<p>I got a letter in the mail yesterday saying that as of Fall 2009, Wash U will be phasing out civil engineering as a major. Does anyone know how this is going to affect current/future students who are/were planning on majoring in this, or have any more information about the decision to get rid of civil?</p>
<p>My D also got the letter. I understood it to say that you will not be able to major in civil engineering if you are entering in fall 2009. I'm sure they will phase out the program over the next three years for those who are already enrolled.</p>
<p>Here is a link to the story in Student Life about the elimination of the department. Student</a> Life - Civil engineering major quietly cut<br>
As the parent of a current civil engineering student, I am disappointed in Wash U's decision.<br>
I was under the impression that civil engineers were in high demand. I guess I don't really understand the University's decision especially since it looks like they are really going to be pumping a lot of money into the engineering department or the next several years. Hopefully they will continue to sufficiently fund the department to allow current students to complete their degrees.</p>
<p>I don't know of an engineering school that doesn't have civil engineering department.</p>
<p>They have money to give out tons of merit-scholarships, order tasty food (when I was there, the dorm food was nothing special but then that was right before WashU started their magical campaign), and build nice dorms but no money to save the engineering school (and to commit to need-blind admission). Maybe this tells us how WashU can do some of the things many other schools don't. This is really supposed to be more serious than whether the dorm is 20 sq feet bigger or whether the dorm food is 4-star instead of 3- star for any academic institution, let alone a top school. It's also a shame that a school of WashU's status can't commit to need-blind admission. But need-blind admission doesn't raise yield; a rise of a few spots in engineering discipline that was never WashU's forte to begin with isn't as effective as nicer food/dorm as far as raising the yield/drawing more applications go. This is all about priority. But since parents like some here seem to be so positive about their D and S experience because WashU throw them all those perks, they could care less about things like this. They could also care less about the social justice behind need-blind admission as long as their S/D get that extra merit-based money. Without much opposing voice from students and parents on issues I just mentioned, WashU can continue to get away with things like this.</p>