Program Director

Dr. Gretchen Bohnhoff
Office: CC-27F
Phone: (414) 277-2354
Email: bohnhoff@msoe.edu

Overview

The Master of Science in Civil Engineering offers students the opportunity to gain depth in one of four areas of specialization: construction management (CONM), environmental and water resources engineering (EWRE), structural engineering (STRE), or transportation engineering (TRPE).

• The construction management specialty offers a blend of course work 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 course work in subjects important to both sub-disciplines including facilities planning and life cycle assessment, while offering an 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, cold-formed 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 transportation engineering specialty focuses on advanced topics in the design of roadways, transportation systems, traffic analysis, and traffic safety.

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. Flexible scheduling supports both full-time students and working professionals.

The Master of Science in Civil Engineering program assumes the student has completed an undergraduate curriculum that satisfies ABET program-specific civil engineering requirements. Applicants holding a BS degree in a closely aligned discipline may be considered for admission  on a case-by-case basis and may be required to complete additional prerequisite work. The program is currently being offered as either a full-time or part-time program.

Curriculum

The Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCVE) program requires the completion of 31 graduate credits. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering program at MSOE may take advantage of an early-entry option, allowing at least two graduate courses (6 credits) to count toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. These courses satisfy the specialty elective and one technical elective in the undergraduate program.

Program requirements include:

• CAECM Core (12 credits): Courses provide foundational knowledge of the built environment and essential professional tools. Offerings include topics such as artificial intelligence in the built environment, applied statistics and modeling, life cycle assessment, GIS applications, urban and facilities planning, and computational methods.
• Specialty Courses (12 credits): Students select courses from one or more specialty areas; Construction, Environmental and Water Resources, Transportation, or Structural Engineering; allowing for focused expertise or interdisciplinary breadth.
• Capstone Sequence: Students must complete either a two-semester Capstone Project sequence (7 credits: CAE 7810, CVE 7901, CVE 7902) or a one-semester Capstone Report sequence (4 credits: CAE 7810, CVE 7901), with an additional graduate elective if needed to meet the 31-credit requirement.

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

• hold specialized credentials and/or licensure in their specialized field of practice
• be the lead engineer on complex engineering projects
• be in a leadership position in a professional society or community/civic organization which benefits from the knowledge of a professionally trained engineer

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:

• analyze a complex problem in a civil engineering specialty area using advanced concepts and principles
• design multiple solutions to a complex problem in a civil engineering specialty area in accordance with current standards, specifications, and selected economic, social, and environmental constraints, as applicable
• effectively communicate the results of the analysis and design of a complex problem in a civil engineering specialty area in both a) oral and b) written form