The Major

The undergraduates of the Department of Hydraulic Engineering are enrolled with the major of “Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering”, who are cultivated with a wide range of disciplines after enrollment. In recent years, about 90 students are enrolled every year, who are trained to stay harmoniously with the nature, devote to the sustainability of China’s water resources, and equip with comprehensive knowledge and ability in water resources, water environment, water disasters, water management, water economy and water engineering. The curricula include Natural Science, Engineering Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, and other basic courses, as well as professional courses like Water Resource Engineering, Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering, Base and Underground Engineering, Port and Waterway Engineering to implement overall undergraduate and graduate training mode.

In 2016, “Hydraulic Engineering” was adjustedas “Water Sciences and Engineering”.

Hydraulics

The course Hydraulics was openedin 1934 when the Hydraulics Lab was built. Tsinghua University was one of those first universities offering the course and carrying out the experiment of hydraulics in China. Famous scholars, such as Zhang Ren, Xia Zhenhuan, Li Piji, Yu Changzhao, and Dong Zengnan, etc., made important contributions to the construction of this curriculum. At present, Hydraulics is a compulsory professional basic course for majors like hydraulic, civil engineering, architecture, environment, and engineering physics. Every year, more than 500 undergraduates learn Hydraulics.

* Hydraulics was assessed as the first batch of the primary courses of Tsinghua University in 1986;

* Hydraulics was assessed as the Excellent Course of Tsinghua University in 2002

* Hydraulics was assessed as the Excellent Course of Beijing and national Excellent Course in 2005;

Soil Mechanics

Established at the end of 1940s, Soil Mechanics has a more perfect curriculum system after elaborate compilation by Academician Huang Wenxi, the founder of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering of China, and Professor Chen Zhongyi, the master of soil mechanics. Soil Mechanics is a professional basic course for hydraulic, civil engineering, architecture and other majors, which plays a leading role among peers in China with more extensive influence.

* Soil Mechanics was assessed as the primary course of Tsinghua University in 1991;

* Soil Mechanics was assessed as the Excellent Course of Beijing in 2004;

* Soil Mechanics was assessed as the National Excellent Course in 2006.

Hydraulic Structure

Hydraulic Structure, established in 1952, has Academician Zhang Guangdou as the first main lecturer. Hydraulic Structure involves extensive contents like hydrology, meteorology, water resources, geology, mechanics, mathematics, chemistry, materials, engineering and management, which is a backbone professional course for undergraduates of hydraulic engineering to learn basic knowledge and train basic skills for hydraulic and hydropower engineering. Therefore, it has always received considerableattention.

* Hydraulic Structurewas assessed as the Excellent Course of Tsinghua University in 2002;

* Hydraulic Structurewas assessed as the National Excellent Course in 2007.

Principle and Application of Hydrology

Principle and Application of Hydrology, erly known as Engineering Hydrology, was established in 1938. Professor Huang Wanli was a lecturer of Engineering Hydrology, who compiled the textbook Engineering Hydrology. Later, Professor Liao Song and Professor Wang Tansheng made important contributions to system construction and textbook compilation for this course. Principle and Application of Hydrology is a professional basic course established for undergraduates of this department, which has attached importance to the combination of science and engineering, classical theories and frontier. It is now of broad influence.

* Principle and Application of Hydrology was assessed as the Excellent Course of Tsinghua University in 2008

* Principle and Application of Hydrology was assessed as the Excellent Course of Beijing and National Excellent Course in 2009.

The Department of Hydraulic Engineering has always attached importance to international vision of talents. In recent years, an international talent cultivation system has been ed gradually, including intensive foreign language training in the first year, overseas exchangesin the second and third year at both departmental and university levels, campus lab in summer vacation, UIUC 3+2 program, and pering overseas undergraduate projectsin the fourth year.

As for overseas exchanges, there are already 40 undergraduates who attended overseas exchangesin recent five years and 10 seniors who finished their undergraduateprojects in Hong Kong.

Since 2015, the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at Tsinghua University has carried out the 3+2 program with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Every year, five outstanding juniors are chosen to study in the Department of Civil and Environment Engineering of UIUC for two years. After completing the courses, they will obtaina bachelor degree from Tsinghua University and a master degree from UIUC.