Master of Civil Engineering

Core Curriculum

Students begin the program by taking the following two courses and complete the program with a capstone project. 

• Engineering Mathematics

  EG501 6 credit hours

  This course covers first- and second-order differential equations, basic matrix algebra with an emphasis on solving systems of equations and understanding eigenvalues and eigenvectors, numerical techniques for solving both differential and algebraic equations, and an introduction to partial differential equations. This course includes study of basic concepts in probability and statistics, random variables, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and correlation along with the least squares line. In addition to manual problem solving, students will also use software tools.

• Project Management Techniques, Tools and Practices

  GB544 6 credit hours

  This seminar focuses on the fundamentals of project management and practices. The key elements of project management from the project management framework, the project life cycle, project process and key project management knowledge areas are discussed. Additionally, the project integration, scope, time, cost, quality, resource and schedule management are studied. Other areas of focus are project management procurement and overall project communications.

• Capstone Design Project

  CE561 6 credit hours

  Civil engineering projects have always had social, economic, and environmental impacts. The capstone design project requires the student to anticipate the social, political, economic, and environmental impacts of civil engineering projects prior to project implementation. As the engineer in a leadership position, you will direct a project from conception to completion. This includes the preparation of a comprehensive project business plan that will include project goals, political hurdles, anticipated revenues and expenses, marketing, facility design, and other issues related to the design of a major civil engineering project.

  A Grade of B or better is required for the Capstone Design Project course.

Structural Engineering

Designed to reinforce the fundamentals of structural engineering and engineering mechanics, students examine the design of steel, timber structures, and the benefits of reinforced, prestressed, and precast concrete structures.

• Classical, Matrix, and Dynamic Analysis of Structures

  CE528 6 credit hours

  This course addresses two tracks of analysis. First, static analysis is investigated with advanced classical methods and matrix methods, the cornerstone of the finite element method. Second, dynamic analysis is presented using both classical and matrix approaches for single and multiple degree of freedom systems. Analysis issues related to design codes are addressed for both static and dynamic conditions, and the use of commercially available software will be introduced.  Prerequisite: EG 501 (Engineering Mathematics).

• Design of Steel and Timber Structures

  CE538 6 credit hours

  This course explores advanced structural design issues in the areas of both steel and timber. Using the latest provisions from the American Institute of Steel Construction and the National Design Specification for Wood Construction, the course covers the design and behavior of 2-D and 3-D framing and framing members and connections under various loading conditions, including wind and seismic, as well as strength and serviceability issues.

• Design of Reinforced and Prestressed/Precast Concrete Structures

  CE558 6 credit hours

  This course focuses on advanced topics in reinforced concrete design and introduces prestressed/precast concrete using the provisions of the American Concrete Institute. Topics of study include beams, slabs, columns, deflections, analysis and design of prestressed members, loss calculations, and use of standard precast members, as well as design and detailing for seismic loads.

  Time will be devoted to formulating proposals for student’s upcoming capstone design project in CE561.

Environmental/Water Resources Engineering

Examine the fundamentals of environmental and water resource engineering with this concentration. Explore the physicochemical and biological processes for water and wastewater treatment and study key aspects of geographic information systems (GIS) and geo-environmental engineering.

• Physiochemical and Biological Processes in Water and Wastewater Treatment

  CE525 6 credit hours

  This course will cover physical, chemical, and biological concepts, reactor kinetics, water and wastewater qualities and quantities, and physical, chemical, and biological unit processes. Topics include the design of individual unit processes and integration of unit processes into treatment trains capable of meeting treatment objectives. Prerequisite: EG 501 (Engineering Mathematics).

• Stormwater Management and GIS Applications for Water Resources

  CE535 6 credit hours

  This course will examine stormwater management issues from both flood control and water quality points of view as they relate to land development, urbanization, and watershed hydrology. Topics include rainfall-runoff relationships (including statistical analysis), channel and basin routing, stormwater treatment, low-impact development, best management practices, and wetland utilization and benefit/cost ratio analysis. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software will be introduced and applied for examining and analyzing decision-making processes involved with the stormwater management components of the course.

• Geoenvironmental Engineering – Groundwater Flow and Waste Containment

  CE555 6 credit hours

  This course approaches the field of geoenvironmental engineering from two points of view: groundwater flow and contaminant transport issues and the principles related to solid waste disposal and containment.

  The groundwater portion of the course focuses on flow and contaminant transport including aquifer properties, principles of groundwater flow, flow into wells, soil moisture and groundwater recharge, regional groundwater flow, and the advection, diffusion, and attenuation of groundwater contaminants.

  The solid waste portion of the course focuses on landfill site selection, design, and construction. Topics include material properties and engineering design of geosynthetic components, including geomembranes, geotextiles, geocomposites, geosynthetic clay liners, and methods to estimate and design landfill leachate quantities and gas generation.

  Time will be devoted to formulating proposals for students’ upcoming capstone design project in CE561.

Construction Management

Build your business management and leadership skills from a civil engineering perspective with this concentration. Gain the expertise necessary to lead a team of engineers and manage every aspect of an engineering business.

• Information Technology

  CE529 6 credit hours

  This course develops a base-level competency in a host of project management software products. Virtual Design and Construction applications as well as enterprise-wide IT solutions will be examined.  Students will gain an understanding of the strategic importance of integrating an information technology strategy across all aspects of a project and the organization.  Prerequisite: EG 501 (Engineering Mathematics).

• Contracts and Insurance

  CE539 6 credit hours

  This course addresses the risk characteristics of various contractual forms and the roles that insurance and surety play in the AEC arena. The emergence of new contractual forms from AIA and the ConsensusDocs require a new perspective on contracts and project organization. This course provides a strategic understanding of contract variables that span from plans and specs to Integrated Project Delivery. Prerequisite: CE 529 (Information Technology) or permission of Program Director.

• Project Finance and Accounting

  CE559 6 credit hours

  Every project is judged on its financial performance, and the same project can have different performance characteristics for different players. This course will enable students to address the ever-increasing complexity of the financial arena and impart skills that effective project managers need to understand the financial ramifications of decisions across all project participants. Discussion will include the opportunities and risks of traditional arrangements as well as new models such as the Special Purpose Entity (SPE) and Public Private Partnerships (PPP).

Geotechnical Engineering

Review engineering mechanics and the foundations of engineering while exploring earthquake engineering, soil mechanics, and soil stabilization. Study numerical methods for the analysis of complex geotechnical circumstances.

• Intermediate Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering

  CE523 6 credit hours

  Intermediate Soil Mechanics focuses on general principles of soil mechanics and their applications, including soil structure, mineralogy, fluid flow through porous media, shear strength, slope stability, primary and secondary consolidation, and classical earth pressure theories. Subjects will be presented from a theoretical perspective and include practical applications. The foundation engineering portion of the course covers analysis of shallow and deep foundations, including bearing capacity and settlement of footings, floating foundations, drilled piers, piles, analysis of the stability and design of retaining wall, and anchored bulkheads. Prerequisite: EG 501 (Engineering Mathematics).

• Earthquake Engineering and Soil Stabilization

  CE533 6 credit hours

  Earthquake engineering covers the evaluation of geotechnical earthquake hazards and mitigation, plate tectonics, seismicity, wave propagation, characterization of ground motions, theory of vibrations, effect of local soil conditions on ground response, development of design ground motions, liquefaction, dynamic lateral earth pressures, slope stability and deformation, and earthquake design codes. The soil stabilization portion of the course focuses on the application of mineralogical and physicochemical principles to soil stabilization problems and stabilization techniques for highway and foundation applications. Prerequisite: CE 523 (Intermediate Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering) or permission of Program Director.

• Computational Modeling in Geotechnical Engineering

  CE553 6 credit hours

  This course provides a survey of computer methods and applications for analysis of complex geotechnical engineering problems. Students explore topics in finite element, finite difference and closed form solution techniques, and modeling applications, including the review of select geotechnical engineering case studies.  Time will be devoted to formulating proposals for student’s upcoming capstone design project in CE561.  Prerequisite: CE 533 (Earthquake Engineering and Soil Stabilization) or permission of Program Director.

• Intermediate Geotechnical Tools Lab (3 Day On-Campus Lab)

  CE572 1 credit hours

  This course covers the survey of techniques for assessing permeability of soils using the flexible wall apparatus, Proctor compaction and triaxial shear testing, including a field visit to geotechnical project site. Prerequisite: CE553 (Computational Modeling in Geotechnical Engineering) or permission of Program Director.

Fundamentals Courses for the Structural

• Engineering Analysis Techniques

  CE505 3 credit hours

  This course is a fast-paced review of fundamental techniques covered in undergraduate-level calculus courses as they apply to engineering analysis and design. Mastery of these topics is required for success in the differential equations and engineering analysis courses in the Master of Civil Engineering program. 

• Engineering Mechanics I

  CE506 3 credit hours

  This course presents a review of engineering mechanics fundamentals from the fields of statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials. You will study free body diagrams, force systems, equilibrium, geometric properties, kinematics, kinetics, and stress and strain. Upon successful completion of this course, three post baccalaureate credits will be awarded.

• Fundamentals of Structural Engineering

  CE507 6 credit hours

  This course provides a review of the basic concepts of structural engineering that forms the required background for the structural engineering concentration of the Master of Civil Engineering Program. Coursework includes types of structures, construction materials, structural design, and safety issues. Students will become familiar with a number of typical structural design calculation methods. 

Fundamentals Courses for the Environmental/Water Resources

• Engineering Analysis Techniques

  CE505 3 credit hours

  This course is a fast-paced review of fundamental techniques covered in undergraduate-level calculus courses as they apply to engineering analysis and design. Mastery of these topics is required for success in the differential equations and engineering analysis courses in the Master of Civil Engineering program. 

• Engineering Mechanics I

  CE506 3 credit hours

  This course presents a review of engineering mechanics fundamentals from the fields of statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials. You will study free body diagrams, force systems, equilibrium, geometric properties, kinematics, kinetics, and stress and strain. Upon successful completion of this course, three post baccalaureate credits will be awarded.

• Hydraulics for Environmental Engineers

  CE501 3 credit hours

  This course presents a review of fluid mechanics and hydraulics fundamentals, including pipe flow and networks, open channel flow, and measurement techniques for fluids.

• Fundamentals of Environmental / Water Resources Engineering

  CE509 6 credit hours

  This introduction to environmental engineering includes the review of the basic concepts of environmental and water resources engineering that form the required background for later courses, including environmental chemistry, ecology, biology, microbiology, geology, and soil science.

Fundamentals Courses for the Construction Management

• Engineering Analysis Techniques

  CE505 3 credit hours

  This course is a fast-paced review of fundamental techniques covered in undergraduate-level calculus courses as they apply to engineering analysis and design. Mastery of these topics is required for success in the differential equations and engineering analysis courses in the Master of Civil Engineering program. 

• Fundamentals of Business Management

  GB501 6 credit hours

  This course presents learning in economics, management, and marketing and operations management from the perspective of a business manager. Students focus on the economic framework for business decision-making, learning the importance of and gaining an ability to assess market conditions as the context for all business strategy development and implementation. Management’s ability to plan for and execute an advantageous a strategy to achieve organizational objectives through efficient and effective allocation of its human, capital and intellectual resources are discussed. Students learn theory and skills for best practices in the marketing and operations management of products and services.

• Quantitative Methods and Financial Analysis for Managers

  GB502 6 credit hours

  This course concentrates on the learning and demonstration of competency in the accounting process, understanding the accounting equation, the basics of double-entry bookkeeping the income statement, the balance sheet, and the cash flow statement. Learning how these statements effect the calculation of financial ratios as tests of enterprise profitability, asset utilization, risk and liquidity is required.

Fundamentals Courses for the Geotechnical

• Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering

  CE503 6 credit hours

  This course provides an introduction to the engineering properties of soils, soil compression, and shear strength. The foundation engineering portion of the class covers determination of bearing capacity and settlement characteristics of shallow and deep foundations, design and evaluation of earth slopes, and earth retaining structures.

• Engineering Analysis Techniques

  CE505 3 credit hours

  This course is a fast-paced review of fundamental techniques covered in undergraduate-level calculus courses as they apply to engineering analysis and design. Mastery of these topics is required for success in the differential equations and engineering analysis courses in the Master of Civil Engineering program. 

• Engineering Mechanics I

  CE506 3 credit hours

  This course presents a review of engineering mechanics fundamentals from the fields of statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials. You will study free body diagrams, force systems, equilibrium, geometric properties, kinematics, kinetics, and stress and strain. Upon successful completion of this course, three post baccalaureate credits will be awarded.

• Elementary Geotechnical Tools Laboratory

  CE571 1 credit hours

  This course provides a survey of techniques for classification of soils, assessment of hydraulic properties, consolidation, and assessment of shear strength parameters of soils. Field experience in geotechnical exploration. Co-requisite: CE 503 (Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering) or permission of Program Director.