Two graduate fields of study encompass courses and research in earthquake engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering:

• Earthquake Engineering and Structural Mechanics

• Geotechnical Engineering

Graduate courses such as Soil Dynamics, Dynamics of Structures, Introduction to Probabilistic Dynamics, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, and Structural Response to Ground Motions are directly related to earthquake engineering, while many other graduate and undergraduate courses are closely related.

Research is currently conducted on the following subjects:

• field testing of highway bridge shafts under cyclic loading conditions to examine large deflection ranges and measure forces and deformations in the structure and soil that govern the soil-structure interaction response;
• damage mechanics and mechanics of composites using computational mechanics and computational plasticity;
• experimental evaluation of cyclic properties of soils and computer analysis of nonlinear response of soil deposits to strong earthquake shaking;
• failure mechanism of soil-nailed excavations under strong shaking employing dynamic centrifuge model testing;
• development of geotechnical database for seismic zonation in urban areas using GIS methods
• earthquake design of masonry buildings
• performance-based analysis and design
• uncertainty and structural reliability analysis methods
• analysis and design methods for introduction of high technology systems into buildings, such as base isolation devices and dampers;
• seismic response of earth fills;
• empirical studies of soil-structure interaction.

UCLA is creating a mobile seismic laboratory for exciting and monitoring structures with funding from the NSF NEES (Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation) program.

Civil and Environmental Engineering is the broadest of the engineering disciplines, extending across many technical specialties that interact with one another. Civil engineers plan, design and supervise the construction of facilities essential to modern life. These facilities vary widely in nature, size and scope, including buildings, bridges, tunnels, highways, dams, airports, space satellites, launching facilities, offshore structures, irrigation projects, water distribution systems, and wastewater collection and treatment plants.

The mission of the UCLA Civil and Environmental Engineering Department is to educate the leaders of the profession through broad, well-balanced and flexible curriculum, and to extend engineering knowledge through cutting-edge research. The goal is not only to respond to present problems and new challenges, but also to predict future issues and to keep ahead of a rapidly changing world. In their approach to education and research, department faculty combine modern science, technology and management to address the complex environmental and civil infrastructure problems of our society.

Professors and staff at the UCLA Civil and Environmental Engineering Department strive for excellence in all aspects of engineering teaching and research, ranging from fundamental to applied subjects. The faculty is dedicated to teaching and research, and has attained an international reputation. The curriculum and research encompass structural and earthquake engineering, mechanics and materials, geotechnical engineering, water resources and environmental engineering.

Besides the B.S. degree, the UCLA Civil and Environmental Engineering Department offers the following advanced degrees:

Master of Science (M.S.) in Civil Engineering specializing in the areas of: (i) Enviromental Engineering, (ii) Geotechnical Engineering, (iii) Structural Mechanics, (iv) Structural/Earthquake Engineering, and (v) Water Resource Systems Engineering.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil Engineering specializing in the areas of: (i) Environmental Engineering, (ii) Geotechnical Engineering, (iii) Structural/Earthquake Engineering, and (iv) Water Resource Systems Engineering.

For further information on programs of study, admission procedures and requirements, visit our web site: www.cee.ucla.edu.