Undergraduate Resources for CEE Students

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Honors Program

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Honors Program gives highly motivated engineering students the chance to develop undergraduate degree programs that reflect their particular interests – many of these students go on to graduate school. Working closely with a CEE faculty advisor, Honors Program students choose a research area and complete an Honors thesis, usually during their senior year.

Check out previous CEE Honors Program Theses in PDX Scholar!

Honors Program Admission Requirements

• Completion of CEE Honors Program application form; 

• Completion of a minimum of 90 credit hours; 

• Completion of courses required for admission to the BSCE or BSENVE Program; 

• Minimum PSU GPA of 3.5.

Interested students should apply by Spring quarter of the junior year but no later than the beginning of their senior year.

Upon acceptance into the Honors Program, the student will declare one of the following areas of interest within CEE for his/her research topic: Environmental/Water Resources, Geotechnical, Structural, or Transportation. The CEE Chair, in consultation with faculty, will assign the student an Honors advisor. The advisor will work with the student to complete a written proposal for the Honors thesis research. Honors theses will follow ASCE document guidelines for style and formatting. CEE students who meet Honors Program requirements will graduate with Honors and will receive special recognition on their diploma.

Honors Program Graduation Requirements

• Completion of a written honors thesis in conjunction with a faculty advisor with a minimum grade of B+; 

• Presentation of research to CEE faculty/students in seminar format; 

• PSU GPA above 3.5.

• To earn Department Honors on your diploma, you must return the CEE Department Honors Thesis Approval Form to the CEE Department when your thesis is complete.

  • Alert the CEE Department in your last term, so that Department Honors can be noted on your diploma.

• Students will upload their thesis to PDXScholar once the final report is approved by the Honors Advisor.

Note: The Honors thesis will count as a BSCE or BSENVE elective in the senior year: CE 403, Honors Thesis, 4 credit hours.

Internship Course for Credit

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam Information

What is the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam?

The FE exam is the first step in the process leading to the P.E. license.  The exam is created by NCEES (the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying) and is now a computer-based multiple-choice test (CBT). The Computer-Based Tests are proctored by Pearson VUE testing centers.

You can read more about the FE exam on the NCEES website, including FAQs and videos.  Familiarize yourself with the NCEES calculator policy before the exam so you can be ready when the day arrives!

All applications are now serviced directly through the NCEES website.

When does CEE recommend you take the FE exam?

Registration for the FE Exam is available year-round. Students can take the exam prior to graduating. CEE recommends scheduling the exam in between the last quarter of your senior year to 6 months after your graduation.  

Students should consider the best timing to take the exam for their individual situation. As with any exam, you will need some time to review and prepare and become familiar with the exam format.  You should consider your strength of knowledge base in the core (math, chemistry, physics, economics, statistics) and degree-specific (structural, environmental, geotechnical, transportation) materials, anticipated graduation date, and when you will have time and resources to study and prepare when scheduling an exam date. 

Tips for Preparation

The CEE Department has an excellent pass rate for current students sitting for the FE Exam. Historically, our students are well-prepared and pass the exam on the first attempt well above the national average (+15%).

The coursework and studying required for your degree are designed to prepare you for your career, which includes passing the FE Exam.  There are numerous resources for study materials, as well as on-line review courses. NCEES offers online practice exams, and it is recommended that you become familiar with the FE Reference Handbook prior to taking the exam. 

CEE Upper Division Policies

Updated policies go into effect starting Fall 2026. All admitted students are expected to know and understand the policies and procedures of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) as described in the PSU Bulletin or published on our website. The following is a summary of the most relevant policies. 

Prerequisite Courses

All prerequisite courses must be passed before taking subsequent courses. Passing grades are “C” or higher for lower division (100-200) and “C-” or higher for upper division prerequisites (300-400)1. Students registered for a course for which they did not pass the prerequisite in the prior term are required to drop the course. CEE reserves the right to administratively drop students at any time from all CE, ENVE, or EAS courses for which they lack the prerequisites.
1”P” grades from Spring 2020 through Spring 2021 will satisfy degree and prerequisite requirements. More information on “P/NP” grades can be found on the Registrar's website.

Continuation Criteria

Students in the Upper Division program are expected to make satisfactory progress toward their declared degree (BSCE or BSENVE).

 Satisfactory progress is defined as:

1. The term GPA in all courses taken at PSU must be 2.33 or higher; and

2. Completion of 12 credits toward the degree in an academic year. The credit count includes both major and general studies requirements.

Students failing to meet (1) or (2) of the progress criteria will be placed on probation and will be required to meet with an academic advisor to discuss their course plan before they will be able to register for courses following their probation term. For students placed on modified course plans, satisfactory progress criteria (2) may be modified to reflect an agreed upon reduced course load . 

Students will be suspended from the degree program if:

1. The student is placed on probation for two consecutive terms OR for a total of three terms; or

2. The student has not passed a CEE Department course for three consecutive terms.

Students who are suspended will not be allowed to take courses in the civil or environmental engineering programs for one term following suspension. Summer term is included in this calculation. Students who wish to be readmitted to the program need to schedule and attend an advising session with the Department Chair or designee. If readmitted, the suspended student will be given a modified course plan with clear continuation criteria that may exceed the pre-suspension satisfactory progress (continuation criteria) listed above. Failure to meet the revised continuation criteria following the first suspension may result in permanent suspension from the academic program.

Graduation GPA

The student’s cumulative PSU GPA must be 2.33 or higher to graduate from the BSCE or BSENVE program.

Calculators 

A FE approved calculator is required for all core undergraduate courses in CEE. The list of approved calculators may be found at National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) website.

Professionalism and Conduct

CEE expects professional and ethical behavior from students in their interactions with faculty, staff, and other students. CEE defines this behavior through the ASCE Code of Ethics, which requires engineers to hold safety paramount, serve with competence, issue true statements, act as a faithful agent, build reputation by merit, uphold professional honor, seek continued professional development, and to treat all persons fairly.

In addition, academic integrity is essential to maintaining fair, knowledge-based learning at Portland State University. Academic misconduct, such as cheating, plagiarism, copying other students' work, or assisting others in dishonest conduct, undermines trust within the academic community and devalues degrees. The Student Code of Conduct is the university’s policy on academic misconduct. It is CEE Department policy that all suspected violations be referred to the Student Conduct Office for disciplinary action. University policy provides the faculty with the authority to assign a failing grade for the assignment or exam in question. This determination is at the discretion of the faculty and is separate from the Student Conduct process. This policy is non-negotiable. If you have questions about what constitutes academic misconduct, please contact your instructor or consult the Student Conduct Office.