
    - Major Courses: 39 units
    - Technical Coursework: 9 units
  Take the following 101 - 102 units:

- Preprofessional Requirements (53 - 54 units)

- - Mathematics and Science courses (30 - 31 units)
    - CHM 151*, CHM 151L (5 units)
    - Select from the following (3 - 4 units):
      - ENV 115 (3 units)
      - ENV 171 and ENV 171L (4 units)
      - GLG 101 and GLG 103L (4 units)
      - GLG 107 (3 units)
      - GLG 112 and GLG 112L (4 units)
    - MAT 136*, MAT 137*, MAT 238*, MAT 239 (15 units)
    - PHY 161*, PHY 262* (7 units)

- - Engineering Science Courses (20 units)
    - CENE 186*, CENE 225*, CENE 251*, CENE 253*, CENE 253L, CENE 286* (17 units)
    - ME 252 (3 units)

- - Additional Requirements (3 units)
    - Select from the following (3 units):
      - PHI 105, PHI 331, PHI 334

- Civil Engineering Common Courses (48 units)

- - Major Courses (39 units)
    - CENE 150, CENE 333*, CENE 336*, CENE 376*, CENE 383*, CENE 383L*, CENE 418, CENE 420*, CENE 431, CENE 438, CENE 450 (31 units)
    - CENE 386W* which meets the junior-level writing requirement (3 units)
    - CENE 476* and CENE 486C which together meet the senior capstone requirement (5 units)

- - Technical Coursework (9 units)
    - Select from the following (3 units):
      - CENE 419, CENE 436, CENE 440, CENE 460, CENE 470, CENE 471, CENE 477, CENE 485, CENE 497, CENE 499
    - Select from the following (6 units):
      - CENE 503, CENE 536, CENE 539, CENE 545, CENE 547, CENE 548, CENE 550, CENE 559, CENE 560, CENE 567, CENE 573, CENE 580, CENE 599

- *Prerequisites to Engineering coursework that must be completed with a Grade of 'C' or better.
  
  ENG 105 must be completed with a Grade of 'C' or better.
  
  You may not have more than one grade of 'D' in your required engineering, mathematics, and science courses.
  
  If you wish to enhance your education in the area of environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, mathematics, or construction management, you can easily pursue a minor in each discipline with the addition of a small number of courses and by consulting with the respective disciplinary advisors.

General Electives

Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or General Studies Requirements.

We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Campus Availability

Flagstaff

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Academic Information
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College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Academic Information

Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Careers

What Can I Do with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering?

Career opportunities that might be pursued:

With further education, one of these paths is possible:

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

University Requirements

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Overview

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Details

Major Requirements

Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program

General Electives

Additional Information

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Campus Availability

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