Alignment of Civil Engineering Programs with the ASCE Body of Knowledge

Abstract

The American Society of Civil Engineer’s Body of Knowledge versions 2 and 3 (BOK2 and BOK3) explicitly describe the knowledge expected in each category (outcome) of those entering the civil engineering profession. The goal of this study was to determine the extent that the BOK2 and BOK3 outcomes align with undergraduate civil engineering program content. Data were gathered from a representative sample of civil engineering program curriculums in the 2017–2018 academic year and mapped to the BOK2 and BOK3 outcomes using three different methods. The results reveal the average civil engineering program has dedicated, required courses that cover 67% of the BOK2 and 69% of the BOK3 outcomes. When including elective and survey courses that cover multiple outcomes, coverage increased to 95% of the BOK2 outcomes and 91% of the BOK3 outcomes. About 31% of the programs met all of the BOK2 outcomes and 6% met the BOK3 outcomes. Civil engineering programs offer courses that cover the majority of the BOK2 and BOK3 outcomes, but because of the flexibility in curriculums, some programs cover as few as 75% of the outcomes. Outcomes that were most often not met include mathematics (numerical methods), sustainability, business and public administration, globalization, and engineering economics. As undergraduate programs continue to evolve, undergraduate program administrators should consider mapping their required and elective course offerings to the BOK3 outcomes. Based on the results of this study, most programs cover the majority of the outcomes, but still have gaps in coverage. A comparison of BOK3 outcomes using Method 2 and Method 3 in this study would help identify program content that may be missing and overlooked in undergraduate programs.