Comparison Of Civil Engineering Curriculum At The University Of Florida And The National University Of Science And Technology, Pakistan

This paper compares Civil Engineering Education curriculum at the University of Florida (UF) with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Pakistan. A review of courses from each school is presented to understand the Civil Engineering curriculum structure at two institutions. Each school aims at disseminating the most effective engineering education, by coordinating technological/scientific areas of national, economical and social interests of the country. Civil Engineering education at UF primarily focuses on technical excellence, communication skills, and a well-rounded general and interdisciplinary education. In comparison, NUST focuses on balanced distribution of theoretical knowledge, practical and fieldwork to address real life civil engineering projects. The major curriculum of each school differs based on their socio-economical characteristics, national and industrial needs, and the availability of natural resources. Although the overall curriculum structure may appear different but the basic underlying objective of academic syllabus is the same. This common objective is basically the result of increasing global nature of Civil Engineering education. Undoubtedly, the future of Civil Engineering education strives on the balance of ideas from global perspectives. Thus concluding the paper, it aims at promoting, stimulating and broadening the dialogue among the engineering students, engineering faculty and university administration to develop additional curricular mechanisms through which the two universities can produce the next generation of Civil Engineering graduates.