Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

Department Administration

Department Chair

Professor Yafeng Yin, Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering

2120 G G Brown Building

For more specific information on contacting people, go to: CEE People.

Civil Engineering

Civil engineers design, plan, and improve the built environment and infrastructure systems, including buildings, power generation facilities, water supply networks, pollution control works, flood protection structures, dams, and canals, as well as vital network systems for commerce such as roadways, airports, railroads, and ports. Civil Engineering encompasses several subdisciplines, including hydraulics and hydrology, structural, geotechnical, construction, environmental, civil engineering materials, and transportation engineering.

Coursework in the major builds especially on a strong foundation in math and physics, and exposes students to these subdisciplines. An emphasis in the sustainable engineering of civil infrastructure is also provided by the curriculum.

Mission

As a leading educational and research institution, we are committed to solving major societal problems by providing forward-looking education, enhancing multidisciplinary research and performing broad-based service. We are driving the development of innovative technologies that:

• Enhance the performance and sustainability of civil and environmental infrastructure
• Have a favorable impact on the natural environment; and
• Manage complex issues at the intersection of built and natural systems.

We are committed to solving major societal problems by providing forward-looking education, enhancing multidisciplinary research and performing broad-based service.

Goals

To accomplish our mission, we must:

• Provide an enriching educational environment, together with extracurricular and service opportunities, that prepare our students to:
  • excel as leaders in the understanding, design, construction, operation and maintenance of civil and environmental infrastructural systems;
  • be ethical stewards of the built and natural environments; and
  • adapt to an ever-changing profession through lifelong learning.
• Recruit, educate and support students, researchers, staff and faculty from diverse backgrounds, and provide them with the foundation to become global leaders.
• Enhance the department’s positive impact nationally and internationally and make transformative contributions within the State of Michigan.
• Champion the translation of research findings into professional practice.
• Provide a technical foundation for shaping policy that addresses the complex issues facing civil and environmental infrastructure systems and the natural environment.
• Foster a leading-edge collaborative environment that is well-positioned to address high-impact research issues and provide solutions to critical societal challenges.
• Foster and support the spirit of entrepreneurship among our students, faculty, and staff.

Objectives

The following set of objectives is consistent with ABET accreditation criteria and describes what our graduates are expected to achieve within several years of graduation.

• The graduates of the Civil Engineering Program at Michigan will have the necessary intellectual tools and technical skills to take on careers of leadership in the development of new technologies, construction of innovative and sustainable infrastructure, the design of engineered systems at the intersection of natural and built environments, and to contribute to society through participation in policy-making and governance.
• Graduates will have a solid foundation in civil engineering and will achieve success in graduate education and a broad range of career opportunities.
• Our graduates will become leaders of interdisciplinary and culturally diverse teams, and will successfully address open-ended problems applying creativity and critical thinking.
• The U-M Civil Engineering graduates will become effective communicators of technical and professional information in written, oral, visual and graphical form.
• Professional careers of U-M graduates will be distinguished with a high degree of awareness of moral, ethical, legal and professional obligations to protect human health, human welfare, and the environment.

Outcomes

Student outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. Graduates of the Civil Engineering program at the University of Michigan are expected to acquire the following skills: 

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
• An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
• An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
• An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
• An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
• An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
• An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Civil Engineering Focus Areas

The Civil Engineering curriculum offers elective courses in the following areas:

Construction Engineering and Management

Planning, estimating, scheduling and managing the construction of engineered facilities using modern construction methods, materials, and equipment; business and legal principles of construction contracting.

Environmental Engineering

The principles, design and methods for implementation of sustainable environmental and earth systems; water resource development, management, conservation and systems design; engineering of water quality and pollution control processes and systems; treatment, distribution and collection networks and infrastructures for optimal municipal and industrial water use, recovery and recycle; environmental design for efficient energy and resource utilization and minimization of water and air pollution and solid wastes generation; modeling of the fate and transport of contaminants in environmental media and systems and quantitative assessment of associated human and ecological risks.

Geotechnical Engineering

Evaluation of soil properties and environmental conditions in foundations of earth-supported structures; mass stability in excavations and subsurface construction; use of soil characteristics and properties and soil classification in design and construction of highways, railways, airports, and other surface facilities; landslides, levees and slope stability.

Hydraulic and Hydrological Engineering

Development of surface water and ground-water resources; flood prediction and flood control, flow of contaminant transport in surface and ground waters, transients in pipelines and channels, coastal engineering and design of structures to interface with the water environment.

Civil Engineering Materials

Analysis, engineering, and testing of civil engineering materials pertaining to infrastructure renewal and high-performance structures, including the study of infrastructure rehabilitation (including bridge and pavement technology), advanced emerging materials (including cement-based composites, polymers and ceramics), micro-mechanics of composite materials and durability of materials.

Structural Engineering

Theory, analysis, design and construction of structures such as bridges, buildings, towers, and housing, involving the use of steel, reinforced concrete, pre-stressed concrete, fiber reinforced concrete, advanced composites, and wood; studies of inelastic behavior of materials and structures; studies of dynamic forces and their effects on structures. Response of structures to earthquakes, fires and other disasters.

Transportation Systems Engineering

Analysis, develop, and test of ongoing issues with the existing transportation system: high fatality and injury rates, growing levels of congestion and pollution, rising transportation costs, and inefficient use of resources; development of information for vehicular technologies. Connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies will further revolutionize urban and rural mobility and support a range of uses, from sole vehicle ownership to shared ownership, ridership, and subscription services. These technologies hold the potential to substantially improve traffic safety, facilitate mobility, and reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption, and emissions.

Enrollment and Graduation Data

The University Registrar publishes the number of students enrolled annually in this program, and the number of degrees granted each term by this program. Additionally you can see recent degrees granted below:

Level	2021	2022	2023
Bachelors Degrees	48	42	55
Masters Degrees	32	20	34
Doctoral Degrees	16	6	16

Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineers design systems to provide safe water, air, and land for human habitation, and to address the impact of human activities on the environment. For example, environmental engineers may be involved in the design of technologies to remove emerging contaminants from drinking water, monitor and mitigate greenhouse gas compounds, recover resources and energy from waste streams, design sustainable alternative energy sources, clean up hazardous waste sites, or restore streams and lakes damaged by human activities.

In this major, a strong foundation in math, chemistry, physics, biology, and earth science is important, and the engineering tools to apply them are provided in the curriculum. The social and policy issues associated with environmental problems are also explored.

Mission

To provide an outstanding education in environmental engineering that prepares students for leadership positions in the improvement of human and ecological health at the intersection of built and natural systems.

Goals

To provide an enriching educational environment that prepares students with the environmental science and engineering design principles to develop sustainable solutions to environmental problems and the professional skills to become leaders in the discipline.

Objectives

The following set of objectives is consistent with ABET accreditation criteria and describes what our graduates are expected to achieve within several years of graduation:

• The graduates of the Environmental Engineering Program at Michigan will have the necessary intellectual tools and technical skills to take on careers of leadership in the development of new technologies for environmental protection and the design of sustainable modern environmental infrastructure, analysis of natural and engineered environmental systems and to contribute to society through participation in policy making and governance.
• Graduates will have a solid foundation in environmental engineering and achieve success in graduate education and a broad range of career opportunities.
• Our graduates will become leaders of interdisciplinary and culturally diverse teams, and will successfully address open-ended problems applying creativity and critical thinking.
• The U-M Environmental Engineering graduates will become effective communicators of technical and professional information in written, oral, visual, and graphical form.
• Professional careers of U-M graduates will be distinguished with a high degree of awareness of moral, ethical, legal and professional obligations to protect human health, human welfare and the environment.

Outcomes

Student outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. Graduates of the Environmental Engineering program at the University of Michigan are expected to acquire the following skills:

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
• An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
• An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
• An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
• An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
• An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
• An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Enrollment and Graduation Data

The University Registrar publishes the number of students enrolled annually in this program, and the number of degrees granted each term by this program. Additionally you can see recent degrees granted below:

Level	2021	2022	2023
Bachelors Degrees	39	30	25
Masters Degrees	31	11	20
Doctoral Degrees	6	4	7

Accreditation

Our programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

• Accreditation page for Civil Engineering
• Accreditation page for Environmental Engineering

Undergraduate Degree Programs

B.S.E. in Civil Engineering

The Civil Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Please see the PDF version of the sample schedule here. Additional information can be found on the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department website.

B.S.E. in Environmental Engineering

The Environmental Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Environmental Engineering and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Please see the PDF version of the sample schedule here. Additional information can be found on the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department website.

Program in Sustainable Engineering

Sustainable engineering is achieved by finding economically viable technology solutions that reduce important environmental and societal concerns. Sustainable Engineering includes finding market and policy pathways to implement technologies that allow people and the planet to prosper and thrive.

The Program in Sustainable Engineering is an academic program that allows undergraduate engineering students to take 9 credit hours of courses focused on sustainability to earn the following notation on their transcript: “Program in Sustainable Engineering”. Individual advising available by emailing [email protected]. Course requirements and additional information can be found on the PISE website.

Civil Engineering Minor

Environmental Engineering Minor

Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study (SUGS)

SUGS is a program of the Rackham Graduate School which enables students to pursue a five-year combined BSE/MSE Civil and Environmental Engineering undergraduate students who meet eligibility set by Rackham may apply. Students earning dual bachelor’s degrees are not eligible for SUGS. Please contact the department or see the Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Studies (SUGS) Applicants website for more information.

The following degree combinations are available through SUGS:

• B.S.E in Civil Engineering / M.S.E. in Civil Engineering
• B.S.E. in Civil Engineering / M.S.E. in Construction Engineering and Management
• B.S.E. in Civil Engineering / M.Eng. in Construction Engineering and Management
• B.S.E. in Civil Engineering/ M.S.E. in Environmental Engineering
• B.S.E. in Environmental Engineering / M.S.E. in Environmental Engineering

Graduate Degrees

Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Programs

Graduate programs of advanced study, research and design are available in the six major areas listed below. The strength of the curriculum is enhanced by a variety of complementary programs of study and research available throughout the University of Michigan.

Construction Engineering and Management

• Construction Organization
• Construction Project
• Construction Operations

Environmental and Water Resources Engineering

Graduate degrees are offered in either Civil or Environmental Engineering.

• Ecohydrology and Hydraulic Engineering
• Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology
• Environmental Chemistry and Soil Physics
• Energy and Clean Tech

Geotechnical Engineering

• Site Characterization
• Stability of Earth Masses
• Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
• Engineering Geology
• Rock Mechanics
• Foundation Design
• Soil Behavior
• Soil Improvement
• Soil and Foundation Dynamics
• Numerical and Analytical Modeling

Structural and Materials Engineering

• Earthquake Resistant Design
• Behavior of Buildings and Bridges under Extreme Loading
• Design and Validation of Smart Structure Technologies
• Evaluation and Improvement of New and Existing Highway Bridges
• Design and Development of High Performance
• Mechanistic Evaluation of Properties of Concrete Pavement

Intelligent Systems

• Dynamical Modeling of Complex Intelligent Systems
• Cyber-Physical Intelligent Systems
• Resilience Through Adaptation
• Ultra-low Power Sensing and State Estimation for Civil Intelligent Systems
• Advanced Functional Materials for Intelligent Infrastructure Systems
• Integrated Structure and Materials Design for Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability
• Intelligent Water Grids
• Energy Harvesting

Next Generation Transportation Systems

• Implication of emerging technologies on the planning, design, operations, and management of transportation systems

List of available graduate degrees

• Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Civil Engineering
• Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Construction Engineering and Management
• Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Environmental Engineering
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Construction Engineering and Management
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Structural Engineering
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Smart Infrastructure Finance
• Dual M.Eng. in Construction Engineering and Management/Master of Architecture
• Dual M.Eng. in Construction Engineering and Management/Master of Business Administration (student initiated dual degree)
• Dual M.S.E. in Construction Engineering and Management/Master of Business Administration
• Dual M.S.E. in Construction Engineering and Management/Master of Science in Engineering
• Dual M.S.E. in Environmental Engineering/MS in Natural Resources and Environment
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil Engineering
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental Engineering

Master of Science Programs / Master of Engineering Programs

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) offers three Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) degree programs and three Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree programs, as well as multiple options for dual degrees in collaboration with other programs at the university. The M.S.E. programs require 30 credit hours of graduate work (typically 10 courses) and have the option to include up to 6 credits of research. The M.Eng. programs require 26 credit hours of graduate work (typically 8 courses and 2 seminars) and do not require a thesis or other major research project.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer required for application to the M.S.E. program. Letters of recommendation are required. Degree programs differ in the undergraduate degrees they require for regular admission.

Students who do not meet undergraduate degree requirements for regular admission may be granted conditional admission. Students may be required to take courses without graduate credit to remedy the deficiencies in their undergraduate programs.

M.S.E. in Civil Engineering

This program requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of courses offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. For additional requirements, please refer to the information published on the Master’s Programs page of the Civil & Environmental Engineering website. 

• Construction Engineering and Management
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Hydraulics and Hydrologic Engineering
• Intelligent Systems
• Structural and Materials Engineering
• Transportation Systems Engineering

Regular admission is open to students holding an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering or an equivalent.

M.S.E. in Construction Engineering and Management

This program requires at least 18 hours of graduate courses in the Construction Engineering and Management Program (CE&M). Also available are dual degree programs by which a student can receive a M.S.E. in Construction Engineering and Management and a Master of Business Administration degree. Regular admission is open to students holding a degree in any engineering discipline.

Dual M.S.E. in Construction Engineering and Management/Master of Business Administration

The dual degree program requires 12 hours of core courses and 9 hours of graduate construction electives in the M.S.E. (CE&M) program and 30 hours of core courses and 15 hours of electives in the MBA program. Students also take a 3-hour independent study course (CEE 630) to integrate general Construction Engineering and Management skills. Students also take Construction Contracting (CEE 331) if they have not taken it or its equivalent previously. The dual degree program combines the two-year, 60-hour MBA program with the one-year, 30-hour M.S.E. (CE&M) program, resulting in a two-year (including Spring and/or Summer terms) 66- or 69-hour program. The dual degree program can be completed in two years if the first year is devoted to core MBA courses.

Dual M.S.E. in Construction Engineering and Management/Master of Science in Engineering

Dual MSE degree programs combine a 30-hour MSE (CE&M) program with another 30-hour Master’s program resulting in a 51-hour program, 9 hours of which satisfy requirements for both programs. Usually these 9 hours are core courses from the other Master’s program, used as electives in the Construction Engineering and Management program. An applicant who has recently received or is working toward a Master’s degree in another area of engineering at Michigan can complete the MSE (CE&M) with an additional 21 hours of coursework.

M.Eng in Construction Engineering and Management

This two-semester, 26-credit program is designed for those with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent and who want to pursue a professional career in the construction industry. Students with degrees from other disciplines will be accepted into this program but may require additional coursework. The MEng (CE&M) program includes core CE&M courses covering fundamentals, a CE&M elective allowing students to gain in-depth knowledge in specific knowledge areas, and electives in related subjects.

Dual M.Eng in Construction Engineering and Management/Master of Architecture

The dual degree program combines the two-year 60-hour M.Arch. program with the one-year, 26-hour M.Eng. (CE&M) program, resulting in a two and one-half year, 71-hour program.

Dual M.Eng in Construction Engineering and Management/Master of Business Administration

The dual degree program requires the 12 hours of core courses and 9 hours of graduate construction electives in the MEng (CE&M) program and the 30 hours of core courses and 15 hours of electives in the MBA program. Students also take a 3-hour independent study course (CEE 630) to integrate general Construction Engineering and Management skills. Students also take Construction Contracting (CEE 431) if they have not taken it or its equivalent previously. The dual degree program combines the two-year, 60-hour MBA program with the one-year, 26-hour M.Eng. (CE&M) program, resulting in a two-year (including Spring and/or Summer terms) 66- or 69-hour program. The dual degree program can be completed in two years if the first year is devoted to core MBA courses.

M.Eng. in Structural Engineering

This two-semester, 26-credit program is designed for those with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent and who want to pursue a professional career in structural design practice. Students with degrees from other disciplines will be accepted into this program but may require additional coursework. Students in this program will take at least five graduate-level structural engineering courses and will also select a minor area of professional emphasis.

M.S.E. in Environmental Engineering

This program requires at least 18 hours of graduate courses in the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Program. Specific course requirements are given in the departmental Guidelines for this MSE degree. Students holding an engineering or science degree will be considered for regular admission.

Dual M.S.E. in Environmental Engineering / MS in Natural Resources and Environment:” Engineering Sustainable Systems: Specialization in Sustainable Water Resources or Energy Systems”

This dual degree program combines a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Civil Engineering or in Environmental Engineering, and a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Natural Resources and Environment. More detailed information is available in the program guidelines.

Ph.D. Programs

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) with two designations: Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering. Ph.D. programs usually include 50 to 60 hours of graduate coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree level. The focus of doctoral studies is the student’s dissertation research, which must make a significant contribution to professional knowledge in the field. Major steps toward the Ph.D. degree include:

• preliminary examination appointment of dissertation committee
• completion of coursework and English proficiency requirement
• advancement to candidacy
• research proposal defense
• final oral exam
• completion of dissertation

Admission to the Ph.D. program is granted only to students who show promise and provide sufficient evidence that they can meet scholastic requirements of study, including independent research, at an advanced level. The preliminary examination is only open to students with a GPA of better than B+.

Ph.D. in Civil Engineering

Areas of specialization include:

• Construction Engineering and Management
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Hydraulic and Hydrologic Engineering
• Intelligent Systems
• Materials and Highway Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Next Generation Transportation Systems

Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering

Areas of specialization include:   

• Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology
• Hazardous Substance Treatment and Control
• Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics
• Management Policy and Economics
• Surface and Groundwater Hydrology
• Watershed Hydrology and Ecohydrology
• Water Quality Engineering
• Geostatistical Modeling and Optimization
• Atmospheric Modeling

---

---