Welcome

I welcome you to learn more about the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department and join us in our mission. 

— Jack Puleo, Professor & Chair

Welcome to UD!

Welcome to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I invite you to learn more about our programs, our mission and our opportunities for undergraduate, master’s degree and doctoral students. We have a long and successful history of educating future engineers, thanks to the instructional and research expertise of our faculty, many of whom are nationally and internationally recognized for their contributions to the engineering profession.

We welcome intellectually motivated, creative and diverse individuals to our undergraduate and graduate education and research programs.

Details of our student enrollment can be found at UD’s College of Engineering website.

Our faculty includes more than 30 primary or joint appointments, and we engage professional engineers from many areas of civil and environmental engineering to enhance our programs.

Department History

Established in 1889 as the first engineering degree program at Delaware College, civil engineering was then a small undergraduate program that offered practical instruction in building, railroad, and dam construction. Presently, we are known as the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and offer undergraduate degrees in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Construction Engineering and Management. We specialize in research and graduate education in coastal, environmental and water resources, geotechnical, structural, and civil infrastructure and transportation engineering.

The department established an environmental engineering program in response to environmental problems that surfaced in later decades. Renamed in the late 1990s, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering continues to focus on the engineering needs of society, with a new emphasis on environmental impacts. By the turn of the century, the creation of centers in coastal, environmental, bridge, and transportation engineering had enabled us to emerge as a leaders in these areas by facilitating cutting-edge research and innovation.

The department’s newest program, construction engineering and management program was launched in Fall 2017 to provide students with the engineering foundations essential for professional licensure, valuable experience through co-op requirements, and formalized training in business essentials through an integrated business certificate program. Together, these elements prepare students for leadership and success in the construction industry.

As the future unfolds, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will continue to find new ways of monitoring, maintaining, and renewing the civil infrastructure to enhance both the nation’s economic health and the quality of life of its citizens. Solutions to these challenges will include applications of “green” engineering, the use of new materials and renewable resources, and provisions for the security of critical infrastructure systems.

Profile

  • We offer Bachelors degrees and minors in civil and environmental engineering, construction engineering and management, and a Master of Civil Engineering, Master of Applied Sciences, and Ph.D. degrees.
  • There are 32 faculty in the department, and all classes are taught by these core faculty or by qualified adjunct faculty who are active in the profession. The department generates over $7 million in general and research expenditures every year.
  • Many of our faculty have won University, College of Engineering, or national teaching awards.
  • The College of Engineering at the University of Delaware is ranked among the top 50 in the nation by US News and World Report.
  • Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine consistently ranks UD in the top 15 on its “100 best values in public education” list.
  • Our student:faculty ratio is 14:1 in civil engineering and 5:1 in environmental engineering.

Sustainability

We aim to become renowned as a civil and environmental engineering department focused on sustainable infrastructure and sustainable environment by

  • Excelling in targeted and emerging areas of civil and environmental engineering research, while increasing national and international visibility in those areas.
  • Preparing undergraduate students to be successful professionals and by educating graduate students to be leaders in their chosen fields.
  • Developing a collaborative diverse environment for research and education that facilitates engaging partners and stakeholders.

Mission

to provide a culturally diverse and intellectually stimulating environment for the discovery and application of knowledge in civil engineering, and environmental engineering, and construction engineering and management, the educate ion of our students to their fullest potential, and emphasize the importance of service to the public through outreach and professional activities.

Vision

of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware is to become renowned as a civil and environmental engineering department focused on sustainable infrastructure and sustainable environment through research, education, and service.