Civil Engineering
The Civil Engineering career trains professionals with high scientific and technological knowledge; with the ability to design, build, supervise and operate Hydraulic, Sanitary-Environmental, Structural, Geotechnical, Roads, and Civil Construction projects, and maintaining a notable sense of social, ethical, economic and environmental responsibility.
Mission
Train competent professionals, with entrepreneurship and leadership capacity in the development of projects related to the design, construction, inspection, and operation of infrastructure, and scientific research in the areas of Civil Engineering. Generate, adapt and transfer knowledge related to Civil Engineering; and carry out technological innovation for the benefit of society. Provide sufficient criteria and knowledge to propose feasible solutions, considering the ethical, moral, social, economic, and respecting the environment.
Career Axes
The Civil Engineering career trains professionals with knowledge of basic, general, professional and specific sciences to design, build, supervise, operate and maintain processes, systems, experiments, or components related to engineering projects.
Civil Engineering in the Hydraulic, Sanitary-Environmental, Structural, Geotechnical, Roads, and Civil Construction axes of buildings; that contribute to the exploitation and optimization of the use of natural and economic resources, understanding the impact of the solutions provided in the ethical, environmental, social and global context; with continuous learning, high bilingual communication skills, use of modern techniques, and the ability to lead and undertake Civil Engineering projects for the benefit of society.
International Accreditation
The Civil Engineering degree program is accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission and the European seal of international quality in engineering EUR-ACE.
* Undergraduate tuition/fees:
The Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador in its Article 356, among other principles, establishes that third-level public higher education will be tuition/fees free. Zero cost education is linked to the academic responsibility of the students.
Number of admitted students per academic year
Number of graduates per year
Number of enrolled students per academic year
Graphs show the figures in real time, at the time of the query
Before 1986, the Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences was called the Department of Geology, Mines and Petroleum, IGMP (existing since 1964 as such, and since 1959 as the Department of Mines). In 1977 the Geotechnical Engineering career was created, the same one that replaced, including a new curriculum, the career called Geological Engineering, orientation towards Civil Works. Previously, ESPOL had sent scholarship holders, both to Europe and to the United States of North America, to specialize in Geotechnics, a domain that is little known in the country.
The Geotechnical Engineers who began graduating in 1983 had special training in the fields of Soil Mechanics, Rock Mechanics, Construction Materials, Analog and Numerical Models, and Geohydrology. However, these professionals were not able to enroll in the College of Civil Engineers and thus became part of the College of Mining and Petroleum Geology Engineers.
This situation motivated the directors of the Mining and Petroleum Geology Department to initially propose two changes: first, to transform the IGMP Department into the Earth Sciences Engineering Faculty (FICT) in 1987. On the other, to analyze and study a profound change in the Geotechnical Engineering curriculum in order to expand it towards one of Civil Engineering, taking into account previous recommendations suggested by the Polytechnic Council, based on the ESPOL-BID II project, and the needs of the national labor market at that time.
After the corresponding work and by resolution of the Polytechnic Council of May 9, 1989 (CP-89-5-058), the Civil Engineering career was established in the specialties of Geotechnics and Hydraulics. In addition, it was arranged that the Geotechnics branch work in the ICT Faculty, while the Hydraulics branch, in the Aquaculture and Marine Sciences Faculty. For this purpose, a new group of professors was convened. The initial objective of the ICT Faculty was to allow students, graduates and even geotechnical engineers to take the missing subjects to become graduates of Civil Engineering. This is how the first professionals of the career graduated.
In view of the fact that there were no enrollments of Civil Engineering students in the Faculty of Aquaculture and Marine Sciences, the Course began to be taught, from the mid-90s, only in the Faculty of Earth Sciences Engineering and was generated a unique curriculum of the Career, with the possibility that graduates obtain specializations in Geotechnics, Road Works, Hydraulics, Structures, Sanitary, and Construction. At the same time, ESPOL signed an agreement with the Concrete Technical Center (then La Cemento Nacional, today HOLCIM), so that Civil Engineering students could carry out practices in the subjects of Concrete Technology, Special Concrete, and Similar.
With this new proposal, and following the trend of the construction market (growing at the end of the 90s and after the year 2000), the population of the major gradually increased, from 30 students in the mid-1990s, around 70 until 2004, up to more than 500 students at the moment.
In the Civil Engineering career we look for proactive, creative, analytical students, with a critical spirit, with basic knowledge of experimental sciences and interested in the areas of physics, mathematics and construction; as well as in designing, planning, managing and executing civil works projects.
At the end of their studies at ESPOL, Civil Engineering graduates are expected to achieve the following student outcomes:
SO1. Ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying the principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
SO2. Ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specific needs taking into account public health, safety and well-being, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors.
SO3a. Ability to communicate effectively with a large audience in Spanish. AR 3b. Ability to communicate effectively with a large audience in English.
SO4. Ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in situations involving engineering and to make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental and social contexts.
SO5. Ability to work effectively in a team whose members jointly provide leadership, create an environment of collaboration and inclusion, set goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
SO6. Ability to develop and carry out appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
SO7. Ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as necessary, using appropriate learning strategies.
SO8. Ability to design real solutions with a unique value proposition to address specific needs considered from the point of view of the interested parties.
First Year
Description:
It is a core course for Engineering, Natural Sciences, Exact Sciences, and Social Sciences and Humanities, students. Topics, such as, topological notions, limits and continuity of real variable functions, derivatives and their applications, antiderivatives and integration techniques, and the definite integral with its applications, are examined. This course is aimed to the development of student’s skills and know-how in the derivation and integration processes, as a fundamental basis for the following upper level courses in its academic training process
Description:
Physics: Mechanics is a basic, theoretical-practical training course aimed at engineering students, with laboratory experimentation activities, which provides the fundamentals of particle mechanics, rigid bodies and fluid mechanics, in an environment of active learning.
Description:
In this course, students apply the Design Thinking methodology to identify, analyze real-life problems or needs, to design innovative solutions. Students work in multidisciplinary teams to present solution proposals that add value to customers/users from private companies, public organizations and non-profit organizations.
Description:
This basic and general education subject presents grammatical structures to produce a simple paragraph based on a writing program. Additionally, it allows the identification of a specific argument in oral and written communication. It also considers learners’ personal opinions about different topics related to social, academic, and professional aspects. It includes the necessary vocabulary to make comparisons between present and past, books or movies description, creation of simple students’ profile, opinions about inventions, formal apologies and tell past events.
Description:
General Chemistry is a theoretical-practical course aimed at the basic training of professionals in the areas of Engineering and Natural Sciences, which provides a scientific basis of the matter and its interactions, and seeks to develop in students the ability to solve problems related to the content of the subject. It begins with an Introduction to Thermochemistry, then the analysis of the physicochemical properties derived from the state of aggregation of matter: liquids, solids and solutions, the study of the Kinetics and Equilibrium of reactions and solubility.
Description:
This subject of basic instruction is a theoretical-practical course that covers the fundamental basis of temperature, thermal expansion, ideal gases, heat, laws of thermodynamics, electrostatics, electrical circuits and electronic circuits in an environment of active learning.
Description:
Vector calculus is a course aimed at the basic training of professionals in the areas of Engineering, Exact Sciences and Natural Sciences who developed problem-solving and problem-solving skills in the n-dimensional context. For this purpose, the course consists of 5 general themes: three-dimensional analytic geometry and functions of several variables, differential calculus of scalar and vector fields, optimization of scalar functions of several variables, line integrals and multiple integration, surface integrals and theorems of the vector theory; being the main applications of this course: the optimization of functions of several variables applied to practical problems, the calculation of lengths, area, volumes, work and flow, using objects of the plane and space.
Description:
The course presents students with strategies to solve common problems in various professional fields through the design and implementation of solutions based on the use of a programming language. It covers the basic principles so that the student can read and write programs; emphasizing the design and analysis of algorithms. In addition, it introduces students to the use of development and debugging tools.
Description:
This transversal course is aimed at the basic training of students in the engineering area who require mathematical foundations to analyze the differential equations that arise in the process of modeling natural phenomena in the different areas of study. The course combines classical quantitative methods, such as integration of linear and non-linear differential equations and systems of equations and Laplace transforms, with qualitative methods that make use of relevant topics in linear algebra, which in turn are developed in an integrated and effective way.
Description:
This subject of basic formation and general education presents the grammatical structures for the production of an academic paragraph, through the development of the writing program in a transversal way. In addition, it allows the identification of specific arguments in oral and written communication, considering the production of one's own criteria on different topics of a social, academic or professional nature. The necessary vocabulary is also applied to refer to the different forms of communication, share work experiences and the use of digitl technology, tell short stories about interpersoanl relationship and personalities, and comment on the future of the environment.
Second Year
Description:
This Subject of Professional Training at the initial level of the Civil Engineering Career, addresses concepts of Calcareous Cement Concrete, analyzing its Components, Characteristics and Properties in Fresh and Hardened State, as well as its Proportion, Production, Transport, Placement and Curing. The Strenght of Conventional Concrete as a Construction Material is Determined, the Coarse and Fine Aggregates are Characterized for its utilization in Proportions as well as for Specification Complyance. In addition, different Types of Special Concretes and different Types of Construction Materials are studied with a Sustainable Approach, Studying their Properties and Applications in Civil Engineering Works.
Description:
This professional training course is designed for engineering careers based on classical mechanics and presents the concepts, definitions, and laws of rigid body mechanics. The statics of particles in a plane and in space, equivalent force systems in rigid bodies, the equilibrium of rigid bodies, distributed forces, centroids, centers of gravity, moments of inertia are studied. In addition, the analysis of structures, forces in beams and cables, and friction are studied.
Description:
This is a training basic course training and provides the knowledge to the engineering and science student can convert data into information, associate everyday situations with statistical processes, and determine scientific conclusions through experimental observations, applying descriptive statistics, notions of probability, models of random variables and inferential analysis.
Description:
This course is part of the basic engineering training to provide skills about addressing problems resulting from partial differential equations and their solving methods. This course covers the Fourier transform, the method of separating variables for solving partial differential equations, numerical methods for solving ordinary differential equations, and partial differential equations.
Description:
This subject of basic instruction and general education presents grammatical topics for the elaboration of an outline and a structured composition, through the development of the writing program in a transversal way. In addition, it allows the identification of arguments in oral and written communication on contemporary and academic topics. Additionally, appropriate vocabulary is applied to discuss issues related to different cultures, places where we live, everyday news, entertainment media, and past and future opportunities.
Description:
This course is an introduction to the mechanics of fluids, and contributes to the professional training of engineering students, with emphasis on the understanding and application of the concepts, laws and equations of conservation of mass, momentum and energy, integral, differential and dimensional analysis methods, and of the techniques for solving problems in the field of engineering. The topics to be covered include fundamental concepts, fluid properties, pressure distribution across fluids at rest and their applications, integral, differential, and dimensional analysis techniques for engineering problem solving, and study of incompressible viscous flow in pipelines and around blunt and aerodynamic bodies.
Description:
This professional Civil Engineering course covers theoretical foundations and techniques for the analysis of flexible bodies exposed to the action of external loads, essential for the design of structures. The mechanical behavior of isostatic and hyperstatic structures is evaluated and practical methods are introduced for the determination of stresses and deformations.
Description:
This transversal course to engineering careers, addresses spatial data models from a database of georeferenced variables. Fundamental concepts of cartography and geodesy, capture and spatial elementsrepresentation of are covered through vector data models. At the end, the spatial elements through raster data models , and their applications to engineering projects are represented.
Description:
In this subject, we study the development of the academic prosumer profile of the students, which should be consolidated throughout each individual's life, based on the processing of complex, holistic, and critical thinking. We aim to foster understanding and the production of academic knowledge through rigorous analysis of realities and readings from various academic/scientific sources.
Description:
This subject of basic formation and general education, presents the grammar structures to produce a persuasive essay, through the transversal development of the writing programme. In addition, it allows students to identify specific arguments in the oral and written communication, as well as, to express their own opinions about different topics of social, academic, or professional fields. It also includes the necessary vocabulary to stablish a conversation, narrate situations of their environment, activities to reach their goals, analyze cause and effect and personal and professional opportunities.
Third Year
Description:
This transversal course addresses the conditions required to innovate and the process associated with developing an innovation from an entrepreneurial point of view. Subsequently, topics such as the identification of opportunities, value creation, and prototyping and validation of products/services proposals are reviewed, as well as the elements of the business model and financial considerations that are essential for the feasibility and adoption of an innovation. Finally, entrepreneurial competences and process associated with the development and adoption of an innovation are studied.
Description:
This intermediate level professional course in Civil Engineering addresses the structural study of civil works, from their fundamentals to the appropriate use of the flexibility (or forces) and stiffness (or displacements) methods. Principles of structural mechanics are exposed, including the different types of structures and energy methods for the calculation of deformations.Subsequently, an introduction to the flexibility and stiffness methodsis made, with emphasis on the determination of the corresponding matrices. In addition, the methods mentioned above are applied in real problems and the stiffness method is automated and compared with models developed in structural analysis programs.
Description:
This medium level professional course of civil engineering is focused on the water cycle, water balance and hydrological processes within the context of civil engineering. The distribution and availability of water in watersheds are evaluated through the analysis of precipitation, evapotranspiration, sub-surface and groundwater flow, surface runoff and erosion losses. Statistical probability and other computational tools, including geographic information systems, are used for the determination of extreme rainfall and discharge rates applied in civil engineering design and risk analysis.
Description:
This professional Civil Engineering course is about topics for the representation of the shapes and dimensions of a terrain graphically. Staking techniques that integrate scale parameters and well-founded relationships between vertical and horizontal scales are studied. The set of methods and operations to determine planimetric data and/or heights or altitudes of the various points on the ground is studied.
Description:
This Professional Civil Engineering Course addresses fundamental layout concepts and requirements governing road design. Road components and classification, the various road project aspects, as well as the foundations of transit engineering are covered. The criteria required for road layout and design, drainage design and earth movement are reviewed, systematically applying the geometric design standards in the country. it is complemented by signaling criteria, road infrastructure law and road safety audits.
Description:
This engineering course addresses open channel hydraulics, comprising from geometry and velocities, different flow types, until the estimation of scour depths. The basic laws of hydraulics, the Cauchy, and Navier-Stokes’s equations, as well as the one-dimensional Saint-Venant equations, are analyzed by applying the principles of mass and momentum conservation. It also evaluates the critical flow and depth, specific energy, maximum discharge, specific force, in several applications. Uniform, gradually varied and rapidly varied flows are covered through concept analysis, channel design and problem solving related to hydraulic engineering. Finally, general, and local scour (piles and abutments) in bridges is studied.
Description:
This course of medium level in the career of civil Engineering, addresses the behavior of elements of reinforced concrete, oriented to the design of structural elements based on the current buildingregulations. The topic is addressed in reinforced concrete elements subject to compressing, tensile, bending, shear and torsion stresses, as well as the study of deflections under loads in service conditions. Subsequently, the design of the structural reinforcementof columnswith axial loads and eccentric loads with uniaxial and biaxial flexion is covered. Finally, armed Ss are analyzed and designed in one and two directions.
Description:
This course is aimed at teaching the students the mechanical behavior of soils and rocks, including the check of soil suitability to be used as construction material. The course emphasizes the physical and mechanical properties of soils and rocks, gives an overall picture of the available sampling methods, describes the stress and deformation states of soil and rock masses, and familiarizes the students with analytical methods of slope stability.
Description:
This transversal training course for all students of the institution has five chapters. It introduces the key principles of sustainability and the path to sustainable development. Addresses ecological principles by deepen into biodiversity, ecosystems, human population and ecosystem services. Study the fundamentals of renewable and non-renewable resources as well as the alternatives for sustainable use. Analyzes environmental quality specifically in the air, water and soil components, delving into issues such as climate change, eutrophication and deforestation. Finally, it emphasizes on the economic axis with topics such as circular economy and on the social axis on topics such as governance and urban planning.
Fourth Year
Description:
This course covers fundamentals of the behavior, analysis, and design of pavement structures for roads. Initially, the various components and the classification of the pavements are presented. The standards used for the design of pavements, as well as the analysis of the traffic loads acting on them, apply. In its final part, the process of analysis and design of the structure of the flexible or rigid pavement and its road conservation is executed.
Description:
It Is an advanced course in structures, aimed at providing theoretical Concepts fundamental behavior and design of reinforced concrete structures, subject to the combination of gravitational and lateral (seismic) loads. The course begins with a description of slabs types and the design of beams and columns; presents the various structural systems, their codes and the philosophy of sismoresistant design. Subsequently, the criteria and requirements for the sismorresisnt design of reinforced concrete structures are described. Finally, there are general notions of quality control of both concrete and reinforcing steel.
Description:
In this advanced level professional course of the Civil Engineering program, the geotechnical aspects of foundation engineering are analyzed, starting from the application of the principles of soil mechanics and geotechnical practice. Fundamentals of soil behavior are taught and foundation solutions for a structure are proposed, addressing the analysis and design of shallow foundations, using isolated footings, continuous footings and foundation slabs, and deep foundations with driven and drilled piles.
Description:
This professional course prepares Civil Engineering students for the design of drinking water distribution systems, wastewater collection systems, and rainwater. The current national and international standards and regulations are considered as the basis for the design. The basic principles of pipeline hydraulics are discussed, the optimal factors and methodologies for the design of drinking water networks, sanitary and storm sewers are exposed. Additionally, the different pipe materials on the market and selection criteria according to their application are analyzed.
Description:
This professional course in the area of structures from Civil Engineering career, comprises the fundamentals of analysis and design of a bridge, subjected to the combination of gravitational and lateral loads. The course presents the various components and classification of bridges, the codes used for analysis and design, as well as the loads that act on them. It describes the process of analyzing and designing the elements of the superstructure and substructure of the most common types of bridges.
Description:
This subject of professional level of civil Engineering, provides the theoretical Concepts fundamental of the behavior and design of the structural elements of steel. The essential criteria forthe design of steel elements subject to stress load, compression, bending and axial load combined with bending are presented. Additionally, the criteria and requirements for earthquake-resistant design of steel structures and connection design are described.
Description:
This professional level Civil Engineering course addresses concepts of project planning, for the application of scheduling and optimization techniques of civil works. It covers the management of resources and costs in construction and consulting projects, keys in project and business management. Engineering alternatives are evaluated based on technical and economic parameters. In addition, technological tools are used for the monitoring and control of projects, and risk analysis and management techniques are studied through qualitative and quantitative models, introducing concepts about simulation. Finally, it introduces the Ecuadorian legal framework applicable to the exercise of the profession, and instructs on the importance of leadership, quality and professional ethics for the practice of the profession, through an integrated project management approach.
Description:
This course adresses the study of presstressed concrete structures, their behaviour, properties and design procedure. Besides, students are presented with the methods to apply the prestressing force ,also the solicitations and checking of the Limit Designs. The presstressing losses are studied and quantified; afterwards the flexure and shear analysis is performed on isostatic beams. A description is made of the design procedure of pcolumns, piles and slabs.
Description:
This professional level course trains Civil Engineering students to design drinking water treatment plants –PTAP and wastewater treatment plants –PDAR, based on the characterization of the water. The efficient use of natural resources, legal, technical and sustainability aspects are exposed, nationally and globally. First, the applicable regulations are analyzed, then the operations and unit processes used in the removal of physical, chemical and biological pollutants are evaluated, which make it possible to make water potable and control wastewater discharges.
Fifth Year
Description:
This professional course on civil engineering covers topics pertaining to good practices and procedures required during construction processes. It introduces aspects on efficiency, safety, and technical considerations to construction activities. Common processes related to all infrastructure works are studied, covering all their phases, with greater emphasis on the construction stage. It includes the design and recommendations of formwork and temporary structures, and the most recent and innovative construction processes are presented, integrating sustainable construction concepts.
Description:
In this professional course, topics of hydro-sanitary and electrical systems applied to residential infrastructure projects are approached, focusing on the general principles of design, system integration, and application of current codes and regulations, under criteria of sustainability and energy efficiency. The course delves into the principles of design of distribution networks and pluvial and sanitary water discharge systems. It covers the fundamental elements about residential electrical installations and, general concepts about electronic, home automation, air conditioning systems and other systems that complement a building .
Description:
This is the culminating course of the career, it provides the student with a comprehensive design experience based on skills and knowledge acquired throughout it. It includes the solution of a real problem related to different areas of Civil Engineering considering appropriate local or national norms, codes or standards; as well as realistic applicable economic, technical, social and/or environmental restrictions. The solution to the problem follows a design process and its product, is a physical or digital model, plans, technical specifications, budget and calculation memories. It concludes with the design and / or implementation of the feasible solution or prototyping, analysis and validation of results.
Additional
ARTS, SPORTS AND LANGUAGES ELECTIVE COURSES
1 credits - 1.9 ECTS
HUMANITIES ELECTIVE COURSES
1 credits - 1.9 ECTS
SELECTED ELECTIVE COURSE
3 credits - 5.8 ECTS
SELECTED ELECTIVE COURSE
3 credits - 5.8 ECTS
Civil engineering graduates at ESPOL in a few years will have:
a) Provided adequate civil engineering solutions to society considering technical, economic and environmental aspects.
b) Achieved recognition for excellence in design, construction, or administration of infrastructures.
c) Keeping updated throughout their careers through continuous training, or postgraduate studies.
d) Promoted employment or innovation through leadership initiatives within their organizations.
Occupational Profile
The Civil Engineering form ESPOL is able to work in each of the areas of Civil Engineering: geotechnics, design of structures, construction materials, roads and transportation, management and control of water resources, administration, planning, programming and production of civil works and buildings
Have approved at least 67 credits in Vocational Training and Itinerary.
Have approved at least 23 credits in General and Complementary Education.
Have approved at least 30 credits in Basic Sciences and Mathematics.
Accredit a minimum experience of 336 hours of preprofessional practices, divided into; 96 hours of community internships and 240 hours of professional internships in the industry corresponding to 7 credits.
Pass the graduation project, equivalent to 8 credits.
The Capstone Project is a culminating requirement for graduation. These projects provide students with the experience of applying acquired knowledge and skills to the needs of society, with a focus on sustainability.
The IDEAR Fair showcases all Capstone projects, offering students a valuable opportunity to showcase their work and hone soft skills such as communication and teamwork. It is also a space for students to network with potential clients and future employers.
Explore all of the Capstone projects completed by the Civil Engineering program.
The Civil Engineering student will be able to carry out the pre-professional business internship considering that the profiles of the intern are: Structures, Geotechnics, Hydraulics and Works.
The student must pass the subject associated with the profile of his/her interest in order to apply for business practice. The associated subjects are:
- Reinforced Concrete (Structure Profile).
- Soil and Rock Mechanics (Geotechnical profile).
- Surveying and Geographic Information Systems (Works profile).
- Hydraulics (Hydraulics profile).
Every 48 hours of pre-professional internship is equivalent to 1 academic credit. The student must complete 5 credits of pre-professional internships in order to take the integrative subject.
DID YOU KNOW?
The ABET accreditation internationally endorses the ESPOL Civil Engineering career, which brings advantages for students and graduates in terms of student mobility and the process of validation of the degree title abroad. By being part of this career, you will be able to apply your knowledge and skills in Civil Engineering projects, such as constructions, infrastructure, ports, hydraulic works, roads and transportation, among others.
