Program educational objectives and outcomes
Program educational objectives
Our overarching learning goals are stated as our Program Objectives; within three to five years of obtaining a bachelor’s degree, a graduate is expected to achieve the following:
- Be employed in the engineering field or a professional field consistent with one’s career goals, or pursuing a graduate degree;
- Participate in continuing education or professional development activities;
- Be a registered professional engineer or be pursuing registration if consistent with one’s career goals;
- Demonstrate a career path that shows development as a leader; and
- Engage in activities that benefit society.
Student learning outcomes – Civil Engineering
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.
Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, or are simply interested in a minor, you will be able to enter or advance in the civil engineering profession confidently as a result of our rigorous curriculum. By the time you graduate in our ABET-accredited undergraduate program, you will have achieved the following student learning outcomes:
- 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 specified 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 judgments, 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 judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Student learning outcomes – Environmental engineering
Society’s demand for essentials such as clean air, food and water, sustainable land use and consumer products pose large-scale, practical problems. Environmental engineers use engineering, biological and chemical principles to design and operate pollution control and impact mitigation systems. Environmental engineering is a newer engineering discipline, growing out of civil and chemical engineering. This exciting engineering field requires a solid understanding of core concepts including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, statics, thermodynamics, surveying, and fluid hydraulics. These courses serve as a basis for advanced content in:
- Air quality, emissions and pollution control (sampling, modeling and the design of devices to remove particulate and gaseous pollutants)
- Water and wastewater quality and treatment (sampling, modeling and the design of biological/chemical/physical treatment methods for large and small communities)
- Hazardous and solid waste engineering (site assessment, risk assessment, remediation methods, landfill design)
- Environmental health (toxicology, industrial hygiene, ecological impacts)
In addition to this content, our environmental engineering curriculum will provide you with a solid foundation in design, project management and preparation for professional licensure.
Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, or are simply interested in a minor, you will be able to enter or advance in the environmental engineering profession confidently as a result of our rigorous curriculum. By the time you graduate in our ABET-accredited undergraduate program, you will have achieved the following student learning outcomes:
- 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 specified 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 judgments, 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 judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Assessment & continuous improvement
We regularly assess the achievement of these Objectives and Outcomes as part of the ABET accreditation process. Our primary assessment tools include:
- systematic course content strand analysis for overall program cohesiveness;
- a qualitative Course Improvement Audit Document that captures course data and focuses on recommendations for course improvement;
- a quantitative Program Assessment Document that assesses attainment of Outcomes A-K;
- senior capstone evaluation by our Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) members;
- senior exit surveys; and
- FE exam data.
Student/IAB forums and faculty/IAB forums provide feedback on courses, programs, instruction, support, facilities, and the academic climate in order to enhance the educational experience we provide our students.
These data are used to continually inform our improvement processes.