Assessment

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

The CE Department uses nine assessment tools to monitor achievement of the outcome. Each outcome is assessed using four or five assessment tools. Each assessment tool has associated performance criteria. The data are then integrated for each outcome to determine if performance criteria have been met and if not a prescribed mechanism is utilized to make decisions on program improvement. The tools used to monitor achievement of the outcomes include the following:

1. FE Exam
2. Co-op Survey
3. Senior exit survey
4. Oral team presentation form
5. Confidential peer review form
6. Report writing assessment form
7. Laboratory report and quiz scores
8. Performance data in selected CE courses (design experience, professional and ethical responsibilities, life-long learning, engineering impacts on society, special assignment/project, and exposure to state-of-the-art equipment).

Master of Science in Civil Engineering

• Instructors for required courses in graduate-level civil engineering courses assess the proficiency of each student in sub-discipline areas of Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Construction Management. Students must maintain a B-or-better average in core coursework. Only courses with grades of C or above count towards graduation.
• Each student’s graduate committee reviews the student’s selection of elective coursework pertaining to an area of technical specialization. The student’s faculty advisor oversees the choice of elective coursework with final approval by the program’s graduate chair. Students must maintain a B-or-better average in elective coursework. Only courses with grades of C or above count towards graduation.
• Each student’s graduate committee assesses the student’s execution of his/her research strategy as presented in a written thesis which the student must defend orally. The thesis must demonstrate expertise in an area of technical specialization via the literature review and the discussion of results. The thesis must communicate the results of novel research / development activities. The thesis must demonstrate ethical conduct in research via the citation of prior work. The thesis must be a professional communication.

Doctorate of Civil Engineering

• Instructors for required courses in graduate-level civil engineering courses assess the proficiency of each student in sub-discipline areas of Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, and Transportation Engineering. Students must maintain a B-or-better average in core coursework. Only courses with grades of C or above count towards graduation.
• Each student’s graduate committee reviews the student’s selection of elective coursework pertaining to an area of technical specialization. The student’s faculty advisor oversees the choice of elective coursework with final approval by the program’s graduate chair. Students must maintain a B-or-better average in elective coursework. Only courses with grades of C or above count towards graduation.
• Each student’s graduate committee assesses the mastery of the necessary fundamentals to pursue the PhD degree through a written examination given to non-matriculated CE students by the end of the student’s second semester. The subject areas of the exam are determined by the student’s graduate committee based upon the student’s specialty area.
• Each student’s graduate committee assesses knowledge of advanced coursework, ability to integrate knowledge from courses and ability to work independently in the specialty area via a comprehensive written examination and oral examination upon completion of the student’s coursework. The subject areas of the exam are determined by the student’s graduate committee based upon the student’s specialty area.
• Each student’s graduate committee assesses the quality and completeness of the student’s proposal for his/her dissertation work, evaluating both the written proposal and the oral defense. The research objectives must be clearly stated. The proposal must contain a literature review which demonstrates technical expertise in the area of research and presents an understanding of the significance of the problem. The proposal must describe a strategy to test a scientific hypothesis using prior published knowledge as a foundation. The proposal will include a plan for obtaining the research objectives with a detailed methodology. The proposal must demonstrate initiative and ethical conduct in the citation of prior work.
• Each student’s graduate committee assesses the student’s execution of his/her research strategy as presented in a written dissertation which the student must defend orally. The thesis must demonstrate expertise in an area of technical specialization via the literature review and the discussion of results. The dissertation must communicate the results of novel research/ development activities. The dissertation must demonstrate ethical conduct in research via the citation of prior work. The dissertation must be a professional communication.