Graduate Concentrations

Civil infrastructure systems involves the design, analysis, and management of infrastructure supporting human activities, including, for example, electric power, oil and gas, water and wastewater, communications, transportation, and the collections of buildings that make up urban and rural communities. These networks deliver essential services, provide shelter, and support social interactions and economic development. They are society’s lifelines.

The field of civil infrastructure systems builds on and extends traditional civil engineering areas. Rather than focus on individual structural components or structures, civil infrastructure systems emphasizes how different structures behave together as a system that serves a community’s needs. Problems in this field typically involve a great deal of uncertainty, multiple and competing objectives, and sometimes numerous and conflicting constituencies. They are often spatial and dynamic. The technical aspects of infrastructure engineering must be understood in the social, economic, political, and cultural context in which they exist, and must be considered over a long-time horizon that includes not just design and construction, but maintenance, operations, performance in natural disasters and other extreme events, and destruction as well.

See the Master’s Degree Requirements in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. In addition, the Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Civil Infrastructure Systems requires three core courses and five electives taken from a variety of fields. Electives should be selected based on discussions with your advisor.

Core Courses:

• CIEG 655 – Civil Infrastructure Systems
• CIEG 641 – Risk Analysis
• CIEG 659 – Optimization in Design and Construction OR
• APEC 601 – Survey of Operations Research I

Suggested electives include:

• Civil Infrastructure Systems
  • CIEG 650 – Urban Transportation Systems
  • CIEG 611 – Structural Dynamics Design
  • CIEG 667 – Resilience Engineering
  • CIEG 667 – Sensors
  • CIEG 811 – Advanced Structural Dynamics Design
• Modeling
  • MAST 663 – Decision Tools for Policy Analysis
  • BUAD 836 – Problem Structuring and Analysis for Decision Making
  • GEOG 670 – Geographic Information Systems
  • GEOG 671 – Advanced Geographic Information Systems
  • GEOG 677 – Spatial Analysis
  • APEC 602 – Survey of Operations Research II
  • APEC 603 – Simulation Modeling and Analysis
  • STAT 601 – Probability Theory for Operations Research and Statistics
  • STAT 602 – Mathematical Statistics
  • STAT 608 – Statistical Research Methods
  • STAT 609 – Regression and Experimental Design
  • STAT 611 – Regression Analysis
  • UAPP 704 – Statistics for Policy Analysis
• Social Science and Policy Analysis
  • DISA 650 – Overview of Disaster Science and Mgt
  • SOCI 671-– Disasters, Vulnerability and Develoment
  • MAST 672 – Applied Policy Analysis
  • ECON 801 – Microeconomics
  • ECON 802 – Macroeconomics

Students without any computer programming or Computer Science background should take CISC 106, CISC 181 or CISC 220. The College of Engineering also periodically offers courses in technical writing for graduate students. Students should strongly consider these courses when announcements are posted.

See the Master’s Degree Requirements in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. In addition, the Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Coastal Engineering requires three core courses and five electives taken from a variety of fields. Students electing to receive the non-thesis degree must take a total of 30 credits of course work, which typically translates to seven electives beyond the three core courses. Electives should be selected based on approval from your advisor.

Core Courses:

• CIEG 639 – Ocean Fluid Dynamics OR MAST691 – Fluid Dynamics in Marine Systems
• CIEG 672 – Water Wave Mechanics
• MEEG 690 – Intermediate Engineering Mathematics

Suggested electives include:

• CIEG 670 – Physics of Cohesive Sediment
• CIEG 675 – Matlab for Engineering Analysis
• CIEG 678 – Transport and Mixing Processes
• CIEG 679 – Sediment Transport Mechanics
• CIEG 680 – Coastal Processes
• CIEG 681 – Water Wave Spectra
• CIEG 682 – Nearshore Hydrodynamics
• CIEG 684 – Numerical Methods for Coastal Modeling
• CIEG 870 – Offshore Design
• CIEG 871 – Coastal Structures
• CIEG 872 – Advanced Water Wave Mechanics
• MAST 655 – Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
• MAST 681 – Remote Sensing of Environment
• MAST 693 – Waves in Marine Environment
• MAST 808 – Coastal/Estuarine Physical Dynamics
• GEOG 670 – Geographic Information Systems and Science

The field of environmental engineering deals with environmental issues from the nanoscale to the global scale. Contamination caused by the activities and waste products of our modern society affect the water, air, soil, and ecosystems around us in complex ways that must be clearly understood if we are to successfully address these problems. In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of these issues, our program provides students with a broad foundation in the fundamentals of physical, chemical, and biological processes. Advanced coursework and research in our graduate program is focused on the following areas:

• Contaminant Movement and Treatment in Soil and Groundwater
• Environmental Biotechnology
• Environmental Chemistry and Nanotechnology
• Green, Sustainable, and Global Environmental Technologies
• Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste Management
• Water Quality and Wastewater Engineering

The environmental engineering program is designed not only for those with undergraduate degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and other engineering disciplines, but also related non-engineering fields such as Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geology, and many others.

See the Master’s Degree Requirements in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. In addition, the Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Environmental Engineering requires three core courses and five electives taken from a variety of fields. Students electing to receive the non-thesis degree must take a total of 30 credits of course work, which typically translates to seven electives beyond the three core courses. Electives should be selected based on approval from your advisor.

Core Courses: (9 credits from the following core courses)

• CIEG 632 – Chemical Aspects of Environmental Engineering
• CIEG 634 – Contaminant Transport and Separation in Environmental Systems
• CIEG 636 – Biological Aspects of Environmental Engineering
• CIEG 644 – Microbiology of Engineered Systems

Suggested electives include:

• CIEG 630 – Water Quality Modeling
• CIEG 633 – Hazardous Waste Management
• CIEG 645 – Industrial Ecology – The Science of Environmental Sustainability
• CIEG 668 – Principles of Water Quality Criteria
• CIEG 678 – Transport and Mixing Processes
• CIEG 679 – Sediment Transport Mechanics
• CIEG 698 – Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport
• CIEG 833 – Fate of Organic Pollutants in the Environment

In addition, classes from other departments can be selected in consultation with the advisor. These include graduate-level courses offered by Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Marine Studies, Geography, Urban Affairs and Public Policy, or Plant and Soil Sciences. Each semester students are also expected to register for CIEG865 – Environmental Engineering Seminar.

See the Master’s Degree Requirements in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. In addition, the Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Geotechnical Engineering requires a total of three core course and five electives taken from a variety of fields. Students electing to receive the non-thesis degree must take a total of 30 credits of course work, which typically translates to seven electives beyond the three core courses. Electives should be selected based on approval from your advisor.

Core Courses:

• CIEG 601 – Introduction to the Finite Element Method
• CIEG 622 – Earth Structures Engineering
• CIEG 626 – Soil Behavior

Suggested CIEG Electives:

• CIEG 605 – Intermediate Topics in Finite Element Analysis
• CIEG 620 – Soil Mechanics II
• CIEG 621 – Foundation Engineering
• CIEG 623 – Soil Mechanics Lab
• CIEG 625 – Geo-Environmental Engineering
• CIEG 627 – Deep Foundations
• CIEG 628 – Ground Improvement Methods
• CIEG 658 – Pavement Analysis and Design
• CIEG 675 – MATLAB for Engineering Analysis
• CIEG 698 – Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport
• CIEG 801 – Advanced Topics in Finite Element Analysis
• CIEG 820 – Inelastic Behavior of Geomaterials
• CIEG 867 – Computational Geomechanics

Other Suggested Courses:

• CIEG 606 – Ocean and Atmosphere Remote Sensing (MAST 606)
• GEOG 670 – Geographic Information Systems
• GEOG 671 – Advanced Geographic Information Systems
• GEOG 677 – Spatial Data Analysis
• MAST 681 – Remote Sensing of Environment
• MEEG 690 – Intermediate Engineering Mathematics
• STAT 601 – Probability Theory for Operations Research and Statistics
• STAT 602 – Mathematical Statistics
• STAT 608 – Statistical Research Methods
• STAT 609 – Regression and Experimental Design

In addition to the courses listed above, a variety of CIEG 667 Seminar courses are frequently offered by the professors in the geotechnical engineering group, and will be accepted for elective credit.

The structural engineering program offers opportunities for graduate study and research in many subject areas related to the analysis and design of civil structures. Emphasis areas of the program include bridge engineering, building engineering, structural health monitoring, structural mechanics, structural dynamics, computational structural analysis and structural engineering materials.

See the Master’s Degree Requirements in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. In addition, the Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Structural Engineering requires three core courses in two different topic areas (as detailed below) and a minimum of five electives taken from a variety of fields for the thesis option. Students electing to receive the non-thesis degree must take a total of 30 credits of course work, which typically translates to seven electives beyond the three core courses. Electives should be selected based on approval from your advisor.

Core Courses:

Group 1 (6 credits required, 2 courses from the following list)

• CIEG 601 – Introduction to the Finite Element Method
• CIEG 611 – Structural Dynamics Design
• CIEG 612 – Advanced Mechanics of Materials
• CIEG 817 – Stability of Structures

Group 2 (3 credits required, 1 course from the following list)

• CIEG 604 – Prestressed Concrete Design
• CIEG 802 – Advanced Steel Design

Suggested Electives:

Additional courses in Groups 1 and 2 above

• CIEG 605 – Intermediate Topics in Finite Element Analysis
• CIEG 608 – Introduction to Bridge Design
• CIEG 610 – Experimental Mechanics of Composite Materials
• CIEG 619 – Mechanical Behavior of Materials and Structures
• CIEG 621 – Foundation Engineering
• CIEG 667 – Non-Destructive Testing for Civil Engineers
• CIEG 667 – Structural Design for Extreme Events
• CIEG 675 – MATLAB for Engineering Analysis
• CIEG 801 – Advanced Topics in Finite Element Analysis
• CIEG 811 – Advanced Structural Dynamics Design
• CIEG 817 – Stability of Structures
• MEEG 618 – Fracture of Solids
• MEEG 690 – Intermediate Engineering Math
• MEEG 813 – Theory of Elasticity
• MEEG 814 – Theory of Plasticity
• MEEG 816 – Advanced Continuum Mechanics
• MEEG 817 – Composite Materials

See the Master’s Degree Requirements in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. In addition, the Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Transportation with thesis requires four core courses and four electives taken from a variety of fields. For the non-thesis option, the four core courses should be supplemented with six electives. Electives should be selected based on approval from your advisor.

Core Courses:

• CIEG 652 – Transportation Facilities Planning & Design
• CIEG 653 – Roadway Geometric Design
• CIEG 654 – Transportation Planning
• CIEG 663 – Traffic Engineering & Modeling

Suggested Electives:

• APEC 601/APEC 602 – Survey of Operations Research
• APEC 603 – Simulation Modeling & Analysis
• BUAD 836 – Problem Structuring and Analysis for Decision Making
• CIEG 614 – Railroad Geotechnical Engineering
• CIEG 617 – Introduction to Railroad Safety and Derailment Engineering
• CIEG 618 – Introduction to Railroad Engineering
• CIEG 621 – Soil Mechanics
• CIEG 641 – Risk Analysis
• CIEG 650 – Urban Transportation Systems
• CIEG 655 – Civil Infrastructure Systems
• CIEG 658 – Pavement Analysis & Design
• CIEG 686 – Engineering Project Management
• ECON 801 – Microeconomics
• ECON 802 – Macroeconomics
• GEOG 670 – Geographic Information Systems
• GEOG 671 – Advanced Geographic Information Systems
• GEOG 677 – Spatial Data Analysis
• MAST 663 – Decision Tools for Policy Analysis
• MAST 672 – Applied Policy Analysis
• STAT 601 – Probability Theory for Operations Research and Statistics
• STAT 602 – Mathematical Statistics
• STAT 608 – Statistical Research Methods
• STAT 609 – Regression and Experimental Design
• UAPP 601 – Measure and Define Planning Problems (1 credit)
• UAPP 602 – Introduction to Comprehensive Planning (1 credit)
• UAPP 603 – Introduction to Zoning and Land Use Controls (1 credit)

In addition other CIEG 667 Seminar courses are frequently offered covering contemporary topics in Transportation. Each semester students are also expected to register for CIEG865 – Civil Engineering Seminar.

Water resources engineering involves the control of supply of surface and subsurface water to the public; control hazards associated with water, e.g., flooding; and maintain the health of ecological systems. Because water pollution is often the primary driving force for the engineered control of water resources, graduate students typically take courses and conduct research within groups that also include environmental engineering students. Graduate course work and research in the water resources engineering program is focused on the following areas:

• Hydrology of Landfills
• Watershed Hydrochemistry
• Water Quality Modeling
• Groundwater Hydrology
• Contaminant Movement in Soil and Groundwater

The water resources engineering program is designed not only for those with undergraduate degrees in Bioresources, Civil, Environmental, or Chemical Engineering, but also related non-engineering fields such as Geology, Environmental Science and Soil Sciences.

See the Master’s Degree Requirements in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. The Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Water Resources Engineering requires four core courses and four electives taken from a variety of fields for the thesis option. Students electing to receive the non-thesis degree must take a total of 30-credits of course work, which typically translates to six electives beyond the four core courses. Electives should be selected based on approval from your advisor.

Core Courses:

• CIEG 630 – Water Quality Modeling
• CIEG 698 – Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport OR GEOL 628 – Hydrogeology
• GEOG 632 – Environmental Hydrology
• MATH/STAT – An approved 600-level course in Mathematics or Statistics

Suggested Electives:

• CIEG 645 – Industrial Ecology : The Science of Environmental Sustainability
• CIEG 667 – Research Methods and Topics in Soil/Water Systems: Science and Policy
• CIEG 668 – Principles of Water Quality Criteria
• CIEG 678 – Transport and Mixing Processes
• CIEG 679 – Sediment Transport Mechanics
• CIEG 833 – Fate of Organic Pollutants in the Environment
• APEC 682 – Spatial Analysis of Natural Resources
• GEOG 656 – Hydroclimatology
• GEOG 657 – Climate Dynamics
• GEOG 631– Watershed Hydro-Ecology
• PLSC 603/BREG603– Soil Physics
• PLSC 621 – Nonpoint Source Pollution
• PLSC 643 – Watershed Hydrochemistry
• UAPP 611/APEC611 – Regional Watershed Management
• UAPP 628 – Issues in Land Use & Environmental Planning

In addition, classes from other departments can be selected in consultation with your advisor. These include graduate-level courses offered by Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Marine Studies, Plant and Soil Sciences, or Urban Affairs and Public Policy. Each semester students are also expected to register for CIEG865 – Civil Engineering Seminar.