Rethinking Capstone Courses in Civil Engineering: A Response to ABET 2003-2004 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs

ABET 2003-2004 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs (ABET, 1) requires that all engineering students participate in a "Major Design Experience" based on prior course work, engineering standards, and realistic constraints. Some schools are attempting to satisfy this criterion within the context of conventional junior and senior level design classes (e.g., concrete, steel, and environmental design), while other programs are electing to provide a Capstone Course focused largely on accomplishing objectives listed in ABET Criterion 4. This paper presents results of a survey aimed at determining how different schools are addressing ABET capstone criteria within their curriculum. Only civil engineering programs located in the southeastern United States were asked to participate in the survey. Project types, instructional approaches, teaching methods, organization of student teams, assessment of individual student effort, and involvement of practicing professionals are tabulated, discussed, and compared. Criteria definitions formulated by faculty at The Citadel for ABET terms such as economic, environmental, sustainability, manufacturability, ethical, health and safety, social, and political are presented. Improvements and curriculum changes adopted for existing capstone courses in structural engineering, subdivisions, transportation engineering, and environmental engineering as a result of this assessment are presented and discussed.