Hydraulics and hydrology of bridge and culvert course is an essentialprofessional basic coursefor undergraduates majoring in traffic and civil engineering. In order to exploreitsteaching effect as an elective course,some effective teaching strategieswere discussedcombined with years of teaching practice and the analysis of curricula arrangement, teaching organizationand assessment standards. Some measures and suggestionsto improve the teaching effect of this course were put forward:combining hydraulics course with hydrology of bridge and culvert course, close integration with engineering practice, correct use ofmodern teaching means, reasonable teaching process organization, perfecting assessment standards, and so on. Teachingpractice showedthat the above measures and suggestionswere effective, and the condition of boring teaching method, passive learning and assessment standardssingleness had been changed. So it is helpful to improve the teaching effect of this course and cultivate comprehensive ability of students.Research results arealsoapplicabletoteaching practice of professional basic courses opened in civil engineering.