CIVIL, CONSTRUCTION & ENVIRONMENTAL
Areas of specialization
The diverse needs of people and society for many types of constructed facilities give a broad range to civil engineering. The breadth is well-suited to allow specialization in one of the major divisions of this branch of engineering. However, it is not necessary to make a commitment to only one area of concentration as an undergraduate. Marquette's curriculum is arranged so students prepare themselves generally in civil engineering by completing core courses, which provide necessary fundamentals, and selecting electives to acquire additional knowledge in one or more areas of specialization. All electives offered by the department are open to students with the required prerequisites. Selection of appropriate courses requires careful planning between the student and faculty adviser. Students may specialize in any of the following:
Construction Engineering and Management
Construction projects of all types require skilled management as well as the traditional engineering skills. This program is arranged so that students can choose a Construction Engineering and Management degree or a civil engineering specialization - in either case students may take elective courses dealing with management, finance, and/or legal issues, in addition to construction engineering courses. This broad-based, interdisciplinary background enables the student to obtain employment in the construction industry upon graduation or pursue graduate studies.
For more information on this program contact:
Mark Federle, Ph.D., P.E., C.P.C.
McShane Chair in Construction Engineering and Management
E-mail: mark.federle@marquette.edu
Phone: (414) 288-4531
Environmental and water resources engineering
The environmental specialization is concerned with the control and improvement of natural surroundings using scientific and engineering principles. A student may elect to major in environmental engineering or choose to emphasize environmental engineering within the civil engineering major. In either case, the student with environmental interests may select from courses in water and wastewater treatment, water resources engineering, and air pollution engineering. Areas of application include conceiving and designing systems for water supply, wastewater disposal, air pollution control, solid and hazardous waste disposal, and design of dams and hydroelectric power plants.
For more information on this specialization and major contact:
Daniel Zitomer, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor and Director, Water Quality Center
E-mail: daniel.zitomer@marquette.edu
Structural engineering and structural mechanics
The structural engineering specialization deals with the planning, analysis, design and construction of various types of structures such as buildings and bridges including their foundations. Students will learn to analyze and design structures made of concrete, steel and other materials. They will also learn to analyze and design the foundations that support these structures. Another possible focus area within structural engineering is forensic engineering, i.e., the investigative analysis of structural failures in an attempt to identify the cause of failure and prevent future failures. The field of structural mechanics is founded on quantifying the behavior and failure of structural systems and solid materials.
For more information on this specialization contact:
Chris Foley, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor and Chair
E-mail: chris.foley@marquette.edu
Transportation engineering and planning
The civil engineering major who specializes in transportation engineering and planning learns to identify critical problems in transportation systems and urban planning and how to solve these problems. Elective courses that may be of interest include traffic control, roadway design, pavement design, airport design and bridge design. A course in urban planning is also offered for the student to explore the large-scale issues associated with the complexities of metropolitan areas. For those who elect to proceed to the graduate program, the undergraduate program will provide a valuable background to explore the transportation/planning area in greater depth and detail.
For more information on this specialization contact:
Alex Drakopoulos, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
E-mail: alex.drakopoulos@marquette.edu
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