BE in Civil Engineering

The Bachelor of Engineering degree program in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil Engineering.

ABET is the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.

The civil engineering program provides a superior education to those who wish to become talented and creative engineers. It draws upon LAU’s broad resources in sciences and liberal arts. Graduates of the civil engineering program have a strong theoretical background, training in the latest design methods, and proficiency in technological applications.

The courses offered by the civil engineering department cover construction, environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering, as well as surveying.

Our graduates go on to pursue various careers in design, construction, management, and research. They are prepared to work effectively in today’s work environment because they are technically competent, critical thinkers, and abreast of the latest technical software.

The UK-based Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) now recognizes the LAU Civil Engineering degree as: “Fully satisfying the educational base for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng)”. LAU Civil Engineering graduates will no longer need to apply for an academic assessment to gain an ICE professional qualification in the UK. This sets LAU Civil Engineering graduates on the path to a successful career by partially satisfying the educational requirements for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) in the UK.  

Mission

The Mission of the Department of Civil Engineering at the Lebanese American University is to provide students with a quality and challenging education, through innovative teaching, professional practice and community service, enabling the students to enrich their lives and make valuable contributions to their communities.

Program educational objectives

Within a few years of graduation, the graduates of the Civil Engineering program will:

1. Achieve success in their chosen career path be it professional practice or graduate studies
2. Adapt to meet the changing requirements of the job market
3. Be responsible citizen engineers

Student Outcomes

The students will acquire in their matriculation through the program, the following skills, knowledge, and behaviors:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Student Data

Curriculum before Fall 2017

First year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Second year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Third year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Fourth year

Fall

Spring

Technical electives

Or any other approved technical elective by the department.
Note: All technical electives require at least senior standing in addition to their relevant pre- requisites.

^All CIE and MTH courses require a passing grade of C.
* Courses Not Offered for the Past Three Years

Signature Course Electives

• GNE335 Intro. to Sustainable Engineering
• GNE337 Introduction to Virtual Reality
• GNE340 Engineering Entrepreneurship
• GNE345 Civic Engagement for Engineers
• GNE430 Management Consulting for Engineers

Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives - 12 credits

The 12 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives should be taken according to Curriculum A as described below:

1. Fine Arts, Communication Arts, Music Appreciation, Theater (3 credits)
2. Cultural Studies, History, Philosophy, Religion (3 credits)
3. English, Arabic Language, Literature (3 credits)
4. Social Sciences (3 credits)

A list of courses for each of the above categories can be found here

Curriculum effective Fall 2017

First year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Second year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Third year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Fourth year

Fall

Spring

VIP Courses

Students interested in the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) program can register VIP courses that could count towards their degree as per the below list:

URE Courses

Students interested in the Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) program can register URE courses that could count towards their degree as per the below list:

CIE Technical Elective Courses (18 credits)

A minimum of three courses have to be selected in one of the five emphasis areas below.

Construction Engineering & Management

Environmental & Water Resources

Geotechnical Engineering

Structural Engineering

Transportation Engineering

General Technical Electives

Note that all technical electives require that the student has completed at least 120 credits in addition to their relevant prerequisites, and courses require a passing grade of D.

* Courses Not Offered for the Past Two Years

Signature Course Electives

• GNE335 Intro. to Sustainable Engineering
• GNE337 Introduction to Virtual Reality
• GNE340 Engineering Entrepreneurship
• GNE345 Civic Engagement for Engineers
• GNE430 Management Consulting for Engineers

Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives - 12 credits

1. For students entering the program in Fall 2022 or after, the 12 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives should be taken according to Curriculum Z as described below:
   1. Digital Cultures (3 credits)
   2. Change Makers (6 credits)
   3. LAS Free Elective, Arts & Humanities (3 credits)

A list of courses for each of the above categories can be found here

2. For students entering the program prior to Fall 2022, the 12 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives should be taken according to Curriculum A as described below:
   1. Fine Arts, Communication Arts, Music Appreciation, Theater (3 credits)
   2. Cultural Studies, History, Philosophy, Religion (3 credits)
   3. English, Arabic Language, Literature (3 credits)
   4. Social Sciences (3 credits)

A list of courses for each of the above categories can be found here

Curriculum effective Fall 2023

First year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Second year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Third year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Fourth year

Fall

Spring

VIP Courses

Students interested in the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) program can register VIP courses that could count towards their degree as per the below list:

URE Courses

Students interested in the Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) program can register URE courses that could count towards their degree as per the below list:

CIE Technical Elective Courses (18 credits)

Construction Engineering & Management

Environmental & Water Resources

Geotechnical Engineering

Structural Engineering

Transportation Engineering

General Technical Electives

Note that all technical electives require that the student has completed at least 120 credits in addition to their relevant prerequisites, and courses require a passing grade of D.

* Courses Not Offered for the Past Two Years

Signature Course Electives

• GNE335 Intro. to Sustainable Engineering
• GNE337 Introduction to Virtual Reality
• GNE340 Engineering Entrepreneurship
• GNE345 Civic Engagement for Engineers
• GNE430 Management Consulting for Engineers

Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives - 12 credits

1. For students entering the program in Fall 2022 or after, the 12 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives should be taken according to Curriculum Z as described below:
   1. Digital Cultures (3 credits)
   2. Change Makers (6 credits)
   3. LAS Free Elective, Arts & Humanities (3 credits)

A list of courses for each of the above categories can be found here

2. For students entering the program prior to Fall 2022, the 12 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives should be taken according to Curriculum A as described below:
   1. Fine Arts, Communication Arts, Music Appreciation, Theater (3 credits)
   2. Cultural Studies, History, Philosophy, Religion (3 credits)
   3. English, Arabic Language, Literature (3 credits)
   4. Social Sciences (3 credits)

A list of courses for each of the above categories can be found here

Teaching the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Number of courses in the Civil Engineering Program that relate to each of the United Nations 17 SDGs

Course Map

Please click here to view Course Map effective Fall 2023.
Please click here to view Course Map effective Fall 2022.
Please click here to view Course Map Fall 2017 - Summer 2022.
Students who began their degree before Fall 2017 please click here to view Course Map.