MS in Civil Engineering at California State University Sacramento

Civil Engineering encompasses a broad range of professional activities. The four years of undergraduate preparation for the Bachelor of Science degree are devoted to fundamental analytical principles and basic design applications. For technical competence in specialized areas and continued effectiveness on the job, graduate study is becoming increasingly necessary.

The Civil Engineering Department offers a graduate program of study leading to a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering in the following areas of specialization:

• Environmental/Water Quality Engineering - water quality analysis and management, water, and waste treatment;
• Geotechnical Engineering - properties and behavior of soil and their application to design of foundation, retaining structures, earth dams and slopes, soil improvement and ground stabilization, geosynthetics inclusions, and soil dynamics, and earthquake engineering;
• Structural Engineering - earthquake resistant steel and concrete design applied to buildings and bridges, structural dynamics, structural mechanics, and finite element methods;
• Transportation Engineering - Transportation engineering and planning, traffic flow theory, and system management applicable to all modes with emphasis on highway and multi modal transportation; interdisciplinary study with other areas of Civil Engineering as well as with non-engineering areas (e.g., Environmental Studies, Geography, Public Policy & Administration, and Business Administration) may also be arranged; and
• Water Resources Engineering - advanced hydraulics and modern hydrologic techniques, flood forecasting, groundwater flow modeling, water resources management, and policy formulation.

Each area of concentration consists of a set of core courses, a choice of electives, and culminating requirements; all selected by the student and approved by an advisor. Practicing engineers who do not have a degree objective may choose to enroll in selected courses as part of a continuing education program.

Graduate students can also elect an emphasis in Engineering Management by taking elective courses in the College of Business Administration. Graduate students who are interested in this option can select up to 9 units of foundation courses and/or graduate business classes (refer to College of Business Administration catalog for listing of courses). Individual programs can be tailored with a faculty advisor.