Public Works Engineering
National attention is being focused on the deterioration of the civil engineering infra-structure bridges, roads, waterlines, public buildings. Urban areas are undergoing continual growth, requiring innovative responses to air pollution, disposal of waste products, flood control, and suburban traffic growth. A public works engineer is trained as a broad-based civil engineer able to confront the diversity of public issues facing the modern American city.
The Public Works graduate program at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is tailored to students in a traditional academic setting as well as to practicing professionals interested in continuing education. Some opportunities will be provided to permit you to integrate your academic studies with an internship program with local municipalities and consulting companies. Practicing engineers may have access to academic courses through video offerings at selected off-campus centers at The University of Tennessee.
The Graduate Program
There are four components in the Public Works program: 1. Core Course Requirements; 2. Engineering Focus; 3. Non-Engineering Focus; and 4. Non-Thesis Option.
The core course requirements provide the student with the basic tools needed by the public works engineer. The 18 semester hours cover urban water management, solid waste recover, traffic engineering, design of urban freeways and city streets, construction estimating, and urban systems as related to engineering management.
The following graduate degrees are available in Public Works Engineering:
- Master of Science in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Public Works.
- Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Public Works.
CORE COURSES
CE 551 Traffic Engineering-Chatacteristics (3) Driver, vehicle, and roadway systems; traffic flow modeling; elements of transportatin/highway safety. Prereq: Graduate standing.
CE 510 Urban System: Engineering and Management (3) Various urban systems usually under responsibility of city manager and/or city engineer: streets, lighting, water, sewerage, refuse collection. Personnel management, finance, planning and public relations. Prereq: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.
CE 543 Construction Estimating (3) Project costs, estimating and takeoff techniques, market cost conditions, and feasibility of design to cost. Prereq: Construction Methods and Equipment.
CE 553 Geometric Design and Layout of Roadways and Community Facilities (3) Functional and geometric design and rural and urban roads of all classes; subdivision layout; configuration of urban roads of all classes; techniques for access control; freeway interchanges and street intersections; and parking. Prereq: Civil Engineering 451 or consent of instructor.
ENV 530 Urban Hydrology and Stormwater Engineering (3) Planning, design modeling, management and maintenance of urban stormwater systems. Theory and application of hydrologic and hydraulic principles to design of stormwater management systems; deisgn of inlet structures, conveyance systems, detention/retention basins and appurtenances, and selected best management practices (BMP's); evaluation of land-use changes of runoff quantity and quality; review, selection and application of contemporary computer models. Prereq: Civil Engineering 390 , and Civil Engineering 395 .
*ENV 551 Physicochemical Unit Processes (3) Theory and design application in water and wastewater treatment. Prereq: Civil Engineering 380 , and Civil Engineering 390.
*ENV 555 Solid Waste Management (3) Magnitude and characteristics of solid waste problems; collection systems; design of disposal systems: landfill, incineration, and composting, design of resource recovery systems; current and future regulations. Prereq: Senior standing. Prereq: Senior standing.
*Only one (ENV 551 or ENV 555) of these may be taken to satisfy core requirements, however the other may be used as an elective.
Engineering Focus
The engineering focus affords you the opportunity to tailor the course content to an area of specialized technical interest. You will take 6 semester hours in Structural Engineering. Geotechnical and Materials Engineering, Construction Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Environmental Engineering and selected Industrial Engineering courses. Additional instruction in areas of interest to you are provided as well as courses forming a basis for the non-thesis option of the program. These courses should be selected in consultation with and have the approval of the Public Works Committee.
Non-Engineering Focus
The non-engineering focus allows you to broaden your program by providing 6 hours of additional instruction in areas such as management, resource allocation, finance, and planning. The municipal planner with respect to engineering projects. The courses for this focus must meet the approval of the Public Works Committee.
Non-Thesis Option
The non-thesis option gives you the opportunity to prepare a keystone technical paper providing the solution to an engineering problem selected from your area of study in the engineering focus. You will work with a technical committee to select this topic and will take a required oral and written exam.
For more information on the Public Works Program contact Dr. Richard Bennett at 865-974-2503 or e-mail rmbennett@utk.edu