Our Mission
The mission of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Rice University is to educate the civil and environmental engineering leaders of tomorrow and contribute to solving societal challenges through discovery and innovation.
Our Values
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A supportive and inclusive learning community that cultivates connection, creativity, and encourage student success during and after their time at Rice.
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A student-centered approach that nurtures students’ learning, technical skills, critical thinking, social conscientiousness, leadership, and innovation.
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An active and engaged faculty who value being supportive teacher-mentors for our students and innovative researchers working to create cities of the future.
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A community-centered approach that strengthens the connections between our students, faculty, alumni, industry professionals, and the Houston community.
Our Program
Our curriculum is centered around four areas of specialization
- Environmental engineering
- Hydrology and water resources
- Structural engineering and mechanics
- Urban infrastructure and management
We offer the following degrees:
- PhD
- Master of Science
- Professional Master's Program
- BS in Civil Engineering (ABET-accredited program)
- BS in Environmental Engineering
- BA with a Major in Civil or Environmental Engineering
Learn more about our academics and degree programs.
- Student engagement outside of the classroom, and the opportunity to be engaged with peers and the broader community is highly encouraged to help students learn more about their world and develop who they are outside of academia.
- Rice offers student chapters of national organizations such as ASCE, NSBE, SWE, Engineers Without Borders, and Chi Epsilon.
Our Research
Research in civil and environmental engineering at Rice is broad and interdisciplinary. We believe that the best solutions come from unconventional collaborations - across disciplines, across departments, and across the spectrum of science and humanities.
Our faculty are highly productive and well-known worldwide. In fact, our faculty rank among the top 10 most productive in the United States* among all civil engineering and all environmental engineering Ph.D. programs, as shown by the number of publications and accolades attributed to them, as well as the amount of funding they receive.
*Based on Academic Analytics Scholarly Research Index (SRI) as of AAD2016, March 27, 2018.
Our 2023-2028 Strategic Plan
The strategic plan for the Civil and Environmental Engineering department is rooted in the values of Rice University of responsibility, integrity, community, and excellence, as well as the George R. Brown School of Engineering’s mission to cultivate a sense of social responsibility through preserving our environment, ethical engineering practices, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Here is the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.