Return to: College of Engineering and Applied Science

Chair: Kevin L. Rens
Associate Chair: Bruce Janson
Program Administrator: Maria Rase
Office: North Classroom, 3027
Telephone: 303-556-2871
Fax: 303-556-2368
Website: ucdenver.edu/civil

Faculty

Professors:
Nien-Yin Chang, PhD, Ohio State University, Professional Engineer (PE)—Ohio and Colorado
James C.-Y. Guo, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, PE—Colorado
Bruce N. Janson, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Anu Ramaswami, PhD, Carnegie Mellon University
Kevin L. Rens, PhD, Iowa State University, PE—Colorado
Jonathan T.H. Wu, PhD, Purdue University

Assistant Professors:

Arunprakash Karunanithi, PhD, University of Connecticut
Chengyu Li, PhD, Arizona State University; PE—Colorado, North Carolina, New Mexico, Washington; SE—Utah, Arizona, Washington
Wesley Marshall, PhD, University of Connecticut, PE—Connecticut
David C. Mays, PhD, University of California at Berkeley, PE—Colorado, California
Zhiyong (Jason) Ren, PhD, Pennsylvania State University
Frederick R. Rutz, PhD, University of Colorado, PE—Colorado

Assistant Research Professor:
Saeed Baraghi, PhD, University of Colorado, PE—Colorado

Senior Instructors:
Brian T. Brady, PhD, Colorado School of Mines
Michael Tang, PhD, University of California Berkeley

Professors Emeriti:
Paul E. Bartlett, MS, University of Colorado, PE—Colorado
David W. Hubly, PhD, Iowa State University, PE—Colorado
Lynn E. Johnson, PhD, Cornell University, PE—Connecticut
Orem G. Strom, PhD, University of Texas at Austin

The mission of the Department of Civil Engineering:

• deliver high-quality comprehensive degree programs (BS, MS, MEng, PhD) to all of our students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
• matriculate students who excel in professional practice and leadership and who possess compassion and respect for people of all cultural backgrounds
• teach our classes with excellence, whether in a traditional classroom setting or online
• offer our students state-of-the-art laboratories, equipment and classrooms with the latest technology needed for a complete learning experience
• develop ambitious and innovative research programs involving both faculty and students through funding from federal, state and local sources
• provide supportive mentoring and guidance to our students through teaching, research and advising
• produce students who can work as leading professionals in civil engineering and in many other fields for which civil engineering knowledge can be a foundation

The CU Denver undergraduate civil engineering curriculum  places balanced emphasis on five principal areas of civil engineering practice: structures, transportation, environmental, water resources and geotechnical engineering. In each of these areas, the student receives instruction in planning, design and analysis methods. Microcomputer skills are taught early in the program of study and used frequently in subsequent courses.

A minimum of 130 semester hours is required to earn the BS degree. The faculty provide advising to help students develop an efficient study plan. The student must satisfactorily complete all the course work in the curriculum, satisfy all university graduation requirements and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in the civil engineering courses.

Requirements for Admission

Applicants to the master of science in civil engineering  (MS) program must satisfy all requirements specified in the Information for Graduate Students  chapter of this catalog. Most applicants have an ABET accredited undergraduate degree in civil engineering. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4-point scale) or better is required for regular admission. Students with lower GPAs may qualify for provisional admission and are strongly encouraged to submit GRE scores. International applicants are required to submit GRE scores to support their applications. Applicants whose undergraduate degree is in a field other than civil engineering may also be admitted into the MS in civil engineering degree program, if they have or will complete undergraduate prerequisite courses as required by the Department of Civil Engineering and the student’s graduate advisor.

Applicants to the master of engineering  (MEng) program must have a baccalaureate degree in engineering, math, science, economics or planning from an accredited college or university and satisfy all requirements specified by the Graduate School.

Prospective PhD students should contact the Department of Civil Engineering to inquire about application requirements and to obtain the “Rules and Policies for the Coordinated PhD Program,” a coordinated program with the University of Colorado Boulder.

In addition to the coordinated Civil Engineering PhD, the multidisciplinary engineering and applied science PhD  is available through the Department of Civil Engineering.

Requests for applications for graduate study in civil engineering should be addressed to CU Denver Department of Civil Engineering, Campus Box 113, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364.

Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States should apply through the Office of International Admissions, Campus Box 185, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364. All applicants for admission must submit complete credentials as outlined in the instructions that accompany the application materials.

Return to: College of Engineering and Applied Science