Curriculum

Berkeley Civil & Environmental Engineering offers an ABET-accredited major program in Civil Engineering. Upon completing the four-year curriculum, the student earns a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering.

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

Your education will provide you with a strong fundamental background in engineering science, design, and practice. For complete information on CEE's learning goals, how our core courses support those goals, how we assess student learning, and our goals for CEE students after they graduate, see CEE's Response to the Campus Undergraduate Student Learning Initiative.

Sample Four Year Degree Plan   

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their faculty and staff advisers to learn about the full range of academic opportunities available in the CEE Department.

(Note: Undergraduate students wishing to enroll in a graduate level course must satisfy departmental academic standards for graduate students in the graduate program with the desired course.)

Courses

Course Planning Tools

Study Abroad

In conjunction with the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), we in Berkeley CEE have simplified the process for studying abroad and have identified courses available for credit. 

Independent Research Coursework

You can apply to participate in undergraduate research while attending UC Berkeley. You can enroll in three Civil and Environmental Engineering research courses and receive course credit while conducting research under faculty supervision.

Research Courses

  • CE 99 (freshmen and sophomores), graded pass/no pass.
  • CE 199 (junior and seniors), graded pass/no pass.
  • CE H194 (seniors), letter graded, must have 3.3 upper division GPA. 

Course Descriptions and Enrollment Procedure

CE 99: Supervised Independent Study (freshman and sophomore)

Course may be repeated for credit and has variable units (1-4). Must be taken on a pass/not pass basis. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore standing and consent of instructor. Supervised independent study for lower division students.
 

CE 199: Supervised Independent Study (junior and senior)

CE 199 has variable units (1-4) and may be repeated for credit. Course is taken on a pass/not pass basis only and does not count towards meeting the BS degree requirements. You must have completed at least 60 units of undergraduate work and be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or above) to register for this course.

CE H194: Honors Undergraduate Research

Students who have completed 3 or more upper division CEE courses may pursue original research under the directions of a CEE faculty member.  To participate in CE H194 you must have a GPA of 3.3 or higher in your upper division technical course work and the consent of the instructor. The course is taken for a letter grade, and may be taken twice, but can be used only once towards degree requirements.

Students may use this course to fulfill 3 units of coursework for the BS degree.  If following the curriculum of 2018 or later, 3 units of CE H194 will count as an CEE Extension (i.e., as 1 extension course, only.)  If following the curriculum prior to 2018, 3 units of CE H194 may be counted as part of the upper division engineering  electives (i.e., as 3 units of the 15 required units in that area).

A final research report is required; upon completion of the work, complete a CE H194 Title page and submit it to the CEE Undergraduate Adviser in 750 Davis Hall.

To enroll in CE 99, CE 199 or CE H194, use this FORM.  

CE 197: Field Studies in Civil Engineering
 

International students who require a course in order to qualify for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) should complete the "Independent Study or Research Enrollment Form for Civil and Environmental Engineering" and request 1 unit of CEE 197. Students may ask any regular member of the faculty to supervise them in the course; if they do not already have a faculty member in mind, they should select the vice chair for undergraduate studies. As a best practice, we also recommend following up with the selected supervisor via email so they can be on the lookout for your application. Note that the proposed instructor may also ask you for additional documentation before agreeing to supervise the unit.

After the Academic Affairs Office (AAO) receives approval from the proposed instructor, the department scheduler will create a section of the course for them and will send the student a permission code to enroll.

197 is graded on a P/NP basis. To receive credit, students should submit a report summarizing what work they completed during the internship, its relevance to the Civil Engineering major, and what new things the student learned. The report should be submitted to the 197 supervisor by the end of RRR week (fall and spring) or the last day of the enrolled session (summer).

After the student is officially enrolled, they should send a screenshot or PDF of their CalCentral "My Academics" page along with their CPT application and employment letter (on company letterhead, using the BIO template) to the department undergraduate major advisor. The advisor will complete the "Academic Adviser's Recommendation" (parts 1 and 2) and submit the entire packet to BIO for review.

It is recommended that students initiate their request for 197 at least three weeks before they are due to begin their employment and their CPT application to the department major advisor at least two weeks before they are due to begin their employment. The department is usually able to move quickly after receiving instructor approval but staff deadlines and absences mean we are not always able to accommodate very tight turnarounds. BIO requires at least five business days to process CPT applications. 

Note that BIO will kick back any applications where the employment dates on the application do not exactly match the employment dates on the employment letter. They will also kick back any applications that are submitted less than five + one business days before the employment is set to begin (students may need a revised employment letter with a later employment start date in this event).

For any questions about CPT, students should reach out to their Berkeley International Office (BIO) advisor.

Undergraduate Students taking Graduate Courses in CEE
 

Undergraduate students wishing to enroll in a CEE graduate course must have a 3.0 technical GPA and permission of the course instructor.

To request permission, please complete the "Application for Undergraduate Student to Enroll in Graduate Course" form (which will automatically email your application to the posted instructor). As a best practice, we also recommend following up with the instructor via email so they can be on the lookout for your application. Note that the instructor may also ask you for additional documentation demonstrating your readiness to succeed at the graduate level.
 

To calculate your GPA for the application, use only your upper division technical courses.

Graduate students have first priority to enroll in graduate courses. Permission codes will be sent out for classes with available seats starting Wednesday the second week of classes. If a course is full, the department will continue to monitor for available seats and send out permission codes through the add/drop period. Codes are sent on a first-come, first-served basis.

One 3-unit CEE graduate course may be counted towards your CEE extensions requirement for the undergraduate degree. Please reach out to your ESS advisor for any questions regarding degree progress.