Welcome to the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering (CaSE)!
CaSE has developed a civil engineering curriculum that aspires to prepare you for a career in which you’ll work to address our greatest societal challenges, whether related to making cities more resilient, addressing human safety and security, enabling space exploration and habitation, making informed health-related decisions, or planning / designing our future energy infrastructure. Addressing any of these grand challenges will require you to have a strong foundation in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering fundamentals, as well as the space for meaningful exploration into the breadth of the civil engineering discipline through which you will be able to make connections between that fundamental knowledge and its application to both professional practice and scholarly research.
The curriculum is organized in two documents for both you and your advisor. The Degree Checkout Sheet acts as a checklist as you work your way through the curriculum and is organized in blocks of courses (e.g. Basic Science, Mathematics, Civil Engineering Fundamentals, etc.). You should update your Degree Checkout Sheet prior to every advising meeting; an Excel version is provided below. Another important resource is the sample program, which you will find in the course catalog under the pages related to the BS in Civil Engineering. Note that the maximum number of credits that you can register for per semester is 19.5 (18 for freshmen). Exceptions to this rule may be made if you have a GPA above 3.5, and in cases where overload is a result of an independent study or research.
Degree Checkout Sheet for the Class of 2028 (xlsx)
Basic Science (16 credits)
To gain fundamental knowledge in the natural sciences that form the basis of all engineering disciplines, CaSE students take courses in Physics, Chemistry and one additional area of basic science that aligns with their personal interests. Unsure of what to choose? We recommend AS.270.220 Dynamic Earth or AS.270.205 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Analysis.
Mathematics (16 credits)
Like natural sciences, mathematics is fundamental to engineering theory and practice. The CaSE curriculum includes courses in Calculus, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations.
Humanities and Social Sciences (18 credits)
This Whiting School requirement recognizes that human-centered engineering design relies not only on strong technical skills, but on an appreciation for the humanities and social sciences as well. While the Whiting School requirement is 18 credits of humanities and social sciences, EN.660.463 Engineering Management and Leadership (categorized under CaSE Professional Practice) is a Social Science course, so only five 3-credit H or S elective courses are needed to fulfill this requirement.
Free Electives (15 credits)
Recognizing that students need opportunities to explore their interests outside of any requirements – whether those be in the humanities, music, or engineering management – we’ve built 15 credits of free electives (no strings attached!) into your curriculum.
CaSE Engineering Fundamentals (45 credits)
These courses make up the most significant part of the Civil Engineering undergraduate curriculum, preparing students for the Grand Challenges of the future by guiding them through the engineering fundamentals necessary for four Civil Engineering subdisciplines – Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Systems, and Energy Systems. No substitutions of courses in this area are permitted.
CaSE Professional Practice (13 credits + FE Exam)
In preparation for professional practice, students take two courses from the Center for Leadership Education (CLE) which help them develop their communication skills as well as their understanding of engineering business, ethics, and management. In their junior year, students take a two-course sequence called CaSE Careers I/II which introduces them to professional engineers and organizations working to design, build, operate, and maintain civil infrastructure systems. Finally, in their senior year, students complete a capstone design project over the course of two semesters in EN.560.401 Design Theory and Practice and EN.560.402 Integrated Design Project. Some past designs may be found on JHU’s Design Day website. Though it comes with no formal credit, students are also required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam during their senior year, which is the first step towards professional licensure in the United States. No substitutions of courses in this area are permitted.
CaSE Technical Electives (6 credits)
Technical electives are designed to provide students with opportunities to explore advanced topics related to civil infrastructure systems. To that end, these courses must have E distribution credits and be at or above the 300-level. 300-level courses with N or Q distribution credits may be allowed with advisor permission.