Survey Of Engineering Mechanics In Civil Engineering Curricula

Newtonian mechanics provides most of the core concepts that enable civil engineering students to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Villanova University is investigating how to better present material in the core mechanics courses to better meet the educational needs of the students and improve learning. The core sequence in mechanics at Villanova University consists of five courses: Statics/Dynamics, Mechanics of Solids, Civil Engineering Materials, Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. To determine the current state of practice in mechanics education, the authors conducted a survey of civil engineering mechanics curricula at fifty universities. Civil engineering curricula present mechanics in a variety of courses and formats; the survey evaluated format (e.g. lecture, laboratory, recitation, or workshop), total credits in the curriculum, total credits devoted to mechanics courses, lecture hours, laboratory hours, whether the courses were required or elective, administrating department and the school’s classification and profile. Additionally innovative practices and combined courses were noted. Survey information was acquired via the school’s respective web sites to develop a database on engineering mechanics. The survey results show that while the mechanics courses and sequencing are generally similar, there exists some variation among programs. This paper presents the detailed results of the survey and describes the major similarities and differences identified. Innovative and unique practices among the programs surveyed are identified, and recommendations are provided to initiate mechanics curricula change.