The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering programs at UCLA include civil engineering materials, earthquake engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and water resources engineering, structural engineering, and structural mechanics.
The civil engineering undergraduate curriculum leads to a B.S. in Civil Engineering, a broad-based education in environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and water resources engineering, and structural engineering and mechanics. This program is an excellent foundation for entry into professional practice in civil engineering or for more advanced study. The department also offers the undergraduate Environmental Engineering minor.
At the graduate level, M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs are offered in the areas of civil engineering materials, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and water resources engineering, and structures (including structural/earthquake engineering and structural mechanics). In these areas, research is being done on a variety of problems ranging from basic physics and mechanics problems to critical problems in earthquake engineering and in the development of new technologies for pollution control and water distribution and treatment.
The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department seeks to exploit its subfield teaching and research strengths as well as to engage in multidisciplinary collaboration. This occurs within the context of a central guiding theme: engineering sustainable infrastructure for the future. Under this theme the department is educating future engineering leaders, most of whom will work in multidisciplinary environments and confront a host of twenty-first-century challenges. With an infrastructure-based vision motivating its teaching and research enterprise, the department conceptualizes and orients its activity toward broadening and deepening fundamental knowledge of the interrelationships among the built environment, natural systems, and human agency.
The civil engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
The objectives of the civil engineering curriculum at UCLA are to (1) provide graduates with a solid foundation in basic mathematics, science, and humanities, as well as fundamental knowledge of relevant engineering principles; (2) provide students with the capability for critical thinking, engineering reasoning, problem solving, experimentation, and teamwork; (3) prepare graduates for advanced study and/or professional employment within a wide array of industries or governmental agencies; (4) produce graduates who understand ethical issues associated with their profession, and who are able to apply their acquired knowledge and skills to the betterment of society; and (5) foster in students a respect for the educational process that is manifest by a lifelong pursuit of learning.