The mission of the civil engineering program at Tri-State University is to provide graduates with quality preparation for the practice of civil engineering, to provide graduates with opportunities to pursue graduate studies, and to provide technical and educational services to their profession and communities.

To meet these goals, the following program objectives and outcomes have been established:

Objectives

1. Graduates should possess strong communication skills.

Civil engineers write many technical and non-technical reports and often give oral presentations to clients, team members, professional societies, etc. Therefore, the successful engineer must exhibit strong communication skills early in his or her career.

2. Graduates should be capable of working effectively as a team member.

Almost all civil engineering projects require the ability to work effectively with other engineers, architects, owners, contractors and public officials. It is imperative that the civil engineering graduate be a "team player."

3. Graduates should be technically competent.

Public safety is a foremost concern to all civil engineers. Therefore, it is critical that the practicing civil engineer be technically competent in the field of his/her responsibility. This also implies that the engineer will engage in life-long learning in order to remain competent. Part of the learning process will likely come from active participation in professional societies. In addition, most graduates should make meaningful progress toward professional registration.

4. Graduates should be good problem solvers.

One of the primary tasks facing many civil engineers is to design a component (pavement, water treatment facility, dam, bridge, site plan, etc.) or a methodology to meet a specific need. The design process requires that the engineer evaluate all of the project constraints and consider numerous options to select the most appropriate solution. Consequently, the engineer must be a good problem solver.

5. Graduates should be aware of the societal impacts of civil engineering projects.

Almost all civil engineering projects impact society to some degree. The decisions made by a civil engineer can effect the environment, public budgets, and the overall quality of life. As a result, it is important that the young civil engineer quickly develops an awareness and appreciation of the societal impact of his or her work.

6. Graduates should understand the "business" side of civil engineering.

Many civil engineers work in the private sector and are responsible for being productive and technically competent, as well as profitable. Other civil engineers are employed in the public sector and are responsible for overseeing public budgets. Therefore, it is important that the graduate understand the non-technical "business" side of the profession, such as cost estimation, markups and contracts.

Outcomes
Program outcomes are defined as statements that describe what the students are expected to know and are able to do by the time of graduation. The achievement of these outcomes should indicate that the student is prepared to achieve the program educational objectives given above. Upon graduation, TSU students are expected to have:

1. The ability to clearly and effectively communicate ideas in written, oral, and graphical formats.

2. The ability to apply mathematics, physics and chemistry to solve engineering problems.

3. Knowledge of engineering ethics and an understanding of an engineer’s professional ethical responsibility.

4. The ability to conduct laboratory experiments and interpret results.

5. The ability to use computers for both problem solving and gathering information.

6. A broad education and knowledge of contemporary issues as a result of the General Education Requirement.

7. The ability to undertake and an understanding of the need to engage in life-long learning.

8. The ability to apply knowledge from various engineering fields to a large multi-faceted senior design group project.

The civil engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.