Civil engineering education at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China, and at the University of Florida

The course structure and curriculum of universities producing civil engineers should be in accordance with the civil engineering requirements of today. Although the final goal to produce a talented, skillful civil engineer remains the same, the curriculum of a civil engineering program in universities of different countries may be quite different. This paper deals with an in-depth study of the admission, curricula, examination, and evaluation methods at the Harbin Institute of Technology in China and at the University of Florida in the United States. There are some differences in the course curricula, examinations, and grading systems. The result of this paper shows advantages and disadvantages of both systems of education, and also highlights some of the possible modifications in such areas so that it can satisfy the educational requirements of both countries and the requirements of today's civil engineering practice.