Program Director

Dr. Blake Wentz
Office: CC 27A
Phone: (414) 277-2204
Email: wentz@msoe.edu

The Master of Science in Civil Engineering offers students the opportunity to gain depth in one of three areas of specialization: construction management (ConM), environmental and water resources engineering (EWRE), and structural engineering (StrE). The construction management specialty offers a blend of coursework emphasizing advanced topics in construction management - including construction operations, lean construction, and construction data management - supplemented by business administration courses such as project acquisition and business development, and marketing and strategic management principles. The environmental and water resources engineering specialty provides students with advanced coursework in subjects important to both sub-disciplines - including facilities planning, environmental law, and life cycle assessment - while offering a broad array of technical courses to address specific areas of interest. The structural engineering specialty focuses on advanced topics in the analysis and design of structural systems for buildings and bridges. Structural design courses offered address the advanced design of structural steel members and systems, light gage metal members and structures, reinforced concrete members and structures, wood structures, masonry structures, foundations, and selection of structural systems; structural analysis courses offered address applications of the finite element method, structural dynamics, and structural stability, providing a broader theoretical background for structural design.

The student has two options to conclude the program - the Capstone Report Track or the Capstone Project Track. The Capstone Report Track focuses on course work and is designed for the student who expects to work as a practicing civil engineer and does not expect to pursue a Ph.D. The Capstone Project Track has a larger focus on research and is designed to prepare a student for a Ph.D. Program. A student who selects the Capstone Report Track will complete 7-10 required civil engineering courses and 5-8 graduate elective courses, depending upon the specialty chosen. The student will also complete a one-quarter, three credit, literature review project on a civil engineering topic.

A student who selects the Capstone Project Track will complete 7-10 required civil engineering courses and 3-6 civil engineering electives. The student will also complete a three-quarter, nine credit, capstone project focusing on a specific topic within civil engineering. The project provides the opportunity for the student to integrate the concepts learned in the classroom into a specific application. The project may focus on design issues, research in an area of civil engineering, or other related topic with the approval of the master of science in civil engineering program director. At the conclusion of the project, a comprehensive presentation (oral and written) will be given to a faculty review committee.

Courses are taught by faculty with extensive practical experience as well as academic credentials. Course work has been planned to show practical applications of civil engineering theory. Many of the classes meet in the evenings so students may attend class while working in industry. The Master of Science in Civil Engineering program assumes the student has completed an undergraduate curriculum that satisfies ABET program-specific civil engineering requirements. The program is currently being offered as either a full-time or part-time program and can be completed in five years or less by taking at least one course per academic quarter.

Program Educational Objectives

Program educational objectives are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years after graduation and are based on the needs of the program’s constituencies. The Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree program will produce graduates who

• Will be able to evaluate complex systems or processes within realistic constraints such as customary standards of practice, costs, and sustainability;
• Will be able to confidently meet the responsibilities of a professional civil engineer;
• Will, if so desired, be employed in the field of civil engineering;
• Will, if so desired, be able to become licensed professional engineers; and
• Will, if so desired, be able to obtain a Ph.D. in civil engineering.

Student Outcomes

Student outcomes are narrower statements that describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. The student outcomes of the Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree program are that, at the time of graduation, each student will be able to:

• Formulate and solve an ill-defined engineering problem appropriate to civil engineering by selecting and applying appropriate techniques and tools
• Analyze a complex system or process in the student’s area of specialization;
• Design a complex system or process in the student’s area of specialization; and
• Complete (individually) a civil engineering project consisting of either (a) a comprehensive literature review covering a specific topic, or (b) a civil engineering project addressing the complex requirements of modern civil engineering practice.

Curriculum

The Master of Science in Civil Engineering programs requires completion of 45 graduate credits.

Each student must complete a capstone activity. There are two options for the capstone activity. The first option is the completion of a nine-credit, three-quarter Capstone Project sequence (CV 8000, CV 8910 and CV 8920) in addition to 12 civil engineering courses (36 credits) to fulfill the 45-credit requirement. The second option is the completion of a three-credit, one-quarter Capstone Report sequence (CV 8000) in addition to 14 civil engineering courses (42 credits) to fulfill the 45-credit requirement.

Faculty

Dr. Mitzi Dobersek, James Drought, P.H., Donald Gallo, J.D., Dr. William Gonwa, P.E., Dr. Deborah Jackman, P.E., Dr. Jay Karls, P.E., Kenneth Kaszubowski, P.E., William Krill, P.E., Dr. Mahmoud Maamouri, P.E., Mark Maday, P.E., Jeffrey MacDonald, P.G., Dr. Francis Mahuta, Jr., P.E., J.D., Dr. Christopher Raebel, P.E., Kathi Ried, P.G., Michael Schuck, P.E., Dr. Douglas Stahl, P.E., Dr. Blake Wentz, LEED A.P., Dr. John Zachar, P.E.