Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCVE)
Milwaukee, USA
DURATION
2 up to 5 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 865 / per credit
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Scholarships
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Introduction
MSOE’s Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCVE) program is designed to equip students with the advanced knowledge and skills necessary for professional practice.
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 ConM specialty offers a blend of coursework emphasizing advanced topics in construction management, supplemented by business administration courses, and marketing and strategic management principles. The EWRE specialty provides students with advanced coursework in facilities planning, environmental law, and life cycle assessment. The StrE specialty focuses on topics in the analysis and design of structural systems for buildings and bridges.
About MSOE
At MSOE you will find dreamers, thinkers, makers, and doers. It is the university of choice for those seeking a community of experimental learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. MSOE faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes our students ready now, as well as prepared for the future. Partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors. We challenge our students to go beyond what is possible.
As a highly ranked engineering university in the US, MSOE focuses on laboratory experience and career practice. MSOE challenges students to think outside the box and apply a hands-on approach to solving problems.
MSOE students are hard-working, creative, and have a desire to know more. Our close-knit community of only 3,000 students gives the opportunity to work hand in hand with classmates and professors and allows students to bring practical knowledge to the classroom. Overall, MSOE is the university of choice for students looking to pursue their passions and challenge the standard. MSOE will set the standard for preparing leaders to solve the diverse technical challenges of the 21st century.
Curriculum
Curriculum Format
The MSCVE program requires completion of 45 graduate credits. At least 36 of these credits shall be taken from courses within the student’s chosen specialty; up to 9 credits may be taken from courses within other civil engineering specialty areas or from courses offered by other departments.
During the last year of the student’s graduate studies, the student must complete either (a) a nine-credit, three-quarter Capstone Project consisting of CV-800, CV-890, and CV-892, or (b) a three-credit, one-quarter Capstone Report consisting of CV-800 only. The former is appropriate for students wishing to conduct graduate-level research for personal enrichment or as preparation for subsequent graduate studies; the latter is appropriate for students who wish to take additional coursework in preparation for professional civil engineering practice.
Many of the classes meet in the evenings so students may attend class while working in the 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 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), and transportation engineering (Transpo).
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 transportation engineering specialty focuses on advanced topics in the design of roadways, transportation systems, traffic analysis, and traffic safety.
The student has two options to complete 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 topics 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 the 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 Outcome
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 licensed professional engineers
- 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