2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Does the Math Add Up in the Civil Engineering Curriculum?

Presented at ASCE CEBOK Updates and Applications

The civil engineering profession continues to review math preparation of engineering students, considering knowledge and skills necessary for continued academic and professional success while also being sensitive to concerns about math courses serving as a deterrent for some students. The Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge, 3rd Edition, (CEBOK3) includes mathematics as one among 21 “foundational, technical, and professional practice learning outcomes for individuals entering the professional practice of civil engineering” [1]. Mathematics requirements are specified within ABET General Criteria and the Civil Engineering Program Criteria.

A Task Committee formed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is currently reviewing and updating the CEBOK3. A recently distributed but unpublished report generated by the ASCE Task Committee on Transforming our Workforce (TCTOW) [2] included a series of recommended action items intended to transform the modern civil engineering workforce. It is implied that if those recommendations were addressed there would be a resulting increase in the number of engineers entering into the profession of civil engineering, as well as increased retention of members within the profession. One of the thirteen recommended actions included strong advocacy for a review of existing mathematics and basic science requirements within the civil engineering undergraduate degree. Both the review of the CEBOK3 and the recommendations from the TCTOW motivated the present study.

Members of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge Task Committee (CEBOKTC) engaged in a study to evaluate the mathematics requirements in ABET accredited civil engineering programs. The objectives of this paper are to:

• Characterize mathematics requirements specified in the TCTOW report, ABET criteria, and the CEBOK3,
• Quantify mathematics requirements in ABET accredited civil engineering programs,

To address these objectives, the authors reviewed recent literature, conducted an in-depth study of mathematics requirements among 281 ABET accredited civil engineering programs, and considered TCTOW requirements in light of ABET criteria and civil engineering curricula.

Authors

Dr. Brock E. Barry P.E. United States Military Academy [biography]

Dr. Brock E. Barry, P.E. is Professor of Engineering Education in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.
Ms. Leslie Nolen American Society of Civil Engineers [biography]

Leslie Nolen, CAE, serves as director, educational activities for the American Society of Civil Engineers. She brings over 20 years of association management experience to her work with ASCE's Committee on Education on issues of importance to the undergraduate education of civil engineers.
Dr. Camilla M. Saviz P.E. University of the Pacific [biography]

Camilla Saviz is Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering at the University of the Pacific. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University, an M.B.A. from the New York Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis. She is a registered engineer in California.
Dr. Jennifer Retherford P.E. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville [biography]

Dr. Retherford is an alumna of the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and received her graduate degrees from Vanderbilt University. She currently teaches a variety of courses supporting the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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