The Master of Civil Engineering is designed to empower professionals with the cutting-edge knowledge and skills needed to shape the future of our built environment. As our cities grow, as our infrastructure ages, and as environmental and social challenges evolve, this program equips engineers to design, build, and maintain critical structures and infrastructure systems that sustain our world.
With a diverse array of graduate courses, students can specialize in a number of areas within civil engineering, or customize a broader civil engineering curriculum to align with their unique career goals. Designed for flexibility, courses are delivered online, in either synchronous or asynchronous formats, with select in-person offerings on the Homewood Campus—ensuring that wherever you are, you can advance your expertise and make a positive impact.
Admission Requirements
Applicants (degree seeking and special student) must meet the general requirements for admission to graduate study as outlined in the Admission Requirements. The applicant’s prior education must include a degree in civil engineering or a closely related technical discipline. Admitted students typically have earned a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (B or above) in the latter half of their undergraduate studies. Transcripts from all college studies must be submitted. When reviewing an application, the candidate’s academic and professional background will be considered.
Applicants with a degree in a field closely related to civil engineering may be accepted to the program provided they demonstrate the successful completion of coursework from a regionally accredited institution including: Calculus I, Calculus II, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations, Physics I, Statics, Mechanics of Materials, Theory of Structures, Soil Mechanics, and Structural Design in Steel and Reinforced Concrete. Applicants whose prior education does not include the prerequisites listed may enroll under provisional status, followed by full admission status once they have completed the missing prerequisites.
Program Requirements
The Master of Civil Engineering (MCE) degree program requires the successful completion of ten graduate courses within five years. Students must select from one of the focus areas offered. Each focus area contains a unique set of core and elective courses designed to guide students through the program so they are prepared for professional advancement in their chosen field after graduation. Focus areas require one math course, 1 - 2 core engineering courses that are fundamental to that focus area, and 4 electives within the focus area. The remaining 3 - 4 courses may be selected from within your focus area or within some other focus area, including up to two Independent Study courses (EN.565.800. and EN.565.801). A maximum of one course may be taken from outside of civil engineering (i.e. EN.565.XXX courses).
Focus Areas
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Structural Engineering | ||
| Geotechnical Engineering | ||
| Ocean and Coastal Engineering | ||
| Natural Hazards Resilience | ||
| Preservation Engineering | ||
| Civil Engineering | ||
Structural Engineering Focus Area
Structural Engineers are responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the structures that society relies on to provide shelter, enable transportation, distribute energy, and to treat and move water and wastewater. This focus area does not prepare students for design of any one type of structure; rather it provides broad instruction in the analysis and design of structures designed using various materials and structural forms, and under the action of vertical and lateral loads.
The prerequisites for the structural engineering focus area include: statics, mechanics of materials, theory of structures, steel design, and reinforced concrete design.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | Credits | |
| Two core courses are required: | ||
| EN.565.604 | Structural Mechanics | 3 |
| EN.535.641 | Mathematical Methods For Engineers | 3 |
| Electives | Credits | |
| Select at least four structural engineering elective courses from the following options. The remaining four elective courses may be selected from any of the civil engineering (i.e. 565.XXX) course offerings: 2 | ||
| EN.565.608 | BIM Applications in Civil Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.616 | Applied Finite Element Methods | 3 |
| EN.565.619 | Advanced Structural Analysis | 3 |
| EN.565.620 | Advanced Steel Design | 3 |
| EN.565.622 | Advanced Reinforced Concrete Design | 3 |
| EN.565.623 | Bridge Design and Evaluation | 3 |
| EN.565.626 | Design of Wood Structures | 3 |
| EN.565.628 | Preservation Engineering I: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| EN.565.630 | Prestressed Concrete Design | 3 |
| EN.565.631 | Preservation Engineering II: Theory & Practice | 3 |
| EN.565.633 | Investigation, Diagnosis, and Rehabilitation | 3 |
| EN.565.636 | Lateral Forces: Analysis and Design of Building Structures | 3 |
| EN.565.637 | Preservation Engineering in the Urban Context | 3 |
| EN.565.641 | Fundamentals of Construction Management | 3 |
| EN.565.682 | Design of Ocean Structures | 3 |
| EN.565.720 | Special Topics in Civil Engineering Structures | 3 |
| EN.565.731 | Structural Dynamics | 3 |
| EN.565.732 | Earthquake Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.734 | Wind Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.736 | Structural Fire Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.740 | Structural Stability | 3 |
| 2. A maximum of one elective course may be taken from outside of civil engineering unless permission is granted by the civil engineering program chair. | ||
Geotechnical Engineering Focus Area
Geotechnical Engineers are experts in the mechanics of subterranean materials (soils, rocks, etc.) and have the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that our structures and infrastructure systems are supported by safe, stable foundations. Not limited to foundations, geotechnical engineers also analyze and design tunnels, retaining walls, slopes, dams, and embankments for all manner of load conditions, and consider failures unique to geotechnical engineering such as landslides and soil settlements.
The prerequisites for the geotechnical engineering focus area include: statics, mechanics of materials, and soil mechanics.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | Credits | |
| Two core courses are required: | ||
| EN.565.606 | Geotechnical Engineering Principles | 3 |
| EN.535.641 | Mathematical Methods For Engineers | 3 |
| Electives | Credits | |
| Select at least four geotechnical engineering elective courses from the following options. The remaining four elective courses may be selected from any of the civil engineering (i.e. 565.XXX) course offerings: 2 | ||
| EN.565.641 | Fundamentals of Construction Management | 3 |
| EN.565.664 | Advanced Foundation Design | 3 |
| EN.565.680 | Marine Geotechnical Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.762 | Ground Improvement Methods | 3 |
| EN.565.764 | Retaining Structures and Slope Stability | 3 |
| EN.575.626 | Hydrogeology | 3 |
| EN.575.629 | Modeling Contaminant Migration through Multimedia Systems | 3 |
| EN.575.640 | Geospatial Intelligence: the art and science for better understanding our world | 3 |
| EN.575.703 | Environmental Biotechnology | 3 |
| 2. A maximum of one elective course may be taken from outside of civil engineering unless permission is granted by the civil engineering program chair. | ||
Ocean and Coastal Engineering Focus Area
Ocean and coastal engineers design solutions to challenges that impact our coastlines, waterways, and marine infrastructure, including ports, harbors, breakwaters, seawalls, as well as offshore platforms and renewable energy systems. With expertise in hydrodynamics, coastal processes, and structural engineering, they have the skills necessary to design and implement solutions that mitigate the impacts of erosion, sea-level rise, hurricanes, and other coastal hazards, ensuring that coastal communities and marine structures remain resilient in the face of changing environmental conditions.
The prerequisites for the ocean and coastal engineering focus area include: statics, mechanics of materials, fluid mechanics, theory of structures, steel design, and reinforced concrete design.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | Credits | |
| Two core courses are required: | ||
| EN.565.682 | Design of Ocean Structures | 3 |
| EN.535.641 | Mathematical Methods For Engineers | 3 |
| Electives | Credits | |
| Select at least four ocean / coastal engineering elective courses from the following options. The remaining four elective courses may be selected from any of the civil engineering (i.e. 565.XXX) course offerings: 2 | ||
| EN.535.621 | Intermediate Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| EN.565.658 | Natural Disaster Risk Modeling | 3 |
| EN.565.680 | Marine Geotechnical Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.684 | Port & Harbor Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.686 | Sustainable Coastal Engineering | 3 |
| EN.575.708 | Open Channel Hydraulics | 3 |
| EN.575.717 | Hydrology | 3 |
| EN.575.728 | Sediment Transport and River Mechanics | 3 |
| EN.565.734 | Wind Engineering | 3 |
| 2. A maximum of one elective course may be taken from outside of civil engineering unless permission is granted by the civil engineering program chair. | ||
Natural Hazards Resilience Design Focus Area
Understanding how to design for and mitigate the impacts of natural hazards is becoming increasingly important for any professional maintaining or designing the structures and infrastructure systems critical to society. This focus area provides instruction in fundamentals related to earthquakes, wind events, structural fires, and sea level rise.
The prerequisites for this focus area include: statics, mechanics of materials, theory of structures, steel design, and reinforced concrete design.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | Credits | |
| Two core courses are required: | ||
| EN.565.658 | Natural Disaster Risk Modeling | 3 |
| EN.535.641 | Mathematical Methods For Engineers | 3 |
| Electives | Credits | |
| Select at least four natural disaster resilience elective courses from the following options. The remaining four elective courses may be selected from any of the civil engineering (i.e. 565.XXX) course offerings: 2 | ||
| EN.565.731 | Structural Dynamics | 3 |
| EN.565.732 | Earthquake Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.734 | Wind Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.736 | Structural Fire Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.686 | Sustainable Coastal Engineering | 3 |
| EN.575.640 | Geospatial Intelligence: the art and science for better understanding our world | 3 |
| EN.575.711 | Climate Change and Global Environmental Sustainability | 3 |
| 2. A maximum of one elective course may be taken from outside of civil engineering unless permission is granted by the civil engineering program chair. | ||
Preservation Engineering Focus Area
Preservation Engineers assess existing structures and develop plans for their rehabilitation, restoration, or adaptive reuse. Much of our existing building stock was constructed using archaic building materials and design codes. Preservation Engineering courses explore those materials and codes, as well as the methods used by professional engineers working on these unique structures.
The prerequisites for the preservation engineering focus area include: statics, mechanics of materials, theory of structures, steel design, and reinforced concrete design.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | Credits | |
| Two core courses are required: | ||
| EN.565.619 | Advanced Structural Analysis | 3 |
| EN.535.641 | Mathematical Methods For Engineers | 3 |
| Electives | Credits | |
| Select at least four structural engineering elective courses from the following options. The remaining four elective courses may be selected from any of the civil engineering (i.e. 565.XXX) course offerings: 2 | ||
| EN.565.604 | Structural Mechanics | 3 |
| EN.565.608 | BIM Applications in Civil Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.616 | Applied Finite Element Methods | 3 |
| EN.565.626 | Design of Wood Structures | 3 |
| EN.565.628 | Preservation Engineering I: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| EN.565.631 | Preservation Engineering II: Theory & Practice | 3 |
| EN.565.633 | Investigation, Diagnosis, and Rehabilitation | 3 |
| EN.565.636 | Lateral Forces: Analysis and Design of Building Structures | 3 |
| EN.565.637 | Preservation Engineering in the Urban Context | 3 |
| 2. A maximum of one elective course may be taken from outside of civil engineering unless permission is granted by the civil engineering program chair. | ||
Civil Engineering Focus Area
Civil engineers have a broad set of skills that enable them to design, build, and maintain the essential infrastructure that supports our modern civilization. Their expertise spans structural integrity, environmental sustainability, geotechnical analysis, transportation systems, water resource management, and beyond. This focus area is designed for the generalist - the civil engineer whose work requires a broad set of skills - and therefore allows students to maximize the breadth of coursework in their graduate studies.
The prerequisites for the civil engineering focus area include: statics, mechanics of materials, soil mechanics, theory of structures, steel design, and reinforced concrete design.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | Credits | |
| Four core courses are required: | ||
| EN.535.641 | Mathematical Methods For Engineers | 3 |
| EN.565.604 | Structural Mechanics | 3 |
| EN.565.606 | Geotechnical Engineering Principles | 3 |
| EN.575.601 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| Electives | Credits | |
| Select at least four civil engineering elective courses from the following options. The remaining two elective courses may be selected from any of the civil engineering (i.e. 565.XXX) course offerings: 1 | ||
| EN.565.608 | BIM Applications in Civil Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.619 | Advanced Structural Analysis | 3 |
| EN.565.620 | Advanced Steel Design | 3 |
| EN.565.622 | Advanced Reinforced Concrete Design | 3 |
| EN.565.623 | Bridge Design and Evaluation | 3 |
| EN.565.626 | Design of Wood Structures | 3 |
| EN.565.630 | Prestressed Concrete Design | 3 |
| EN.565.641 | Fundamentals of Construction Management | 3 |
| EN.565.658 | Natural Disaster Risk Modeling | 3 |
| EN.565.664 | Advanced Foundation Design | 3 |
| EN.565.680 | Marine Geotechnical Engineering | 3 |
| EN.565.686 | Sustainable Coastal Engineering | 3 |
| EN.575.605 | Principles of Water and Wastewater Treatment | 3 |
| EN.575.608 | Optimization Methods for Public Decision Making | 3 |
| EN.575.611 | Economic Foundations for Public Decision Making | 3 |
| EN.575.640 | Geospatial Intelligence: the art and science for better understanding our world | 3 |
| EN.575.708 | Open Channel Hydraulics | 3 |
| EN.575.714 | Water Resources Management | 3 |
| EN.575.717 | Hydrology | 3 |
| 1. Of the remaining three courses, a minimum of two must be fulfilled by elective courses in any of the civil engineering program's focus areas, and a maximum of one course may be fulfilled by a course outside of the elective courses in any of the civil engineering program's focus areas. | ||
Please refer to the course schedule (ep.jhu.edu/schedule) published each term for exact dates, times, locations, fees, and instructors.