David E. Schaad
david.schaad@duke.eduCEE Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor of the Practice
Civil Engineering Major
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
The infrastructure that supports human society is largely the work of the civil engineer.
The challenge: Designing systems for housing, transportation, water, energy and more in harmony with the natural world.
Environmental Engineering & Water Resources Study Track
Environmental Engineering is the application of biology, chemistry, and fluid mechanics to the analysis of natural environments and the design of systems to reduce the effects of pollutants on the environment and on public health.
Water Resources relates to the application of fluid mechanics, soil mechanics, and in many cases, chemistry, to the analysis of the flow of water within the water-table, between the water-table and the surface, and on the surface.
Also see the undergraduate Certificate in Energy and the Environment.
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Environmental Engineering
- CEE 132L Engineering the Planet
- CEE 461L Chemical Processes in Environmental Engineering
- CEE 462L Biological Processes in Environmental Engineering
Water Resources
- CEE 301L Fluid Mechanics
- CEE 302L Soil Mechanics
- CEE 462L Water Resources Engineering
- CEE 469 Integrated Environmental Design
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For the Class of 2029
The plan provided below, applicable to students matriculating in Fall 2025, outlines a typical, semester-by-semester path to graduation.
For Duke CEE Students in Other Classes
Students who have already matriculated should consult the CEE Undergraduate Handbook as degree requirements can differ by matriculation date.
Important Notes About the Tables Below
- Courses in the tables are required unless noted otherwise
- Course numbers in bold are typically offered only once a year during the semester shown
- Shifting courses to a different semester should be done with caution and preplanning due, in part, to prerequisites and co-requisites
- The plan of study for the first two years is the same for all Civil Engineering majors, regardless of study track
First Year
Fall 2025 Spring 2026 Calculus I
MATH 111L (Note #1)Calculus II
MATH 112L (#2)Chemistry
CHEM 101DL (#3)Mechanics
PHYSICS 151L (#4)Computing for Engineers
EGR 105LAcademic Writing
WRITING 120 (#8)Engineering Design & Communication
EGR 101LEngineering the Planet
CEE 132L (#5)Important Notes
- #1 AP credit for MATH 21 may be used to satisfy the MATH 111L requirement
- #2 AP credit for MATH 22 may be used to satisfy the MATH 112L requirement. If AP credit for 21 but not 22 then take MATH 122L in first-year Fall
- #3 CHEM 101DL. AP credit (i.e., CHEM 20 or 21) may be used to satisfy this requirement
- #4 At least one (1) physics course must be taken post-matriculation to satisfy the Physics requirement in the Engineering curriculum. Students receiving AP credits for PHYSICS 25 and 26 must: a) take a Duke PHYSICS course at or above PHYSICS 153L; b) decline the AP credit for PHYSICS 26 and take PHYSICS 152L; or c) decline both AP credits and take both PHYSICS 151L and 152L
- #5 CEE 132L may be replaced with CEE 205 (0.5 unit) AND an upper-level CEE course (1.0 unit); if not taken in the first or second year then it must be replaced. An upper-level CEE course is a CEE course at the 300-, 400-, 500-, or 600-level
- #8 WRITING 120 must be taken in the First Year; It is expected that Pratt students take this course in the Spring.
Second Year
Fall 2026 Spring 2027 Matrices and Vectors
MATH 218-2Multivariable Calculus
MATH 219Solid Mechanics
EGR 201LDynamics
EGR 244Lelective Uncertainty, Design & Optimization
CEE 251Lelective Electricity & Magnetism
PHYSICS 152L (#4)elective elective Important Note
- #4 At least one (1) physics course must be taken post-matriculation to satisfy the Physics requirement in the Engineering curriculum. Students receiving AP credits for PHYSICS 25 and 26 must: a) take a Duke PHYSICS course at or above PHYSICS 153L; b) decline the AP credit for PHYSICS 26 and take PHYSICS 152L; or c) decline both AP credits and take both PHYSICS 151L and 152L
Third Year
Fall 2027 Spring 2028 Differential Equations
MATH 353Soil Mechanics
CEE 302LFluid Mechanics
CEE 301L (#9)Biological Principles
CEE 462LAquatic Chemistry
CEE 461Lelective Engineering Economics, Risk, and Decision
CEE 351elective Important Note
#9 Although MATH 353 may be taken concurrently it is recommended that MATH 353 be completed prior to taking Fluid Mechanics, CEE 301L.
Fourth Year
Fall 2028 Spring 2029 Water Resources
CEE 463LIntegrated Environmental Design
CEE 469elective elective elective elective elective elective -
Beyond the education provided by undergraduate courses, students may pursue independent study in areas of Environmental Engineering and Water Resources & Hydrology on which Duke places particular emphasis, including:
Environmental Engineering
- Environmental Biotechnology & Bioremediation: The response of microbial communities to anthropogenic perturbations and the manipulation of microbial processes to degrade anthropogenic compounds
- Environmental Nanoscience: The study of nanoscale materials for environmental treatment technology and their potential impacts for environmental quality and human health
- Air Quality: The study of atmospheric contaminants, their persistence and potential exposure hazards for humans
- Energy & the Environment: The development of innovative solutions that meet the global demand for energy and the environmental implications associated with energy production
- Environmental Chemistry: The study of chemical processes that control the transformation, partitioning, and bioavailability of pollutants, nutrients, and other compounds in environmental media
- Sensors: The development of devices to improve detection and control of trace constituents in air, water and soil
Water Resources & Hydrology
- Environmental Fluid Dynamics: The study of atmospheric and oceanic flows in the meso-scale and the global scale for the prediction of long-term and medium-term environmental changes; turbulent transport in rivers, wetlands and plant canopies; exchanges of water and other substances within the soil-plant-atmosphere system.
- Vadose-Zone Hydrology: The study of water flow beneath the ground surface and above the water table; tracking and prediction of contaminant plumes in the sub-surface, contaminant remediation within the subsurface.
- Eco-Hydrology: The study of the interaction between hydrological processes and terrestrial ecosystems), modeling and analysis of precipitation space-time dynamics
- Environmental Mechanics: The study of how mechanical loads, chemical environments, and fluid flows interact and modify each other. The use of electro-magnetic waves and stress waves to interrogate the properties of the sub-surface.
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Download the PDF course check sheet for your graduation year to determine the required classes for this track.
- Class of 2029 » (Matriculated Fall 2025)
- Class of 2028 » (Matriculated Fall 2024)
- Classes of 2025 to 2027 » (Matriculated Fall 2021 to 2023)
Structural Engineering & Mechanics Study Track
The application of solid mechanics and materials science to the design of building systems and transportation systems to carry static loads and to resist dynamic loads.
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- CEE 132L Engineering the Planet
- EGR 201L Mechanics of Solids
- CEE 251L Uncertainty, Design, and Optimization
- CEE 302L Soil Mechanics
- CEE 351 Engineering Economics, Risk, and Decision-Making
- CEE 421L Matrix Structural Analysis
- CEE 422L Concrete and Composite Structures
- CEE 423L Metallic Structures
- CEE 429 Integrated Structural Design
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For the Class of 2029
The plan provided below, applicable to students matriculating in Fall 2025, outlines a typical, semester-by-semester path to graduation.
For Duke CEE Students on Other Classes
Students who have already matriculated should consult the CEE Undergraduate Handbook as degree requirements can differ by matriculation date.
Important Notes About the Tables Below
- Courses in the table are required unless noted otherwise
- Course numbers in bold are typically offered only once a year during the semester shown
- Shifting courses to a different semester should be done with caution and preplanning due, in part, to prerequisites and co-requisites
- The plan of study for the first two years is the same for all Civil Engineering majors, regardless of study track
First Year
Fall 2025 Spring 2026 Calculus I
MATH 111L (Note #1)Calculus II
MATH 112L (#2)Chemistry
CHEM 101DL (#3)Mechanics
PHYSICS 151L (#4)Computing for Engineers
EGR 105LAcademic Writing
WRITING 120 (#8)Engineering Design & Communication
EGR 101LEngineering the Planet
CEE 132L (#5)Important Notes
- #1 AP credit for MATH 21 may be used to satisfy the MATH 111L requirement
- #2 AP credit for MATH 22 may be used to satisfy the MATH 112L requirement. If AP credit for 21 but not 22 then take MATH 122L in first-year Fall
- #3 CHEM 101DL. AP credit (i.e., CHEM 20 or 21) may be used to satisfy this requirement
- #4 At least one (1) physics course must be taken post-matriculation to satisfy the Physics requirement in the Engineering curriculum. Students receiving AP credits for PHYSICS 25 and 26 must: a) take a Duke PHYSICS course at or above PHYSICS 153L; b) decline the AP credit for PHYSICS 26 and take PHYSICS 152L; or c) decline both AP credits and take both PHYSICS 151L and 152L
- #5 CEE 132L may be replaced with CEE 205 (0.5 unit) AND an upper-level CEE course (1.0 unit); if not taken in the first or second year then it must be replaced. An upper-level CEE course is a CEE course at the 300-, 400-, 500-, or 600-level
- #8 WRITING 120 must be taken in the First Year; It is expected that Pratt students take this course in the Spring.
Second Year
Fall 2026 Spring 2027 Matrices and Vectors
MATH 218-2Multivariable Calculus
MATH 219Solid Mechanics
EGR 201LDynamics
EGR 244Lelective Uncertainty, Design & Optimization
CEE 251Lelective Electricity & Magnetism
PHYSICS 152L (#4)elective elective Important Note
- #4 At least one (1) physics course must be taken post-matriculation to satisfy the Physics requirement in the Engineering curriculum. Students receiving AP credits for PHYSICS 25 and 26 must: a) take a Duke PHYSICS course at or above PHYSICS 153L; b) decline the AP credit for PHYSICS 26 and take PHYSICS 152L; or c) decline both AP credits and take both PHYSICS 151L and 152L
Third Year
Fall 2027 Spring 2028 Differential Equations
MATH 353Soil Mechanics
CEE 302LFluid Mechanics
CEE 301L (#9)Reinforced Concrete Design
CEE 422LStructural Analysis
CEE 421Lelective Engineering Economics, Risk, and Decision
CEE 351elective Important Note
#9 Although MATH 353 may be taken concurrently it is recommended that MATH 353 be completed prior to taking Fluid Mechanics, CEE 301L.
Fourth Year
Fall 2028 Spring 2029 Structural Steel Design
CEE 423LIntegrated Structural Design
CEE 429elective elective elective elective elective elective -
Beyond the education provided by undergraduate courses, students may pursue independent study in areas of Structural Engineering & Mechanics in which Duke places particular emphasis, including:
- Computational Mechanics: The study of how to efficiently and accurately simulate the response of complex materials and structures to a broad range of loading conditions. Computer simulations of structures undergoing cracking and yielding with large deformation are addressed by faculty in the department.
- Environmental Mechanics: The study of how extreme heat, aggressive chemical environments, and high mechanical loads affect the load-carrying capacity of solids, structures and soils.
- Structural Dynamics & Earthquake Engineering: The study of how earthquake-induced ground motions affect building and bridge structures, the design of such structures to resist earthquake loading, and the control of structures by using “smart” materials to improve their dynamic response to earthquake loads.
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Download the PDF course check sheet for your graduation year to determine the required classes for this track.
- Class of 2029 » (Matriculated Fall 2025)
- Class of 2028 » (Matriculated Fall 2024)
- Classes of 2025 to 2027 » (Matriculated Fall 2021 to 2023)
Electives
Completing departmental and general engineering requirements offer a variety of elective choices. When planning electives, be cognizant of prerequisites and when the course is typically offered.
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- Three (3) electives. These must be upper-level CEE courses; an upper-level course is a course at the 300-, 400-, 500- or 600-level. Courses meeting this requirement include, but are not limited to:
Course Number Course Title CEE 311 Architectural Engineering I CEE 315-20 Engr. Sustainable Design and the Global Comm.: Structural Focus CEE 315-60 Engr. Sustainable Design and the Global Comm.: Environmental Focus CEE 411 Architectural Engineering II CEE 511 Construction Management CEE 520 Continuum Mechanics CEE 530 Introduction to the Finite Element Method CEE 541 Structural Dynamics CEE 560 Environmental Transport Phenomena CEE 566 Environmental Microbiology CEE 661L Environmental Molecular Biotechnology CEE 666 Aquatic Geochemistry CEE 667 Chemical Transformation of Environmental Contaminants CEE 683 Groundwater Hydrology CEE 684 Physical Hydrology, Hydrometeorology -
All majors in Pratt are required to complete a minimum of 5 full-credit (1.0 unit) courses from a set of categories that includes:
- Creating & Engaging with Art (CE),
- Humanistic Inquiry (HI),
- Interpreting Institutions, Justice & Power (IJ),
- Social & Behavioral Analysis (SB), and
- Language (LG).
More specifically:
- Students must take five courses that each carry at least one code of CE, HI, IJ, SB, or LG and that do not otherwise count towards the requirements of their Pratt major(s).
- Students must complete courses that cumulatively cover at least four of the five codes (CE, HI, IJ, SB, LG).
- A Century Course that has two different codes may cover both of those codes, but still only counts as one of the five required courses.
- All courses taken to fulfill the Liberal Arts requirement (courses or codes) must be satisfied by taking courses post-matriculation.
- Any course taken to satisfy the Liberal Arts requirement must be taken on a graded basis, unless the course is only offered on a selective Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading basis. For courses only offered on an S/U grading basis, up to two such S/U-only courses may contribute (course and/or code) to the Liberal Arts requirement
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Class of 2014 and later: complete one of the following NS courses:
Course Number Course Title BIOLOGY 201DL Gateway to Biology: Molecular Biology BIOLOGY 308A/309A Oceans in Human and Environmental Health ECS/EOS 101 The Dynamic Earth ECS/EOS 103 Climate Change for Future Leaders ECS/EOS 201L The Solid Earth: Minerals, Rocks, and Structural Geology ECS/EOS 202 Ocean and Atmospheric Dynamics ECS/EOS 220 Water Sciences MARSCI 204/204A Integrative Oceanography Important Note
- BIOLOGY 20 (AP credit) may be used to satisfy this requirement
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The E&AS requirement can be satisfied in one of two ways:
Option 1
Complete one of the following courses:
Course Number Course Title BME 253L Biomedical Electronic Measurements I BME 307 Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems CEE 560 Environmental Transport Phenomena CEE 581 Pollutant Transport Systems COMPSCI 201 Data Structures and Algorithms ECE 110L Fundamentals of Electrical & Computer Engineering ECE 311 Thermal Physics EGR 224L Electrical Fundamentals of Mechatronics ME 221L Structure & Properties of Solids ME 331L Thermodynamics PHYSICS 271L Electronics Option 2
Structural Engineering & Mechanics (S/M) Track
Complete one of:
- CEE 461L Environmental Aquatic Chemistry
- CEE 462L Applied Biological Principles & Processes in Environmental Engineering
- CEE 463L Water Resources Engineering
Environmental Engineering & Water Resources (E/W) Track
Complete one of:
- CEE 421L Matrix Structural Analysis
- CEE 422L Concrete & Composite Structures
- CEE 423L Metallic Structures
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Two (2) electives. These are unrestricted with the exception that at most 1.0 units of physical education activity and at most 1.0 units of music activity can be used to meet Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) requirements.
Important Note
House courses cannot be used.
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Students may exceed the minimum of 34 units required for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree. This may be accomplished via AP credits, overloading and/or summer courses at Duke or elsewhere.
