CSULB offers four options for a Master's in Civil Engineering. An interdisciplinary Master's in Engineering is also available. Read more about admission requirements and graduate programs below:
Admission Requirements
Students with a domestic undergraduate degree require:
- A bachelor's degree in an ABET-accredited curriculum in civil engineering or a closely related engineering discipline with a minimum GPA of 2.8, with essential undergraduate prerequisites in civil engineering satisfied
- Completion of the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) if GPA is lower than 3.0
- A statement of purpose (with clear indication of the emphasis)
Students with an international undergraduate degree require:
- English language proficiency, with a TOEFL score of >= 80 (iBT) or IELTS score of >= 6
- A bachelor's degree in an ABET-accredited curriculum in civil engineering or a closely related engineering discipline with a minimum GPA of 2.8, with essential undergraduate prerequisites in civil engineering satisfied
- Completion of the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE); the Department will determine the appropriate level of competency
- A statement of purpose (with clear indication of the emphasis)
Note: The institution code for GRE and TOEFL reporting is 4389.
Spring 2020
- Applications open: Aug. 1, 2019
- Application deadline: Oct. 1, 2019
Master's in Civil Engineering: Construction Management
Coordinator: Elhami Nasr
The Construction Management specialization within the MSCE program requires completion of 30 units of graduate courses, as specified below. Each student's program must satisfy all requirements of the university, college, and department, and contain the equivalent of 10 or more units of design, as determined by the department's graduate coordinator. During the first two weeks of the first semester as a graduate student at CSULB, the student should make an appointment to meet with the graduate coordinator, who will assign him/her to one of the construction management area faculty.
Prerequisites: Complete the following classes within one year of admission to the program if the following prerequisite or equivalent courses have not been met:
- CM 421 Construction Planning and Scheduling
- CM 429 Advanced Estimating and Bidding
- CM 490 Construction Project Management
Core Courses: Complete the following Civil Engineering courses to satisfy the area requirement:
- CE 546 Foundation Engineering
- CE 571 Construction Planning and Cost Control
- CE 573 Engineering Specifications, Law and Contracts
- CE 574 Methods, Analysis and Design of Construction Operations
Math Courses: Complete two courses from the following:
- CE 500 Engineering Analysis I
- CE 501 Engineering Analysis II
- CE 508 Probabilistic and Statistical Methods in Engineering Applications
- CE 509 Computational Methods in Civil Engineering
Elective Courses: Complete one of the following:
- Thesis Option: Complete CE 698 and two elective courses from the following approved CM graduate courses.
- Comprehensive Exam Option: Complete CE 697 Directed Studies, three approved CM elective courses, and the Comprehensive Exam.
Approved Elective Courses:
- CE 504 Selected Topics in Civil Engineering
- CE 570 Engineering Management Principles and Practices
- CE 576 Construction Organization and Management
- CE 577 Accounting and Finance in Construction Management
- CE 581 Sustainability and Green Construction
- CE 582 Management of Productivity and Quality
- CE 585 Utility Rehabilitation and Construction
Master's in Civil Engineering: Environmental/Water Resources
Coordinator: Antonella Sciortino
The MSCE Environmental Engineering / Water Resources Engineering specialization requires completion of 30 units of graduate courses, as specified below. Each student's program must satisfy all requirements of the university, college, and department, and contain the equivalent of 10 or more units of design, as determined by the department's graduate coordinator. During the first two weeks of the first semester as a graduate student at CSULB, the student should make an appointment to meet with the graduate coordinator, who will assign him/her to one of the environmental and water resources engineering area faculty.
Core Courses: Complete the following Civil Engineering courses to satisfy the area requirement:
- CE 530 Groundwater Flow: Principles and Modeling
- CE 535 Advanced Hydrology
- CE 562 Advanced Water Treatment Design
- CE 563 Advanced Wastewater Treatment Design
Math Courses: Complete two courses from the following:
- CE 500 Engineering Analysis I
- CE 501 Engineering Analysis II
- CE 508 Probabilistic and Statistical Methods in Engineering Applications
- CE 509 Computational Methods in Civil Engineering
Elective Courses: Complete one of the following:
- Thesis Option: Complete CE 698 and two approved Environmental Engineering or Water Resources Engineering elective courses.
- Comprehensive Exam Option: Complete the following CE 697 Directed Studies and three approved Environmental Engineering or Water Resources Engineering elective courses and successfully complete the Comprehensive Exam.
Approved Elective Courses:
A. Environmental Engineering Emphasis
- CE 504 Selected Topics in Civil Engineering
- CE 533 Groundwater Contaminant Transport: Principles and Modeling
- CE 543 Waste Management and Landfill Engineering
- CE 564 Environmental Health Engineering
- CE 566 Unit Operations in Environmental Engineering
- CE 567 Liquid and Solid Waste Project Planning and Management
B. Water Resources Engineering Emphasis
- CE 504 Selected Topics in Civil Engineering
- CE 532 Sediment Transportation
- CE 533 Groundwater Contaminant Transport: Principles and Modeling
- CE 536 Urban Surface Water Management
- CE 538 Hydraulic Engineering Design II
- CE 630 Mathematical Modeling in Hydraulic Engineering
Master's in Civil Engineering: Structural
Coordinator: Vesna Terzic
The MSCE Structural Engineering specialization requires completion of 30 units of graduate courses, as specified below. Each student's program must satisfy all requirements of the university, college, and department, and contain the equivalent of 10 or more units of design, as determined by the department's graduate coordinator. During the first two weeks of the first semester as a CSULB graduate student, the student should schedule an advising appointment with the graduate coordinator, who will assign him/her to one of the Structural specialization faculty.
Core Courses:
Complete the following Civil Engineering courses to satisfy the area requirement:
- CE 502 Finite Element Method and Applications
- CE 546 Foundation Engineering
- CE 557 Advanced Structural Analysis
- CE 558 Dynamics of Structures
Math Courses:
Complete two courses from the following:
- CE 500 Engineering Analysis I
- CE 501 Engineering Analysis II
- CE 508 Probabilistic and Statistical Methods in Engineering Applications
- CE 509 Computational Methods in Civil Engineering
Elective Courses:
Complete one of the following:
- Thesis Option: Complete CE 698 and two approved Structural Engineering elective courses.
- Comprehensive Exam Option: Complete CE 697 Directed Studies and three approved Structural Engineering elective courses and successfully complete the Comprehensive Exam.
Approved Elective Courses:
- CE 504 Selected Topics in Civil Engineering
- CE 516 Timber Design II
- CE 517 Reinforced Masonry Design
- CE 551 Prestressed Concrete
- CE 552 Theory of Plates and Shells
- CE 553 Behavior and Design of Steel Structures
- CE 554 Analysis and Design with Composite Materials
- CE 555 Earthquake Analysis and Design
Master's in Civil Engineering: Transportation/Geotechnical
Coordinators: Shailesh Chandra (Transportation) and Lisa Star (Geotechnical)
The MSCE Transportation Engineering/ Geotechnical Engineering specialization requires completion of 30 units of graduate courses, as specified below. Each student's program must satisfy all requirements of the university, college, and department, and contain the equivalent of 10 or more units of design, as determined by the department's graduate coordinator. During the first two weeks of the first semester as a CSULB graduate student, the student should make an appointment to meet with the graduate coordinator, who will assign him/her to an area advisor.
Core Courses:
Complete the following Civil Engineering courses to satisfy the area requirement:
- CE 522 Transportation Planning
- CE 526 Pavement Engineering
- CE 546 Foundation Engineering
- CE 548 Advanced Soil Mechanics
Math Courses:
Complete two courses from the following:
- CE 500 Engineering Analysis I
- CE 501 Engineering Analysis II
- CE 502 Finite Element Method and Applications
- CE 508 Probabilistic and Statistical Methods in Engineering Applications
- CE 509 Computational Methods in Civil Engineering
- CE 640 Mathematical Modeling in Geotechnical Engineering
Elective Courses:
Complete one of the following:
- Thesis Option: Complete CE 698 and two elective courses from approved Geotechnical or Transportation Emphasis.
- Comprehensive Exam Option: Complete CE 697 Directed Studies and three elective courses from approved Geotechnical or Transportation Emphasis and successfully complete the Comprehensive Exam.
Approved Elective Courses:
A. Transportation Emphasis
- CE 504 Selected Topics in Civil Engineering
- CE 520 Seaport Planning and Design
- CE 528 Advanced Highway Materials
- CE 529 Advanced Traffic Engineering
- CE 629 Traffic Operations
B. Geotechnical Emphasis
- CE 504 Selected Topics in Civil Engineering
- CE 528 Advance Highway Materials.
- CE 542 Geotechnical Projects
- CE 543 Waste Management and Landfill Engineering
- CE 547 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Master's in Engineering (Interdisciplinary)
Students wishing to pursue advanced study may be interested in the College of Engineering’s Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree. Graduate study leading to the MSE can be tailored to the goals of a student with a background in chemical engineering by taking advanced course work to develop expertise in one of four areas:
- Environmental: Chemistry and civil engineering
- Controls: Electrical engineering
- Microelectronics: Computer engineering
- Thermal, fluids, and materials: Mechanical engineering
With most courses offered in the evening, the program is tailored to working professionals.