Introduction to the Curriculum
The Department of Civil and Systems Engineering (CaSE) has developed a curriculum that aspires to prepare you for careers requiring engineering solutions to address our greatest societal challenges, including resilient cities, human safety and security, space exploration and habitation, decision making and health, and future energy infrastructure. Addressing such grand challenges will require students to have a strong foundation in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering fundamentals, as well as space for meaningful experiences that will help them make connections between that fundamental knowledge and its application to both professional practice and scholarly research.
The curriculum is organized in a document called the Degree Checkout Sheet, which serves as a checklist for you and your advisor as you work your way through the curriculum. It is organized in blocks of courses (e.g. Basic Science, Mathematics, CaSE Fundamentals, etc.) which are described in more detail below. It is your responsibility to maintain your Degree Checkout Sheet and bring it to every advising meeting; both pdf and excel versions are provided below.
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.
Please be sure to read the Course Catalog for more information, including a four-year sample program.
Degree Checkout Form » xlsx
Basic Science (13 credits)
To gain fundamental knowledge in the natural sciences that form the basis of all engineering disciplines, BSSE students in CaSE take courses in Physics, Chemistry and Environmental Science.
Mathematics (16 credits)
Like natural sciences, mathematics is fundamental to engineering theory and practice. BSSE students in CaSE take several math courses; the four in this section make up the foundation of the curriculum.
Humanities and Social Sciences (15 credits)
This Whiting School requirement recognizes that human-centered engineering design relies not only on strong technical skills, but on an understanding of the humanities and social sciences as well. Any five 3-credit H or S elective courses may be used to fulfill
this requirement. Three additional S credits are taken in the Professional Practice area, bringing the total number of H/S credits up to the required WSE minimum of 18.
Free Electives (18 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 18 credits of free electives (no strings attached!) into your curriculum.
CaSE Fundamentals (26 credits)
These courses are foundational to the Systems Engineering curriculum, preparing students for the Grand Challenges of the future by guiding them through the engineering fundamentals necessary for the remainder of the curriculum. No substitutions of courses in this area are permitted.
CaSE Electives in Data & Analytics and Modeling & Optimization (15 credits min)
In these courses – typically taken in the junior and senior years – Systems Engineering students explore in greater depth two areas of systems engineering: Data & Analytics and Modeling & Optimization. Students are required to take a minimum of two courses from each area, and one additional course in either area.
CaSE Experiences (3 credits)
These six 0.5 credit experience courses offer students an opportunity to collaborate and learn new skills through hands-on projects, learn about professional practice through invited speakers, and learn how to develop and conduct a research program. No substitutions of courses in this area are permitted.
CaSE Professional Practice (12 credits)
To prepare students for professional practice, we require students to take two courses from the Center for Leadership Education (CLE) and a two-course design sequence in the senior year that first introduces them to design theory and practice, and then provides an integrated design experience, similar to what one can expect in professional practice.
CaSE Technical Electives (9 credits)
Technical electives are designed to provide students with opportunities to explore the field of civil engineering in greater depth. 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.