Construction Engineering

BACHELOR IN SCIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING (CNST)

Admissions Requirements  |  Prerequisites  |  Curriculum Check Sheet

Program Educational Objective and Student Outcomes

The expected attainments of our B.S. CNST graduates are:

  1. Graduates will practice construction engineering in the private and public sectors in Hawaii, the Asia/Pacific region, and elsewhere.
  2. Graduates will have obtained technical and non-technical knowledge/skills that contribute to personal and employer success, and benefit the communities they serve.
  3. Graduates will recognize conflicts and adhere to professional ethical standards.
  4. Graduates will apply sustainability principles in their construction engineering projects and designs.
  5. Graduates will continue their professional development, and aim for professional licensure and advanced degrees.

 

B.S. in CNST Degree

Our undergraduate program, leading to the Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Degree (B.S.CNST), is collecting the data necessary in order to apply to be accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org in 2021.  The B.S.CNST degree requires at least 124 credit hours of course work and it is designed to be completed in eight semesters.  The curriculum provides a broad-based background of fundamentals, including humanities and social sciences, basic sciences, mathematics, and engineering construction.  Course requirements also include 57 credit hours of civil and construction engineering courses from the following areas: applied mechanics, structural analysis, hydraulics, surveying, transportation, soil mechanics, and construction engineering.  The undergraduate experience culminates in a senior capstone course in which students apply the knowledge they have gained throughout their undergraduate coursework toward the planning and design of a comprehensive construction project.

There are three basic components to the undergraduate program:

  1. The University-wide General Education Core and Graduation requirements, which are usually substantially completed during the first two years of the University experience.
  2. The College of Engineering requirements; and,
  3. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering requirements.  These are discussed below.  Courses to be taken for the B.S.CNST program, which satisfy the above requirements, are listed in the CNST Curriculum Check Sheet

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all registered credit hours and a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all upper division courses (numbered 300-499) in mathematics, science, and engineering.

The student learning outcomes (SLOs), also known as program outcomes, describe a skill set that students are expected to have at the time of graduation. The SLOs are:

    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 for public health and safety, and global, cultural, social, environmental, economic, and other factors as appropriate to the discipline.
    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 contexts.
    5. An ability to function effectively as a member or leader of a team that establishes goals, plans tasks, meets deadlines, and creates a collaborative and inclusive environment.
    6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
    7. An ability to recognize the ongoing need to acquire new knowledge, to choose appropriate learning strategies, and to apply this knowledge.

The SLOs are mapped to the core courses here. The SLOs correspondence to institutional learning outcomes (ILOs) is here.

Advising

Advising is an important element of the undergraduate program.  All students are assigned an advisor prior to their first semester.  Students must receive approval of their program of courses prior to registration each semester and will not be able to register without it.  Such advising takes place during the prior semester (for continuing students); the advising period will be listed on this web site and posted throughout Holmes Hall prior to advising week.

The CNST Curriculum Check Sheet is the basis for determining each student’s progression toward their degree.

Advanced Placement Examination

Advanced placement examinations are administered in high schools by the Educational Testing Service for the College Entrance Examination Board for students who have completed specific college-level courses in high school.  For the University’s credit policy, students should consult the Admissions and Records Office or the College of Engineering Assistant Dean for Student Services.

Credit by Examination

Students who wish credit by examination for basic courses in calculus, general biology, general chemistry, economics, English literature, psychology, and sociology should consult the Counseling and Student Development Center. Students apply to the center, pay the fee, and take the corresponding general or subject examination under the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).  A satisfactory score on these examinations, as determined by the Department, yields course credit.  However, students wishing CLEP general examination credit must take the exam before they have completed 24 credit hours of college-level work.

General Education Core and Graduation Requirements

General Education requirements are designed to help students acquire knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking that provide a foundation for lifelong learning.  The UH Mānoa requirements reflect the unique resources of UH Mānoa:  the depth of its Hawaiian assets and the breadth of its multiculturalism.  The General Education curriculum gives students a global sense of human diversity while paying special attention to the heritages of Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and Asia.  Graduation Requirements identify additional skills and discourses necessary for living and working in diverse communities.

Core Requirements

Foundation requirements:
Written Communication (FW): 3 credits
Symbolic Reasoning (FS): 3 credits
Global and Multicultural Perspectives (FG): 2 courses, 6 credits

Diversification requirements:
Arts, Humanities, and Literatures (DA, DH, DL): 6 credits
Natural Sciences (DB, DP, DY): 7 credits
Social Sciences (DS): 6 credits

Graduation Requirements

Focus requirements:
Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Issues (H): 1 course
Contemporary Ethical Issues (E): 1 course
Oral Communication (O): 1 course
Writing Intensive (W): 5 courses, including 2 numbered 300 and above

Hawaiian language or second language requirements: None for College of Engineering students

For qualifying courses and additional information refer to both the UH Mānoa catalog and the CNST Curriculum Check Sheet .

Department and College Requirements

Students must complete specific civil and construction engineering courses and non-CNST courses as listed on the CNST Curriculum Check Sheet corresponding to the year in which they are admitted to the program.  That sheet also lists additional details about the program of courses to be followed. Most courses have prerequisites that have to be completed before enrollment. These are listed in the catalog of courses.  Important requirements include the following:

C grade or better is required for PHYS 170.

C grade or better within two attempts is required for CEE 270.

C grade or better is required for CEE 370.

Must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all registered credit hours.

Must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all upper division courses (numbered 300-400) in mathematics, science and engineering  Academic probation, suspension, and dismissal.

Must take one Technical Elective in Sustainability (TES) course from the course options listed on the check sheet.

Back To Top