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.
What Makes Graduate Study Different?
Graduate-level study emphasizes deeper technical analysis, more advanced modeling tools, and greater independence in solving open-ended geotechnical challenges. In this program, students build on their undergraduate background to investigate complex soil and rock behavior, evaluate subsurface uncertainty, and support safer and more effective infrastructure design through both computational and hands-on methods.
Advanced Skills You’ll Build
- Develop advanced knowledge of soil mechanics and soil behavior under a range of loading and environmental conditions.
- Design foundations for buildings, transportation systems, and other civil infrastructure.
Apply geotechnical site characterization methods to evaluate subsurface conditions and engineering constraints. - Analyze slope stability and landslide risks affecting earthwork and infrastructure systems.
- Explore the use of geosynthetics to improve ground performance and support design solutions.
- Model the behavior of soils and other porous materials using computational methods.
- Study rock engineering principles and the role of subsurface conditions in design and construction.
- Use computer-based methods to analyze geotechnical systems and support design decisions.
- Examine ground improvement techniques used to enhance performance and reduce geotechnical risk
- Apply both hands-on and computational approaches to real-world geotechnical engineering problems.
How a Master's Degree Can Support Your Career
Technical Specialization
Develop deeper expertise in subsurface characterization, soil and rock mechanics, foundation design, and geotechnical analysis.
Career Advancement
Prepare for advanced roles in geotechnical consulting, infrastructure design, construction support, and earth systems engineering.
Applied Problem-Solving
Strengthen your ability to evaluate subsurface conditions, manage geotechnical risk, and support infrastructure performance in the field.
A Strong Option for Current Michigan Tech Students
For Michigan Tech undergraduates, pursuing the MSCE in Geotechnical Engineering can be an efficient way to build on your existing technical foundation while gaining additional specialization in subsurface engineering, foundation design, and geotechnical analysis.
- Deepen your expertise in soil and rock behavior and their impact on infrastructure performance.
- Strengthen your preparation for consulting, design, construction, and field-focused geotechnical careers.
- Build advanced skills in slope stability, site characterization, and computational geotechnical methods.
- Continue developing technical knowledge that can help distinguish you in a competitive and highly applied engineering field.
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 |
Disclaimer
This course plan is meant to serve as a sample for a student interested in pursuing a coursework-only MSCE degree with a focus on water resources engineering. 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.