The minor is available to students pursuing any undergraduate major in the School of Science and Engineering or in other Tulane colleges. In particular, students majoring in another engineering discipline may find the RCSE minor attractive as an additional skill set for the job market. Students with a major in the physical or environmental sciences might have already covered the pre- or co-requisites for the RCSE minor, making it a relatively easy addition to their expertise while matriculating at Tulane. Students majoring in the environmental sciences (e.g., EEB or EES) could strengthen their undergraduate training in water-related topics. Outside of SSE, any student interested in a career linked to environmental planning, climate change adaptations, the resilience of human and natural systems, and water utilization could benefit from this training. This umbrella includes fields as diverse as law, business, public health, and social sciences. We foresee particular links for students in the (1) Environmental Studies major (School of Liberal Arts), where strengthening their science and engineering background in the water sector would be advantageous in many career tracks, and (2) in the School of Architecture, where a program in landscape architecture and design is under development.
The required 18 credit hours for the minor would be the following six courses
ENGP 1410 Statics (3 credits) - Statics of particles and rigid bodies. Concepts of force, moments, free body diagrams, equilibrium and friction with engineering applications. Prerequisite PHYS 1310.
†RCSE 3010 Water Resources Engineering I (3 credits) - Static and dynamic behavior of incompressible fluids; development of the continuity, energy and momentum equations using the control volume approach; dimensional analysis, similitude and model testing laws; steady, incompressible fluid flow in series, parallel, and branching pressure conduits; and turbulent and laminar boundary concepts. Prerequisite ENGP 1410. (Planned Spring 2024 and every Spring after)
†Students may substitute BMEN 3440 Biofluid Mechanics or CENG 2320 Transport I: Fluids for RCSE3010
RCSE 4010 Water Resources Engineering II (3 credits) - Basic principles of flow in open channels, open channel transitions, pumping system (water and wastewater), flow through hydraulic structures, and drainage analysis. It also includes hydraulics of flow in closed conduits, municipal water distribution systems. The laboratory section of this course focuses on flow measurements and non-uniform flow analysis: e.g., flow over a weir, hydraulic jump, losses through a pipe system, and flow visualization techniques. Prerequisite RCSE 3010 (or †BMEN 3440/CENG 2320). (Fall 2023 and every Fall after)
RCSE 4030 Water Resources Engineering III (3 credits) - Basic principles of hydrologic science and their application to the solution of hydraulic, hydrologic, environmental, and water resources engineering problems; environmental restoration and protection techniques. Specifically, the course covers rainfall and catchment properties, hydrologic abstractions, hydrologic measurements, small and midsize catchments hydrology, reservoir routing, hydrologic and hydraulic routing. Prerequisite RCSE 3010 (or †BMEN 3440/CENG 2320) (Planned Spring 2024 and every Spring after)
RCSE 6800 Introduction to River Science and Engineering (3 credits) - A multi-instructor, graduate and advanced undergraduate, interdisciplinary examination of river science and engineering practices relating to fluvial geomorphology and sediment transport, river engineering, predictive modeling, water chemistry and riverine ecosystem dynamics. Course serves as a springboard to more advanced graduate-level coursework leading to the Graduate Certificate in River Science and Engineering. (Fall 2023, planned Spring 2024 and every Spring after)
RCSE 6802 Introduction to Coastal Science and Engineering (3 credits) - A multi-instructor, graduate and advanced undergraduate, interdisciplinary examination of coastal science and engineering practices relating to coastal and estuarine geomorphology and sediment transport, coastal engineering, predictive modeling, estuarine-continental shelf water chemistry, and marsh, estuarine and coastal ecosystem dynamics. (Fall 2023 and every Fall after)
In summary, to complete the RCSE minor, students using BMEN3440 for the fluid mechanics requirement will also need to successfully complete three semesters of calculus and one of physics (ENGP2430). If using CENG2320, they will need three semesters of math (including 2 of calculus), one of physics, one of chemistry, and an additional CENG course (Thermodynamics). Likely the latter track to the RCSE minor will primarily be followed by students seeking a major in chemical engineering.
As further requirements for the RCSE minor, students must maintain a 2.00 GPA in all minor courses. No courses can count toward a second minor in SSE or other Tulane colleges. For more information, please contact the department chair at meadallison@tulane.edu.
