Clarkson University Class of 2020 100 percent placement rating

The Clarkson University Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering is ranked among the top in the nation at the graduate level by U.S. News & World Report.

Graduate courses and research can lead to a Master of Science (MS) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

 

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Civil & Environmental Engineering Curriculum

MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Clarkson offers an MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering. This 30-credit program typically takes 18-24 months and includes thesis and non-thesis completion options.

Degree Requirements

The following are the minimum requirements:

  • A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework, with at least 20 credit hours of course and seminar work. The balance of coursework must be consistent with the research or professional experience component.
  • Satisfactory completion of one of the research or professional experience components listed below.
    • A written thesis based on independent research
    • A comprehensive examination
    • An appropriate, professionally-oriented special project
  • Twenty of the 30 minimum credit hours must be earned in residence
  • One academic year of full-time study beyond the baccalaureate
  • A maximum of 10 credit hours of transfer credit (grade of B or better)
  • All MS work must be completed in five calendar years.
  • All students must complete a thesis and defend it orally to a committee consisting of a minimum of three faculty members.
Specialty Areas

All students must pass a group of core courses in one of the following specialty areas: environmental, geotechnical, structural or water resources engineering.

Environmental Engineering
Water and Wastewater Engineering:  Satisfied by an appropriate course
as an undergraduate or CE579.
CE580 Environmental Chemistry
CE584 Chemodynamics
CE582 Environmental Systems or CE586 Industrial Ecology

And one of the following:
CE681 Environmental Physico-Chemical Processes
CE682 Environmental Biological Processes
ES534 Air Pollution Control

A course in applied statistics is strongly recommended.

Geotechnical Engineering
Four from the following list:
CE512/ME555 Introduction to Structural and Soil Dynamics
CE513 Elastic Waves and Non-Destructive Tests
CE516 Advanced Soil Mechanics
CE519 Advanced Foundation Design
CE527/ME527 Advanced Fluid Mechanics
CE538 Introduction to the Finite Element Method
CE551 Theory of Elasticity
CE554 Continuum Mechanics
ME531 Computational Fluid Dynamics

Structural and Materials Engineering
CE549 Experimental Methods in Structures
CE554 Continuum Mechanics

And two of the following:
CE501 Fracture Mechanics of Concrete Structures
CE512 Introduction to Structural and Soil Dynamics
CE520 Computational Methods of Structural Analysis
CE521 Analysis of Advanced Composite Structures
CE538 Introduction to Finite Element Method
CE551 Theory of Elasticity
CE553 Properties and Performance of Concrete Materials
CE631 Cement Chemistry
CE633 Plasticity

Transportation Engineering
CE561 Transportation Systems Design
CE568 Traffic Engineering

Two from the following list:
CE538 Introduction to the Finite Element Method
CE510 Sustainable Infrastructure and Building
EE501 Digital Signal Processing
EE529/ME529 Stochastic Processes
EE550 Control Systems
EE552 Optimization Techniques in Engineering (or similar optimization courses)
MA584 Advanced Applied Statistics (or similar advanced data analytics courses)
CS547 Computer Algorithms
CS549 Computational/Machine Learning
CS551 Artificial Intelligence
CS559 Human Computer Interaction

Courses on systems theories and data analytics are strongly recommended.

Water Resource Engineering
Four from the following list:
CE527/ME527 Advanced Fluid Mechanics
CE554 Continuum Mechanics
CE569 Watershed Analysis
CE570 Stream Riparian System and Fluvial Morphology
CE571 Computational River Dynamics
CE572 Shallow Water Hydrodynamics
CE573 Sediment Transport
CE574 Hydrodynamic Dispersion
CE575 Coastal Engineering
CE576 Hydraulic Engineering in Cold Regions
ME531 Computational Fluid Dynamics

PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Clarkson's PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering requires 90 credit-hours beyond the bachelor's degree. Thirty-nine credit-hours are spent doing coursework, while six credit-hours are spent in seminar. The rest is a combination of thesis and other doctoral work.

Degree Requirements

The following are minimum requirements:

  • 90 credit hours beyond the BS
  • 39 credit hours of coursework
  • 15 credit hours in the major field
  • Nine credit hours in the minor field
  • Six credit hours from a department other than the one in which the student is housed (Courses double-listed in CE and another department do not count in these six credit hours.)
  • 6 credits hours of seminar 
  • A maximum of 30 credit hours transfer credit (grade of B or better).
  • All work must be completed within seven years after the candidacy procedure is completed.
  • All students must pass a group of core courses in one of the following specialty areas: Environmental, Geotechnical, Structural, and Water Resources Engineering.
Example Courses & Concentrations
  • Environmental Engineering
    Water and Wastewater Engineering:
    Environmental Chemistry
    Chemodynamics
    Environmental Systems or Industrial Ecology
    One of the following:
    Environmental Physico-Chemical Processes
    Environmental Biological Processes
     
  • Geotechnical Engineering
    4 from the following list:
    Introduction to Structural and Soil Dynamics
    Elastic Waves and Non-Destructive Tests
    Advanced Soil Mechanics
    Advanced Foundation Design
    Advanced Fluid Mechanics
    Introduction to the Finite Element Method
    Theory of Elasticity
    Continuum Mechanics
    Computational Fluid Dynamics
     
  • Structural and Materials Engineering
    Experimental Methods in Structures
    Continuum Mechanics
    Fracture Mechanics of Concrete Structures
    Introduction to Structural and Soil Dynamics
    Computational Methods of Structural Analysis
    Analysis of Advanced Composite Structures
    Introduction to Finite Element Method
    Theory of Elasticity
    Properties and Performance of Concrete Materials
    Cement Chemistry
    Plasticity
  • Water Resource Engineering
    Choose 4 from the following list:
    Advanced Fluid Mechanics
    Continuum Mechanics
    Watershed Analysis
    River Restoration
    Computational River Dynamics
    Advanced Open Channel Hydraulics 
    Sediment Transport
    Ecohydraulics 
    Coastal Engineering
    Hydraulic Engineering in Cold Regions
    Computational Fluid Dynamics

Areas of Study

Graduate education in civil and environmental engineering concentrates in the following specialties:

  1. Environmental Engineering
  2. Geotechnical Engineering
  3. Structural and Materials Engineering
  4. Water Resources Engineering
  5. Construction Engineering Management*

Interdisciplinary research is facilitated through the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Center for Air Resources Engineering & Science, Center for Advanced Materials Processing and Cold Regions Engineering Research Group.

*Clarkson also offers an MS in Construction Engineering Management as an online and hybrid offering. 

Civil & Environmental Engineering faculty and students pouring concrete

Construction Engineering Management Track for International Students

International students looking to pursue Construction Engineering Management (CEM) can do so by completing their MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a specialty track in CEM. The CEM track is designed for flexibility, giving you the opportunity to choose courses that meet your needs and schedule. The program advisor and director of Construction Engineering Management is Erik Backus, and your project advisor is selected through mutual agreement between the director of CEM, a potential project advisor and yourself.

The Civil and Environmental Engineering program with a specialty track in Construction Engineering Management consists of 30 total graduate credits. These credits are concentrated in three core CEM courses (9 credits), three civil and environmental engineering electives (9 credits), three business management courses (9 credits) and an ME project (3 credits). Students usually complete this program in one to two years.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Research

All graduate students use state-of-the-art experimental and computational facilities as they focus their research on engineering problems and applied science topics that include:

  • Bridge monitoring and infrastructure health.
  • Geopolymer/Portland cement free concrete.
  • Strength of materials ranging from Antarctic ice to novel composite building materials.
  • Indoor air quality.
  • Bioenergy production and the associated life cycle environmental impacts.
  • Fate of contaminants in air, water and soil systems.
  • Air quality monitoring and modeling.
  • Oil spill modeling and environmental impacts.
  • River and ocean ice dynamics.
  • Hydrologic, river and coastal processes.
  • Structural dynamics and control.
  • Uncertainty qualification and validation of infrastructure computational models.
  • Transportation infrastructure: characterization of materials and smart sensing systems.
  • Geotechnical reliability-based design and risk assessment.
Blossom Nwedo
"I chose to attend Clarkson because it will help me to achieve my goals. Clarkson is known to be an outstanding university for research, and it's recognized as one of the best engineering schools in the nation, especially the environmental engineering program. I'm right where I want to be."  

Blossom Nwedo '20, PhD, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Admission to Civil and Environmental Engineering Programs

A complete application consists of the following:

  • Online Application Form
  • Resume.
  • Statement of Purpose.
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation.
  • Official Transcripts.
  • GRE Test is optional.
  • For International Applicants, an English Proficiency Test is required.
    • Minimum Test Score Requirements: TOEFL (80) and TOEFL Essentials (8.5), IELTS (6.5), PTE (56) and Duolingo English Test (115).

MS Prerequisites: A BS, BE or equivalent degree from an accredited program in civil and environmental engineering or other engineering discipline is required for admission. Applicants with degrees in disciplines other than engineering may be required to demonstrate proficiency through additional undergraduate coursework as determined by the departmental graduate committee. This may comprise an additional semester of study for which graduate credit cannot be granted. No minimum grade point average is required for admission. Applicants should demonstrate a history of high academic achievement.

PhD Prerequisites: An MS degree from a program in Civil and Environmental Engineering or other engineering discipline is required for admission.

Scholarships

A limited number of one-year and/or partial year tuition scholarships are available for qualified full-time students. A limited number of stipends are also available. Most scholarships and/or stipends are associated with department assistantships or completion of a master’s thesis as part of the qualified applicant’s plan of study to complete his/her degree program.

Learn more about all of our scholarships and how to apply by contacting the Engineering Department via email enggrad@clarkson.edu.

Contact Us

If you are interested in learning more, have questions or are ready to apply, contact

Graduate Admissions Team
graduate@clarkson.edu
518-631-9831