University Catalog 2024-2025

Civil Engineering (MS)

Master of Science Degree Requirements

Students may choose from the specializations below to complete coursework within a focus area.

Degrees earned will be distributed as: "Master of Science" without specialization specifications.

Computing & Systems Specialization

  • Select at least five courses in the CE department
Core Courses
Select a minimum of two courses of the following:6
Introduction to Numerical Methods for Civil Engineers
Computer Methods and Applications
Special Topics in Civil Engineering Computing
Computer-Aided Engineering Systems
Advanced Topics in Civil Engineering Computing (High performance computer modeling)
Advanced Topics in Civil Engineering Computing (Evolutionary computation)
Advanced Topics in Civil Engineering Computing (Inverse modeling)
Advanced Topics in Civil Engineering Computing (Advanced methods for systems analysis)
CE 7XX
Complex adaptive systems analysis
Electives 1
CE 775Modeling and Analysis Of Environmental Systems3
CE 776Advanced Water Management Systems3
CE 796Advanced Topics in Water Resource and Environmental Engineering (Stochastic Methods)3
CE 724Probabilistic Methods Of Structural Engineering3
CE 721Matrix and Finite Element Structural Analysis3
Electives 2
ISE 501Introduction to Operations Research3
MA/ISE 505Linear Programming3
ISE 708Integer Programming3
ISE 709Dynamic Programming3
ISE 712Bayesian Decision Analysis For Engineers and Managers3
MA 501Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists I3
MA 502Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists II3
MA/CSC 580Numerical Analysis I3
MA/CSC 583Introduction to Parallel Computing3
MA 584Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations--Finite Difference Methods3
MA 587Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations--Finite Element Method3
MA/ST 706Nonlinear Programming3
CSC 501Operating Systems Principles3
CSC 548Parallel Systems3
Thesis Research
CE 695Master's Thesis Research3-6
Total Hours66-69
1

Other relevant departmental courses

2

Other recommended courses

Construction Engineering Specialization

Select a minimum of seven courses CON XXX21
Select one of the following:3
CON XXX
Introduction to Numerical Methods for Civil Engineers
Computer Methods and Applications
Information Technology and Modeling
Special Topics in Construction Engineering
Theory and Design Of Prestressed Concrete
Theory and Behavior Of Steel Structures
Analysis and Design Of Masonry Structures
Structural Design in Wood
Engineering Properties Of Soils I
Soil and Site Improvement
Foundation Engineering
Transportation System Design
Airport Planning and Design
Highway Pavement Design
Special Topics In Civil Engineering
Introduction to Operations Research
Applied Engineering Economy
Simulation Modeling
Experimental Statistics for Engineers I
Experimental Statistics For Engineers II
Special Topics in Engineering
CE 675Civil Engineering Projects (3 hours maximum)3
CE 695Master's Thesis Research6
Total Hours33

Environmental, Water Resources, and Coastal Engineering Specialization

  • 30 graduate-level credit hours
CE 607Water Resource and Environmental Engineering Seminar1
CE 695Master's Thesis Research1-6
Total Hours2-7

Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Specialization

  • 30 graduate-level credit hours
CE 695Master's Thesis Research6
Total Hours6

Mechanics and Materials Specialization

  • 30 graduate-level credit hours
CE 695Master's Thesis Research1-6
Total Hours1-6

Structural Engineering and Mechanics Specialization

Core Courses
CE 515Advanced Strength of Materials3
CE 526Finite Element Method in Structural Engineering3
CE 527Structural Dynamics3
Select one of the following SEM Behavior and Design courses:3
Theory and Design Of Prestressed Concrete
Theory and Behavior Of Steel Structures
Analysis and Design Of Masonry Structures
Structural Design in Wood
FRP Strengthening and Repair of Concrete Structures
Advanced Theory Of Concrete Structures
Advanced Topics in Structures and Mechanics
Select two of the following additional SEM courses:6
Advanced Structural Analysis
Matrix and Finite Element Structural Analysis
Properties of Concrete and Advanced Cement-Based Composites
Stress Waves
Constitutive Modeling of Engineering Materials
Mechanics and Failure of Quasi-Brittle Materials
Advanced Structural Dynamics
Probabilistic Methods Of Structural Engineering
Earthquake Structural Engineering
Theory and Design Of Prestressed Concrete
Theory and Behavior Of Steel Structures
Analysis and Design Of Masonry Structures
Structural Design in Wood
FRP Strengthening and Repair of Concrete Structures
Advanced Theory Of Concrete Structures
Advanced Topics in Structures and Mechanics
Electives
CE 695Master's Thesis Research1-6
Total Hours19-24

Electives

CE 525Advanced Structural Analysis3
CE 721Matrix and Finite Element Structural Analysis3
CE 530Properties of Concrete and Advanced Cement-Based Composites3
CE 714Stress Waves3
CE 718Constitutive Modeling of Engineering Materials3
CE 730Mechanics and Failure of Quasi-Brittle Materials3
CE 723Advanced Structural Dynamics3
CE 724Probabilistic Methods Of Structural Engineering3
CE 725Earthquake Structural Engineering3
CE 522Theory and Design Of Prestressed Concrete3
CE 523Theory and Behavior Of Steel Structures3
CE 524Analysis and Design Of Masonry Structures3
CE 528Structural Design in Wood3
CE 529FRP Strengthening and Repair of Concrete Structures3
CE 726Advanced Theory Of Concrete Structures3
CE 794Advanced Topics in Structures and Mechanics1-3
CE 537Computer Methods and Applications3
CE 591Special Topics in Civil Engineering Computing1-6
CE 737Computer-Aided Engineering Systems3
CE 791Advanced Topics in Civil Engineering Computing (High Performance Computing)1-3
CE 548Engineering Properties Of Soils I3
CE 593Special Topics in Geotechnical Engineering (Unsaturated Soil Mechanics)3
CE 593Special Topics in Geotechnical Engineering (Site Response Analysis)3
CE 741Geomechanics of Stress Deformation3
CE 742Deformation and Instability of Soils3
CE 744Foundation Engineering3
CE 746Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering3
CE 747Geosynthetics in Geotechnical Engineering3
CE 596Special Topics in Water Resource and Environmental Engineering (Engineering Measurement and Data Analysis)3
CE 594Special Topics in Structures and Mechanics (Nondestructive Evaluation of Civil Infrastructure)3
CE 759Inelastic Behavior Of Construction Materials3
MA 405Introduction to Linear Algebra3
MA 501Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists I3
MA 502Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists II3
CE 675Civil Engineering Projects (Independent Study)1-3

Transportation Materials and Systems Specialization

  • 30-31 graduate credit hours
  • 24/30 credits at 500-level or higher
Related Courses
CE 501Transportation Planning3
CE 502Traffic Operations3
CE 503Transportation System Design3
CE 504Airport Planning and Design3
CE 5063
CE 509Highway Safety3
CE 594Special Topics in Structures and Mechanics (Nondestructive Testing)1-6
CE 595Special Topics in Transportation Engineering (Asphalt/Bituminous Materials)1-6
CE 595Special Topics in Transportation Engineering (Sensors and Instrumentation)1-6
CE 595Special Topics in Transportation Engineering (Railroad Engineering)1-6
CE 595Special Topics in Transportation Engineering (Unconventional Intersection and Interchange Design)1-6
CE 701Urban Transportation Planning3
CE 702Traffic Flow Theory3
CE 705Transportation Systems Management3
CE 706Advanced Traffic Control3
CE 707Transportation Policy and Funding3
CE 755Highway Pavement Design3
CE 757Pavement Management Systems3
CE 759Inelastic Behavior Of Construction Materials3
CE 795Advanced Topics in Transportation Engineering (Transportation Economics)1-3
CE 795Advanced Topics in Transportation Engineering (Transportation Logistics)1-3
Thesis Research
Select up to six credit hours1-6

Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degree Requirements

The Accelerated Bachelors/Master’s (ABM) degree program allows exceptional undergraduate students at NC State an opportunity to complete the requirements for both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at an accelerated pace. These undergraduate students may double count up to 12 credits and obtain a non-thesis Master’s degree in the same field within 12 months of completing the Bachelor’s degree, or obtain a thesis-based Master’s degree in the same field within 18 months of completing the Bachelor’s degree.

This degree program also provides an opportunity for the Directors of Graduate Programs (DGPs) at NC State to recruit rising juniors in their major to their graduate programs. However, permission to pursue an ABM degree program does not guarantee admission to the Graduate School. Admission is contingent on meeting eligibility requirements at the time of entering the graduate program.

CCEE Department ABM Admission

The CCEE department encourages excellent undergraduate students to obtain a master’s degree in their chosen field of specialization within 2 to 3 semesters past BS graduation, through double counting up to 9 credit hours towards both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. This is referred to as the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s (ABM) degree program. Following is the pathway for the ABM program.

Step 1 – Verify your eligibility for applying to the ABM program

  • You must have completed at least 75 credit hours (this typically means junior standing)
    • If you are a transfer student, you must have completed at least two semesters at NCSU, earning a minimum of 24 credit hours
  • You must not have already received a BS degree
  • You must have an overall GPA ≥ 3.5 and major GPA ≥ 3.25

Step 2 – Apply for ABM by following the steps below

  • Determine your area of interest from the list of graduate specialty areas on the next page.
  • Talk to the ABM advisor in the specialty area (provided below), and agree on a tentative ABM Plan of Work (POW) that would suit your interests and satisfy the ABM requirements. A finalized ABM POW must be in place before completion of the BS degree.
  • Submit an application at go.ncsu.edu/ccee-abm, which includes the tentative ABM POW.
    • The application will first be reviewed by the ABM advisor and a recommendation will be made to the department. The final determination will be made after a joint review by the directors of undergraduate and graduate programs, after which you will be notified.

Step 3 – While in the ABM program, maintain status by following the steps below:

  • With the specialty area ABM advisor’s help, prepare a tentative Graduate POW, that complements the Undergraduate POW.
    • Up to 9 credit hours can be double counted, they must be at the 500 level, and they must be selected from the approved list of courses in the specialty area (provided in the subsequent pages).
    • The (tentative) Graduate POW must be formally approved by the ABM advisor.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure that both the Graduate POW and Undergraduate POW satisfy the respective master’s and undergraduate degree requirements
  • You must maintain an overall GPA ≥ 3.5 and a major GPA ≥ 3.25 until you enter the master’s program.
  • Only graduate courses with a grade ≥ B can be double counted. Courses with a grade ≤ B- cannot be counted towards the master’s degree.
  • Towards the end of your bachelor’s program, you must formally apply to the master’s program, per deadlines published by the graduate school. Note that the GRE may be waived for ABM students – consult with your ABM advisor. The application must include to include a completed and signed ABM Plan of Work.
  • You must complete the master’s degree within a time limit (12 months if MCE/MENE, 18 months if MSCE/MSENE), to take advantage of the double counting associated with the ABM. If you do not graduate within this time, you will be considered a regular master’s student needing to take the full 30/31 graduate credits solely towards your master’s degree.

Graduate Specialty Areas for ABM

Degrees earned will be distributed as: "Master of Civil Engineering" without  specialization specifications.

  • Computing and Systems
  • Construction Engineering
  • EWC – Air
  • EWC – Environmental Process Engineering
  • EWC – Water Resource and Coastal Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Structural Engineering and Mechanics
  • Transportation Materials
  • Transportation Systems

Allowable Courses by Specialty Area

COMPUTING SYSTEMS

CE 536Introduction to Numerical Methods for Civil Engineers3
CE 537Computer Methods and Applications3
CE 538Information Technology and Modeling3
CE 590Special Topics In Civil Engineering (Civil Engineering Systems)1-6

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

CE 561Construction Project Management3
CE 562Lean Construction Concepts and Methods3
CE 564Legal Aspects of Contracting3
CE 565Construction Safety Management3
CE 567Risk and Financial Management in Construction3
CE 592Special Topics in Construction Engineering1-6
Other courses may selected and approved in conjunction with the academic committee, examples include but are not subject to:
Advanced Strength of Materials
Theory and Design Of Prestressed Concrete
Theory and Behavior Of Steel Structures
Analysis and Design Of Masonry Structures
Engineering Properties Of Soils I

EWC – AIR

CE 576Engineering Principles Of Air Pollution Control *3
CE 578Energy and Climate *3
CE 579Principles of Air Quality Engineering *3

EWC – ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS ENGINEERING

CE 571Physical Principles of Environmental Engineering3
CE 573Biological Principles of Environmental Engineering3
CE 574Chemical Principles of Environmental Engineering3
CE 577Engineering Principles Of Solid Waste Management *3
CE 578Energy and Climate *3
CE 596Special Topics in Water Resource and Environmental Engineering (Global Sanitation) *1-6

EWC – WATER RESOURCES, COASTAL

CE 581Fluid Mechanics in Natural Environments3
CE 583Engineering Aspects Of Coastal Processes3
CE 584Hydraulics Of Ground Water3
CE 586Engineering Hydrology3
CE 588Water Resources Engineering *3
CE 596Special Topics in Water Resource and Environmental Engineering (Coastal Hydrodynamics) *1-6
CE 596Special Topics in Water Resource and Environmental Engineering (Coastal Modeling)1-6
CE 596Special Topics in Water Resource and Environmental Engineering (Surface Water Quality Modeling)1-6

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

CE 548Engineering Properties Of Soils I3
CE 584Hydraulics Of Ground Water3
CE 593Special Topics in Geotechnical Engineering (Dynamics of Soils and Foundations)1-3
Other courses may selected and approved in conjunction with the academic committee, examples include but are not subject to:
Advanced Strength of Materials
Finite Element Method in Structural Engineering
Engineering Principles Of Solid Waste Management

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS

CE 515Advanced Strength of Materials3
CE 522Theory and Design Of Prestressed Concrete3
CE 523Theory and Behavior Of Steel Structures3
CE 524Analysis and Design Of Masonry Structures3
CE 525Advanced Structural Analysis3
CE 526Finite Element Method in Structural Engineering3
CE 527Structural Dynamics3
CE 528Structural Design in Wood3
CE 529FRP Strengthening and Repair of Concrete Structures3
CE 530Properties of Concrete and Advanced Cement-Based Composites3

TRANSPORTATION MATERIALS

CE 515Advanced Strength of Materials3
CE 530Properties of Concrete and Advanced Cement-Based Composites3
CE 548Engineering Properties Of Soils I3
CE 595Special Topics in Transportation Engineering (A - Asphalt and Bituminous Materials)1-6

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

CE 501Transportation Planning *3
CE 502Traffic Operations *3
CE 503Transportation System Design *3
CE 504Airport Planning and Design3
CE 505Railroad System Planning, Design, and Operation 3
CE 509Highway Safety3
*

This course is not a prerequisite but recommended to be completed prior to enrollment.

Faculty

Full Professors

  • Sankarasubramanian Arumugam
  • Morton A. Barlaz
  • Joseph F. DeCarolis
    Area of Research: Environmental and Energy Policy
  • John W. Baugh Jr.
  • Emily Zechman Berglund
  • Francis Lajara De Los Reyes III
  • Joel Ducoste
  • Henry C. Frey
  • Mohammed Awad Gabr
  • Jessica Ann Kaminsky
  • Murthy N.Guddati
  • Abhinav Gupta
  • Tasnim Hassan
  • Edward J. Jaselskis
  • Youngsoo R. Kim
  • Detlef R. Knappe
  • Mervyn J. Kowalsky
  • George F. List
  • Min Liu
  • Gnanamanikam Mahinthakumar
  • James M. Nau
  • Margery F. Overton
  • Ranji Ranjithan
  • William John Rasdorf
  • Rudolf Seracino
  • Akhtarhusein A. Tayebali
  • Billy Merle Williams Jr.

Associate Professors

  • Ange Therese Akono
  • Alex Albert
    Area of Research: Construction Engineering and Management
  • Douglas F. Call
    Area of Research: Environmental & Water Resources
  • Cassandra Alison Castorena
  • Danjue Chen
  • Joel Casey Dietrich
  • Andrew P. Grieshop
  • Jeremiah Johnson
  • Brina Mortensen Montoya
  • Daniel R. Obenour
    Area of Research: Water Resources & Coastal Engineering
  • Mohammad Pour-Ghaz
  • Benjamin Shane Underwood

Assistant Professors

  • Katherine Anarde
    Area of Research: Environmental, Water Resources, & Coastal Engineering
  • Tarek Aziz
  • Eleni Bardaka
  • Jorge Emilio San Juan Blanco
  • Ashly Margot Cabas Mijares
  • Fernando Garcia Menendez
  • Ali Hajbabaie
  • Kook Han
  • Angela Rose Harris
  • Jordan Kern
  • Jason Fredrick Patrick
  • Giorgio Talotti Proestos
  • Jacelyn Jaunice Rice-Boayue
  • Andrew Joseph Ziccarelli

Practice/Research/Teaching Professors

  • Saran Srikanth Bodda
  • Florentino Banaag De La Cruz
  • Billy L. Edge
  • Meagan Kittle Autry
  • James William Levis
  • Gregory W. Lucier
  • Mohamad Shoaib Samandar
  • Elizabeth J. Sciaudone

Adjunct Faculty

  • Amin Kamal Akhnoukh
  • Michael Scott Breen, Adjunct Professor
    Area of Research: Environmental Engineering & Air Quality
  • Daniel J. Findley, Adjunct Assistant Professor
    Area of Research: Transportation Research (ITRE)
  • Alejandra C. Geiger-Ortiz, Adjunct Assistant Professor
    Area of Research: Coastal Engineering
  • Leta Huntsinger
  • Anderson Rodrigo de Queiroz, Adjunct Research Assistant Professor
  • Aditya Sinha

Assistant Research Professor

  • Tongchuan Wei

Emeritus Faculty

  • William L. Bingham
  • Robert C. Borden
  • Roy H. Borden
  • Earl Downey Brill Jr
  • Allen C. Chao
  • John S. Fisher
  • Ajaya K. Gupta
  • Kerry S. Havner
  • Clinton L. Heimbach
  • Yasuyuki Horie
  • David West Johnston
  • Narendra P. Khosla
  • Michael Lloyd Leming
  • Vernon C. Matzen
  • Stephens W. Nunnally
  • M. Shamimur Rahman
  • Sami Rizkalla
  • Nagui M. Rouphail, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
    Area of Research: Transportation Engineering & Systems
  • J. C. Smith
  • John R. Stone
  • Harvey E. Wahls
  • Paul Z. Zia