Math for Civil Engineering Technicians
Course Dates and Times
The spring 2026 course is currently in session.
About the Course
This six-week course serves as a baseline mathematics course for civil technicians, inspectors, and surveyors. It will cover practical mathematical principles used by civil technicians in the field.
Students will learn the skills necessary to complete volume and area calculations, unit conversions, angles, and other daily calculations in inspection and surveying.
Course Format
The course starts with an instructor-led live orientation. Then, each week of the course will include a prerecorded lecture and self-paced classroom lesson, available on Mondays, as well as a live, instructor-led discussion each Wednesday from 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. CDT. Students are encouraged to attend the discussion sessions to hear a recap of the week’s lesson, get help with their assignments, and ask questions.
In addition to the weekly lectures, the course includes topical assignments that must be completed during the same week as the lesson. Students are expected to watch the weekly recorded session and complete the assignments prior to each live discussion session.
Course Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Compute area, volumes, and slopes
- Convert units from metric to imperial, imperial to metric
- Compute angles using trigonometry
- Estimate stockpile and other quantities
Who Should Attend
This course is intended for anyone who would like to learn practical math, which is used by civil technicians in the field.
Course Instructor
Matt Darling is a veteran mathematics educator with over two decades of classroom experience and currently teaches in ISD 748 Sartell–St. Stephen. A graduate of St. John’s University (2004), Matt is in his 21st year of teaching, with extensive experience teaching 5th and 6th grade math across remedial, on-level, and enriched settings. He is deeply focused on effective math instruction and student-centered learning, and in 2017 he authored curriculum aligned to the current Minnesota Academic Standards. Matt earned his master’s degree in Teaching and Learning from St. Mary’s University in 2013, where his master’s project explored the flipped classroom model and examined how shifting direct instruction outside of class time can increase engagement, differentiation, and deeper mathematical understanding in mathematics classrooms.
Accessing the Course
This training is offered via the course management system Canvas. Upon completing your online registration, you will receive an email confirmation. To access the course, please visit Canvas and login with your University of Minnesota internet ID and password. Once you have been enrolled, your course will appear on your Canvas dashboard.
If for any reason you do not have access to the course after enrolling, please contact Natalie Niskanen at [email protected] for assistance.
Technical Requirements
Because it's built using web standards, Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or any other device with a modern web browser. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer work best for this course.
Credit
Questions?
Please contact [email protected].
Sponsors
This workshop is presented by Minnesota LTAP at the Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota. Minnesota LTAP is sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This course is subsidized through funding from LRRB and FHWA.