A master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on geotechnical engineering allows students to build advanced expertise in soil and rock behavior, subsurface conditions, and the design of foundations and earth systems that support infrastructure. Graduate study at Michigan Tech helps students move beyond undergraduate fundamentals to develop deeper technical skills in soil mechanics, site characterization, slope stability, ground improvement, and geotechnical analysis.
This degree is a strong next step for students who want to specialize, strengthen their technical problem-solving skills, and prepare for advanced roles in geotechnical consulting, infrastructure design, construction support, and subsurface engineering.
Sample Course Plan
This sample course plan is a sample, and adjustments may be required due to curriculum changes. Students should work with their advisor to develop their individual plan. A full list of graduate course descriptions is available.
Assumed Student Background
The sample course plan shown below was designed assuming that a student has taken (as a minimum) CEE 3101 (Civil Engineering Materials) and CEE 3810 (Soil Mechanics for Engineers), or equivalents.
Requirements: 30 credits minimum (12 maximum credits at 3000-4000 level; 18 credits at 5000 level)
Sample Coursework List
| Course | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| CEE 4820 – Foundation Engineering | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5810 – Advanced Soil Mechanics | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5811 – Fundamentals of Soil Behavior and Eng. Lab. | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5850 – Ground Engineering | 3 | |
| GE 4860 - Computer Methods for Slope Stability | 3 | Spring |
| Systems Elective | 3 | |
| Graduate Elective | 12 |
Systems Elective
| Course | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| CEE 5730 – Probabilistic Analysis and Reliability | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5740 – Modeling of Civil Engineering Systems | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5760 – Optimization Methods | 3 | Spring |
Sample Graduate Electives
| Course | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| CEE 4401 – Pavement Design | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 4850 – Rock Engineering for Civil Engineers | 3 | Spring (alt) |
| CEE 5101 – Bituminous Materials | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5102 – Advanced Concrete Materials | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5890 – Special Topics in Geotechnical Engineering | 1-3 | Fall/Spr/Sum |
| GE 4100 – Geomorphology and Glacial Geology | 3 | Spring (alt) |
| GE 5250 – Advanced Computational Geosciences | 3 | Spring |
| MEEM 5160 – Experimental Stress Analysis | 3 | Fall |
| MSE 4320 – Corrosion and Environmental Effects | 3 | Fall |
| MSE 5140 – Mechanical Behavior of Materials | 3 | Fall |
This course plan is meant to serve as a sample for a student interested in pursuing a coursework-only MSCE degree. This plan may not be appropriate for all students, nor is it necessary for a student to follow this schedule to earn a coursework-only degree. Student-specific goals and prior education must be considered and consultation with faculty members is required. Consult with instructors before enrolling in courses that are outside of the Department to ensure that the course will be consistent with your goals and background since sometimes other courses may provide more value to the student. All MSCE degree requirements and rules set forth by the Department and the Graduate School must be met in order for a student to finish the program.