Michigan State University - Civil & Environmental Engineering
Civil and environmental engineers work to create a cooperative balance between the needs of people and protecting the natural resources in our environment. They plan, design, and construct many of the civil works that make modern life possible, such as highways, water and wastewater systems, tunnels, dams, buildings, airports, railroads, and bridges.
Civil and environmental engineers work as planners, designers, builders, researchers, plant operators, government employees, lawyers, teachers, and administrators. At MSU, our excellent faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, active student groups, and comprehensive educational programs combine to offer superior preparation for a professional career.
Our extensive facilities include outstanding environmental engineering laboratories, the new Civil Infrastructure Laboratory, and computing laboratories. The environmental laboratories contain sophisticated instrumentation for studying chemical and biological remediation techniques. The Civil Infrastructure Lab allows testing of large-scale structural and pavement components, as well as construction materials.
Faculty & Staff
CEE is composed of 22 faculty members and 21 academic specialists and support staff. Most of the department's faculty are active both in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and in research. Faculty specialties encompass construction materials, environmental engineering, hydrology and water resources engineering, geotechnical engineering, pavement engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering. All faculty members are either registered professional engineers or are pursuing registration.
Undergraduate Program
We offer undergraduate students an educational environment rich in opportunities to obtain knowledge and skills that facilitate civil engineering practice, life-long learning, and professional development, all of which lead to career success. Each year, approximately 350 undergraduate students are enrolled and 100 bachelor's degrees are awarded.
Students learn to:
- Solve engineering problems
- Integrate experimentation, analysis, and design
- Refine writing and speaking for technical communication
- Use interpersonal and social skills required for working on a team and in an organization
- Be aware of professional ethics, societal impacts, and contemporary issues in engineering practice
Highlights of the program are:
- An ABET-accredited program that offers courses in construction engineering and materials, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, pavement engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, and water resources engineering
- Popular study abroad programs in Russia and England
- Strong cooperative education opportunities and a technical communications program
- A special environmental engineering option or construction engineering and management track
- Regional and national successes at the ASCEsponsored intercollegiate concrete canoe and steel bridge team competitions
- Student memberships and student chapter participation in civil and environmental engineering-related professional societies
Graduate Programs
We offer graduate degrees in both civil and environmental engineering disciplines. Within civil engineering, there are two primary focus areas: civil infrastructure engineering, which includes many of the traditional civil engineering areas, and transportation engineering. Each year, approximately 100 graduate students are enrolled and 30 students are awarded degrees.
Graduate students in all areas work with faculty as teaching assistants and/or as research assistants on funded research projects. Funded projects come from a variety of sources and are based on strong relationships with various state and national-level agencies and industry.
We provide significant financial support to graduate students through paid teaching and research positions. In 2003, we provided $217,000 to fund teaching assistants; $663,804 from external grants to support research assistantship positions; and $55,196 to fund fellowships.
Research
Our department has leadership roles in environmental remediation, civil infrastructure, and transportation engineering. We operate or partner with five research centers--the Midwest Hazardous Substance Research Center; three Michigan Department of Transportation-sponsored centers of excellence in pavement research, bridges and structures, and transit research; and the National Center for Pavement Preservation. External research funding for 2002 totaled $3.3 million.
Our faculty conduct cutting-edge research in areas such as solid and hazardous waste treatment, environmental hydrology, pavement engineering, intelligent transportation--traffic operations and safety, and construction materials and structures. This research is strongly linked to our education programs through course offerings and the training of students.
Our facilities enable MSU researchers to address pressing needs within Michigan and across the nation, including:
- Environmental remediation
- Water quality
- Repair and rehabilitation of deteriorating roads and bridges
- Generation of stronger and more durable construction materials and pavements
- Development of advanced transportation systems
