BACKGROUND TO THE PROGRAMME

The Department of Civil Engineering was established in 1970 with a specific mandate of educating civil engineers in the country to the highest international professional standards. The Department’s Mission Statement is:

“To provide quality education in Civil Engineering by supporting academic distinction and excellence in teaching, innovative research and technological services in the region.”

The major objective in the Department is to exploit the exciting nature of the Civil Engineering profession to
address the most basic needs of society. This can be attained through:
i) Giving students relevant skills and knowledge,
ii) Increasing awareness of latest advances in Science and Technology (S&T),
iii) Educating students on appropriate technology for national development; and
iv) Inculcating professionalethics into them.
Focus is on harnessing the creativity of civil engineering in conception, planning, designing, constructing,
evaluating performance and maintaining physical systems that sustain human enterprise. It is envisaged that this
leads to producing responsible and well-rounded civil engineers. Students need to always be prepared for
professional practice in the major areas of Civil Engineering namely, transportation, water resources and
hydraulics, structures, construction management, public health and environmental, and geotechnical
engineering.

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROGRAMME

The recent past has been characterized by economic liberalization leading to broadening and diversifying the demand for civil engineering graduates. There is an upsurge in the private sector of both small and medium scale enterprises leading to creation ofnew jobs that require specialized graduates. Besides, reliance on foreign expertise needs to be tremendously reduced. In order to satisfy this demand, the Department of Civil
Engineering has revised its curriculum to address this emerging issue and therefore attract more students.

This curriculum would also suitably prepare the students for specialization at graduate level. The revised curriculum provides sound theoretical approaches to the various civil engineering disciplines supplemented by hands-on laboratories and computer skills to apply the theoretical knowledge to practical engineering problems.

Additional practical training components such as Workshop Practice in the first year and Industrial Training in the recess terms of the second and third years of study introduce students to actual field practice. The program is conducted through coursework and examinations. At the third and fourth year of study, students are prepared to do independent supervised study in the area of their choice. Students can enroll for the programme with the intention of achieving the qualification of a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSC.CE).

OBJECTIVES AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

The BSc.Civil Engineering Degree programme aims at producing professionals who will address the most basic
needs of society that is, conceive, plan, design, construct and maintain the physical systems that sustain human
enterprise and meet national development objectives.

Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of this programme are to:
(a) Train and produce graduates who are well groundedwith skills and knowledge of the in Civil
Engineering discipline
(b) Train students in aspects ofresearch and development
(c) Instil entrepreneurship skills in students so as to ensure competitiveness
(d) Employ practical thinking with commitment to economic, innovative and optimum use of resources
(e) Train engineers who are aware of the latestglobal challenges and how to handle them
(f) Promote professionalism, work ethics and social values
(g) Have a good understanding of the technical vocational foundation of Civil Engineering to facilitate self learning and professional development.
(h) Prepare graduates who are capable of entering and succeeding in an advanced degree program in a
field such as engineering, science, or business.

Program Outcomes

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in Civil engineering practice. At the end of the programme, the graduate should be able to:
(a) design and conduct simple engineering related experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data
(b) work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team with both peers and in cross-level collaboration
(c) identify/diagnose and solve the basic Civil engineering problems.
(d) understand the professional and ethical responsibilities at the place of work.
(e) communicate effectively in all written and oral forms at different levels and with different parties
involved in the process of civil engineering design.
(f) understand the impact of Civil Engineering in the global, economic, environmental and social context.
(g) recognize the need for and the ability to engage in life-long learning.
(h) have knowledge of contemporary issues.
(i) use techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practices