Civil Engineers design the infrastructure of our world, from bridges and freeways to sewer systems and libraries. Their work touches nearly every facet of our society’s everyday lives, including but not limited to structures, water supply, waste management, materials, construction, geotechnical, the environment and transportation. Their work is vital, particularly in Southern California where environmental, transportation and water issues are of major importance, and where structural problems, especially related to earthquakes, demand sound engineering solutions.Civil Engineering majors at CSUN receive a solid, broad-based education. During the first two years and into the third year, all Engineering majors complete a common engineering core curriculum. Among the many topic areas in the core curriculum are mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering materials, electrical circuits, engineering mechanics, thermodynamics and engineering economy.The junior and senior years in Civil Engineering build on the common engineering core curriculum. These two years include instruction in structures, vibration analysis, hydraulics, soil mechanics, surveying, computer-aided design and graphics, strength of materials, concrete and steel design, construction engineering and senior design.Civil Engineering students take classes and work in the following facilities: the Applied Mechanics Lab, where students apply engineering techniques to the static and dynamic behavior of mechanical systems; the Civil Engineering Senior Design Laboratory is used in a two-semester course that simulates a professional civil engineering environment; the Geotechnical Laboratory, where students look at the behavior of soil as an engineering material; and the Structural Analysis Research Center, where students have the opportunity to work with faculty on such diverse projects as dams, buildings, towers and spacecraft.
