Suggested Topics for a Civil Engineering Curriculum in Infrastructure Management

Public works and infrastructure management have always been the primary domain of civil engineers. In recent decades, however, the role of the civil engineer in this field seems to have been decreasing in importance, with increasing emphasis being placed on administrative skills, management experience, and political savvy over technical expertise. If civil engineers want to regain a prominent position in the planning and management of public works, a new curriculum must be developed and implemented. This curriculum should provide students with a basic knowledge and understanding of (a) mathematics and basic science; (b) engineering science; (c) technical aspects of infrastructure systems; (d) decision analysis in the face of uncertainty; (e) management and business principles; (f) societal needs, ethics, public policy, and political science; and (g) communication skills. Furthermore, faculty members need to be exposed to practical problems so that they can bring back that experience into the classroom. A broad-based undergraduate degree should be followed with a more specialized master’s-level degree for civil engineering practice at a professional level.