Undergraduate Technical Electives & Streams
Technical Electives
Civil Engineering students are required to take a minimum of five technical elective courses from the approved course list. Please refer to the 'Civil Technical Elective Course List' document for further details.
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Technical elective course offerings vary from year to year and may have limited enrolment
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Most technical electives are offered on a two-year rotation. Check current course schedules on the Civil Engineering website and Aurora Schedule for details.
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Students are encouraged to discuss their program with members of the academic staff to obtain advice regarding the best choice of electives for their needs.
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Information regarding individual course content is posted in UM Learn in the "Civil UG Advising" course
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Streams
Students interested in pursuing more focused studies in a Civil Engineering research area have the choice of doing so through one of the four recognized Streams.
Read more about the four Streams below and use the 'Civil Technical Electives by Stream' document to assist you in choosing technical electives if you wish to pursue a Stream.
Environmental and Water Resources Stream (EW)
The Environmental and Water Resources Stream focuses on environmental engineering topics (water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management) and/or water resources engineering topics (water distribution, land drainage systems, wastewater systems, watershed processes, water resources management, groundwater). Students will acquire fundamental knowledge and practical skills in analysis and design of environmental and water resources infrastructure, computing, and modelling in preparation for a successful career in environmental and water resources engineering.
Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Stream (GEO)
The Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Stream focuses on analysis and design aspects of engineering projects that come in contact with the earth. This includes shallow and deep foundations, earth retaining structures, road and railway construction, instabilities of hillsides and riverbanks, and engineered slopes for earth dams, highway cuts, embankments, and dikes for flood protection. The Stream also covers topics such as geo-environmental engineering, geological engineering, rock mechanics, mining engineering, geosynthetics, ground improvement, hydrogeology, and engineering in cold regions. Students will acquire fundamental knowledge and practical skills in analysis, design, laboratory studies, and field exploration in preparation for a successful career in geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering.
Structures and Construction Stream (SC)
The Structures and Construction Stream focuses on fundamental theories of structural analysis and design, materials science, construction management, and process analysis through building information modeling and virtual design practices for sustainable civil infrastructure. Students will acquire fundamental knowledge and practical skills in structural analysis and design, construction materials, and construction management technologies in preparation for a successful career in structural and construction engineering.
Transportation Stream (TR)
The Transportation Stream focuses on the planning, design, operation, and management of transportation systems and facilities such as roads, active transportation networks, railroads, and airports. This Stream offers foundational and design courses in transportation planning, geometric design, traffic engineering, road safety, performance of transportation systems, transportation sustainability, pavement engineering, bridge engineering, and infrastructure asset management. Students will acquire fundamental knowledge and practical skills in analysis, design, statistics, and modelling in preparation for a successful career in transportation engineering.
Declaring your Stream
Streams are optional, students wanting to pursue a more general degree do not need to declare a Stream. Students may declare a Stream after completing the fall semester of their fourth year by completing the 'Civil Engineering Stream Declaration Form'. Once submitted, requirements for the various Streams will be assessed at time of graduation by your student advisor. Students will receive a Stream notation on their transcript if all requirements have been completed.
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- Specific technical elective courses are required if students wish to pursue a Stream. For more information about Stream requirements, please refer to the Civil Engineering Technical Electives Course List document or the Civil Engineering Technical Electives by Steams document.
- Courses taken towards a Stream take the place of the Technical Electives required in the Civil Engineering program.
- Students may only complete one Stream.
- Students may declare a Stream after completing the fall term of their fourth year. The declaration is not binding.
- Requirements for the various Streams will be assessed at time of graduation. Students will receive a Stream notation on their transcript if all requirements have been completed.
- Streams are optional. Students wanting to pursue a more general degree may choose technical electives from a variety of research areas from the approved technical elective list.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a number of common questions that come up during initial course registration or revision. While the Civil Engineering Office Staff are available to answer your questions and help you when you encounter difficulties, the volume of emails receive can be high during peak registration periods. Therefore, we encourage you to first look at the following collection of frequently asked questions, and contact us if you are unable to find the answers you need in the materials covered here.
Why should I declare a Stream?
Streams allow students a greater ability to direct their program toward their area of interest. It will also give potential employers an understanding of the graduate's extent of training and career aspirations.
How will potential employers and others know that I completed a Stream?
Students that complete all requirements of a Stream will have the Stream designation noted on their transcript.
Do I have to declare a Stream?
No. Streams are optional.
Students may choose technical electives from various areas on the approved course list and graduate with a general Civil Engineering degree.
When do I need to declare that I’m pursuing a Stream?
Students may declare a Stream after completing the fall term of their fourth year and until the end of the revision period of their final academic term.
How do I declare a Stream?
Complete the Stream Declaration form:
May I complete more than one Stream?
No. Students may only complete one Stream.
I’ve changed my mind. I declared a Stream and I no longer want to pursue this Stream. Is that ok?
Yes. If you no longer wish to pursue a declared Stream, please notify the Civil Office by emailing: ce_undergrad@umanitoba.ca. Please include your full name, student number and the name of the Stream that you are no longer pursuing.
How do I know which technical electives I should take?
- If you are interested in completing a Stream, choose technical electives from the list of approved technical electives for your Stream of choice.
- Talk to your professors about the different technical elective options.
- Attend the Technical Elective Information Session held annually each March.
- Review the technical elective course presentations posted in UM Learn in the Civil UG Advising course.
How do I know when a technical elective course will be offered?
Most technical elective courses are offered every two years. Check the Civil Timetable on the Civil Undergraduate Advising website and the Aurora schedule for current course offerings.
At this time, CIVL 3710 – Finite Element Analysis is the only course being offered annually every fall term (subject to change).
Can other courses not on the approved technical elective list be used to fulfill technical elective requirements?
No.
Only courses on the approved list of technical electives can be used to fulfill a technical elective requirement.
Can I take more than five technical elective courses?
Yes.
The minimum requirement for the Civil Engineering degree is five technical elective courses, but students may take additional technical elective courses prior to graduation.
How many technical electives do I need to take from List B?
You may take up to two technical elective courses from List B, but all five of your technical electives can be from List A.
How many technical elective courses may I take that are offered outside the Civil Engineering department (i.e., the course subject code is not CIVL, but rather BIOE, for example)?
One technical elective course can be outside Civil Engineering, but all five of your technical electives can be CIVL courses.
I already took a technical elective course offered under number CIVL 4500 T0X. Can I register in another CIVL 4500 course with a different course topic?
Yes.
Students may register in different sections of CIVL 4500. If you have already completed a CIVL 4500 course, you will need a registration override to register in another section of CIVL 4500. Please email ce_undergrad@umanitoba.ca to request an override. Please include your full name, student number and the section number of CIVL 4500 you want to register in.
I still have questions. What should I do?
Students are always welcome to contact the Civil Undergraduate Advisor with any questions or concerns
Contact Us
Pat Fedirchuk (she/her)
Civil Undergraduate Advisor
Room E1-368A EITC
15 Gillson Road
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V6 Canada
204-474-6251