Building a Better Future, One Innovation at a Time
Are you ready to address the challenges of aging infrastructure, green technology, and complex engineering projects? The Master of Science in Civil Engineering program equips you with advanced analytical skills and industry-standard tools to solve today’s toughest engineering problems while opening doors to career advancement.
This program, developed by experienced faculty and industry advisors, offers six concentrations: Environmental, Structural, Construction, Transportation, Geotechnical, and Water Resources Engineering. You’ll have the flexibility to tailor your studies with three pathways to completion: thesis, project, or coursework-only options. Most courses are offered in the evenings, allowing you to earn your degree in as few as three semesters.
As a graduate student, you’ll gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge facilities, including:
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Technical Electives
24
Initiation of a graduate thesis based on applied research. Normally available only with an approved and funded project.
ECE6073
3
Completion of thesis. Normally available only with an approved project.
ECE6083
3
Total Credits:
30
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Technical Electives
24
Completion of research or design project which merges infrastructure concerns with the student’s area of specialization. Report required.
ECE6053
3
Total Credits:
30
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Technical Electives
33
Total Credits:
33
Students within the MSCE program are required to select a concentration and complete a minimum of four graduate level courses (12 credits) in one specific subdiscipline:
Exceptions will be made when deemed necessary, often dependent on course availability and graduation timeline.
(N/A for Construction Engineering concentration)
Students with a MSCE degree must complete a breadth of courses that require analytical abilities to solve complex problems. Therefore, students must obtain a minimum of 14 analytical credits (ACs). The amount of ACs obtained is different for every course and are listed with the MSCE Courses above. The number of ACs for specific courses may alter over time but an unexpected reduction in ACs will be accommodated when required when a student is near graduation. The amount of ACs for special topics and directed study will be determined from the course content.
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Course not found.
ECE5323
3
(AC = 0)
Course not found.
ECE5333
3
(AC = 0)
Graduate Directed Study
ECE 5911–3
1-3
(AC = TBD)
May need permission of department chairman. Material of a specialized nature that is of interest to faculty and students. Lecture 3 hours.
ECE5923
3
(AC = TBD, construction topic not included in this group, must be other discipline)
Completion of research or design project which merges infrastructure concerns with the student’s area of specialization. Report required.
ECE6053
3
(AC = 3)
Initiation of a graduate thesis based on applied research. Normally available only with an approved and funded project.
ECE6073
3
(AC = 3)
Completion of thesis. Normally available only with an approved project.
ECE6083
3
(AC = 3)
An in-depth of physical and mechanical properties of concrete mixtures is conducted during this course. Major topics include hydration of cement and supplementary cementitious materials at the microstructure level, fundamental behavior of concrete to applied and environmental loads and the effects admixtures have on fresh and hardened properties. Analysis of the procedures and interpretation of various concrete tests and analysis of laboratory and field data to solve practical problems in concrete acceptance are also covered.
ECE6113
3
(AC = 2)
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Remediation management at contaminated sites involving remedial investigation and feasibility study process. Remedial investigation focuses on data collection and site characterization. Feasibility study emphasizes data analysis and decision making on applicable remedial technologies. Discussion of subsurface transport fate of contaminants. Must have Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
ECE5323
3
(AC = 2)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of instructor Methods of source testing and monitoring. Control of air pollution by process modification and various air pollution control methods. Design techniques coupled with air dispersion modeling and their relative effectiveness.
ECE5333
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5343
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5353
3
(AC = 0)
Course not found.
ECE5363
3
(AC = 3)
Course not found.
ECE5393
3
(AC = TBD)
Course not found.
ECE6313
3
(AC = 2)
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Course not found.
ECE5413
3
(AC = 2)
Waste containment facilities design, construction and operation; including linear systems and geosynthetics, interaction of soil with chemicals and transport of chemicals and water in soils. Must have Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
ECE5423
3
(AC = 1)
Course not found.
ECE5433
3
(AC = 2)
Design methodology for civil engineering application using geosynthetics. Geosynthetics are planar products manufactured from polymeric materials used with soil, rock, earth, or other geotechnical engineering related material as an integral part of a man-made project, structure, or system. Manufacturing, material testing, and design aspects related to reinforcement, filtration, drainage, separation, and containment applications, Design approaches are emphasized. Lecture 3 hours.
ECE5443
3
(AC = 1)
Analysis and design of retaining walls, braced cuts, tie back cuts, and mechanically stabilized earth. Lateral earth pressure due to soil, water, surcharge, and other effects; local and overall stability; and the design of eart retaining systems.
ECE5473
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5493
3
(AC = TBD)
Course not found.
ECE6413
3
(AC = 3)
Course not found.
ECE6423
3
(AC = 3)
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Construction and engineering concepts related to timber or wood design. Review of applicable building codes. Design based on the ASD/LRFD National Design Specification for Wood Structures, latest edition. Design topics include lumber specifications, design values, strength modification values, beam design, shear design, bearing design, column design, beam-columns, tension members, structural walls, and diaphragms. Connection topics using nails, screws, bolts and split rings.
ECE5703
3
(AC = 1)
Course not found.
ECE5713
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5723
3
(AC = 3)
This course covers construction and engineering concepts for masonry design with an emphasis in concrete masonry structures. Both ASD/SD methods are employed in the course following MSJC “Building Code and Specifications for Masonry Structures”. Design topics include material properties, section properties, flexural design, axial load design, combined loading, shear wall design, slender wall design, prestressed masonry design, anchor bolt design, unreinforced masonry design and concentrated load analysis.
ECE5733
3
(AC = 2)
Advanced topics in reinforced concrete design using the most recent ACI 318, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. Topics include the design of columns, design of slender columns, design of two-way slab systems for flexure, shear, and deflections, deep beam design, torsional design, wall design, and analysis of beam-column joints.
ECE5753
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5763
3
(AC = 2)
Advanced topics in structural design using the most recent AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings. Includes advanced connection design such as truss connections, moment connections, bracing connections, eccentric connections, HSS connections, and the concept of prying action. Includes stability analysis and design per AISC code and advanced stability concepts. Methods also presented for plate girder design, composite beam design, torsional analysis and design, fiber-based models, inelastic analysis and design, and introduction to seismic detailing.
ECE5773
3
(AC = 2)
This course introduces the structural design and evaluation of major elements of modern typical highway bridges. This course will also focus on maintenance, rehabilitation, budget constraints, and various other aspects of bridge network management a bridge owner is responsible for. The objective is to introduce students the concepts, requirements and fundamental skills for highway bridge design and evaluation. Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to design the major structural elements of typical highway bridges according to current AASHTO standards for both LFD and LRFD design specifications.
ECE5783
3
(AC = 1)
Course not found.
ECE5793
3
(AC = TBD)
Course not found.
ECE6723
3
(AC = 2)
This course provides an understanding of finite elements in elasticity for civil engineering problems with an emphasis in structural engineering. Major topics include the formulation and use of several different types of elements such as truss elements, frame elements, beam elements, shell elements, and plate elements. The course also includes the calculation of different element stiffness matrices and the assembly of the global stiffness matrix. This course also discusses the use of different element types for unique problems and the importance of proper boundary conditions and constraints. Several other topics may include theory of elasticity, shape functions, interpolation methods, constant strain triangles, convergence criteria, virtual work, and energy methods.
ECE6733
3
(AC = 3)
Damped and undamped free vibration analysis of single and multiple degree of freedom systems; forced vibration analysis of single and multiple degree of freedom systems for harmonic loading and for random functions using integration and acceleration methods; generalized signal degree of freedom systems; elastoplastic analysis of dynamic systems; earthquake engineering and design spectrum applications; finite element applications; ASCE seismic design applications.
ECE6743
3
(AC = 3)
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Course not found.
ECE5813
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5823
3
(AC = 1)
This course addresses concepts of traffic engineering, traffic studies and traffic control. Major topics include introduction to traffic flow theory, traffic control devices, traffic data analysis, freeway and multilane highway traffic management, signalized intersection analysis and emerging technologies in traffic management.
ECE5833
3
(AC = 1)
This course addresses concepts of highway safety engineering. Major topics include crash data analysis, statistical methods, site investigation methods, and principles and evaluation of effectiveness of highway safety improvements.
ECE5843
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5853
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5893
3
(AC = TBD)
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of instructor An investigation into multi-purpose river usage. Sediment erosion, transportation and deposition in rivers and reservoirs. Channel modification practices and impacts. Hydraulic design of river structures. River restoration techniques. Computer modeling. Possible field trips.
ECE5523
3
(AC = 2)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of instructor An overview course on coastal engineering including Great Lake applications. Fundamentals of water wave motion including wave generation, propagation, and breaking. Coastal sediment transport and shore erosion processes. Functional planning and design of costal structures. Computer modeling. Possible field trips.
ECE5533
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5543
3
(AC = 2)
Course not found.
ECE5553
3
(AC = 1)
Course not found.
ECE5593
3
(AC = TBD)
Course not found.
ECE6513
3
(AC = 3)
If construction engineering is selected as the concentration, requirements more specific are necessary as outlined herein. This option is intended for those seeking a Thesis option only. A course only option is available in the Master of Construction Engineering Management program. This option is a 30-credit option that includes 6 credits of thesis work.
Must complete following courses.
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Course not found.
ECE5523
3
Course not found.
ECE5533
3
Course not found.
ECE5543
3
Advanced procedures and methods to prepare quantity measurements, obtain material costs and develop conceptual estimates based on the building systems method. In-class and on-line lectures by the instructors and guest experts address generating estimates within the framework of integrated project delivery methods, such as design-build and construction management. Students participate in individual and group projects where they learn problem-solving and best practice techniques for generating conceptual estimates while utilizing the Uniformat classification system.
ECE5553
3
Initiation of a graduate thesis based on applied research. Normally available only with an approved and funded project.
ECE6073
3
Completion of thesis. Normally available only with an approved project.
ECE6083
3
(AC = 3)
The six courses above shall be combined with four of the following electives*. A minimum of one of the four must be taken at the 6000 level.
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Course not found.
ECE5203
3
This course introduces students to the business, construction and design aspects of design-build project delivery. Students compare and contrast various delivery methods with traditional and hybrid design-build methods. Best practices for team building and integrating all aspects of the project are discussed. Prescriptive and performance specifications are discussed and contrasted. The procurement process for public and independent projects, including quality based selection, is reviewed.
ECE5213
3
Course not found.
ECE5233
3
Course not found.
ECE5243
3
Course not found.
ECE5253
3
This course is a survey of legal issues with respect to the construction industry. Topics discussed include bid errors and disputes, contract disputes involving schedule claims, and changed conditions. Students are provided an overview of the legal considerations of various project delivery methods, and the clauses found in proprietary and industry standard contract documents. The requirements of the Michigan Lien Law, the Builder’s Trust Fund, and other construction related statues are reviewed and discussed.
ECE5273
3
An in-depth of physical and mechanical properties of concrete mixtures is conducted during this course. Major topics include hydration of cement and supplementary cementitious materials at the microstructure level, fundamental behavior of concrete to applied and environmental loads and the effects admixtures have on fresh and hardened properties. Analysis of the procedures and interpretation of various concrete tests and analysis of laboratory and field data to solve practical problems in concrete acceptance are also covered.
ECE6113
3
Course not found.
ECE6223
3
Course not found.
ECE6213
3
*A student may replace one elective above with a course outside of the list if approved by the program director.
The Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE) program was developed for graduates of accredited undergraduate engineering programs in civil engineering who maintained a 3.0 GPA. However, the Graduate Admissions Committee will consider provisional admission for others, provided they demonstrate aptitude for doing graduate work in this area and hold a bachelor of science degree in a related technical field. International students are required to submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score to demonstrate their English proficiency.
You will work with the Admissions Office and the Graduate Admissions Committee during the application process. The Admissions Office will collect the information and the Graduate Admissions Committee will evaluate the information for acceptance.
If the Graduate Admissions Committee grants you provisional admission, you may be required to enroll in pre-core crossover courses before being allowed to enroll in some of the core program courses. No graduate credit will be granted for these pre-requisite courses.
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