A master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on transportation engineering allows students to build advanced expertise in the planning, design, operation, and management of transportation systems. Graduate study at Michigan Tech helps students move beyond undergraduate fundamentals to develop deeper technical skills in traffic analysis, intelligent transportation systems, pavement design, asset management, and multimodal infrastructure.
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 transportation planning, infrastructure systems, public agencies, consulting, and mobility innovation.
What Makes Graduate Study Different?
Graduate-level study emphasizes deeper technical analysis, more advanced modeling tools, and greater independence in solving open-ended transportation challenges. In this program, students build on their undergraduate background to examine transportation systems at a higher level, including infrastructure performance, emerging mobility technologies, multimodal networks, and long-term lifecycle decision-making.
Advanced Skills You’ll Build
- Explore advanced topics in specific transportation modes such as rail, aviation, and public transit.
- Learn how intelligent transportation systems support smart roads, connected vehicles, and modern mobility solutions.
- Develop knowledge of pavement design and cost-effective strategies for improving infrastructure longevity and performance.
- Analyze traffic flow and plan transportation systems that support safe and efficient movement of people and goods.
- Examine how supply chains connect with transportation systems and infrastructure decisions.
- Apply transportation asset management strategies to support long-term infrastructure performance and investment planning.
- Study nondestructive evaluation and testing methods used to assess internal conditions without damaging infrastructure.
- Use life cycle analysis to evaluate transportation systems and support sustainable engineering decisions.
How a Master's Degree Can Support Your Career
Technical Specialization
Develop deeper expertise in transportation systems, pavement performance, smart infrastructure, and multimodal planning.
Career Advancement
Prepare for advanced roles in transportation consulting, infrastructure agencies, mobility systems, and public-sector planning.
Infrastructure Decision-Making
Strengthen your ability to evaluate performance, manage assets, and support long-term transportation investment decisions.
A Strong Option for Current Michigan Tech Students
For Michigan Tech undergraduates, pursuing the MSCE in Transportation Engineering can be an efficient way to build on your existing technical foundation while gaining additional specialization in transportation systems, pavement performance, traffic operations, and infrastructure management.
- Deepen your expertise in transportation planning, design, and system performance.
- Strengthen your preparation for consulting, public-sector, and infrastructure-focused careers.
- Build advanced skills in intelligent transportation systems, lifecycle analysis, and transportation asset management.
- Continue developing technical knowledge that can help distinguish you in a competitive and evolving transportation 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), CEE 3401 (Transportation Engineering), CEE
3620 (Water Resources
Engineering), CEE 3810 (Soil Mechanics for Engineers), and CEE 3501/ENVE3503 (Environmental
Engineering)
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 4401 – Pavement Design | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 4402 – Traffic Engineering | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5404 – Transportation Planning | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5414 – Railroad Engineering | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5417 – Transportation Design | 3 | Spring |
| OSM 4700 – Logistics and Transportation Management | 3 | Spring |
| Systems Elective | 3 | |
| Graduate Elective | 3 | |
| Graduate Elective | 3 | |
| Graduate Elective | 3 |
Systems Elective
Must take at least one of these courses
| 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 | Fall |
Sample Graduate Electives
| Course | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| CEE 4020 – Computer Applications | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 4333 – Estimating and Planning of Construction Projects | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 4344 – Construction Scheduling | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 4406 – Airport Planning and Design | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5101 – Bituminous Materials | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5102 – Advanced Concrete Materials | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5390 – Civil Asset Management | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5410 – Transportation Planning | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5490 – Special Topics in Transportation Engineering | 1-3 | Fall/Spr/Su |
| CEE 5650 – Stormwater Mgmt & LID | 3 | Summer |
| CS 4321 – Introduction to Algorithms | 3 | Spring/Fall |
| EC 4500 – Public Economics | 3 | Fall |
| FW 5550 – Geographical Information Systems | 4 | Fall |
| FW 5555 – Advanced GIS Concepts & Analysis | 3 | Spring |
| FW 5556 – GIS Project Management | 3 | Spring |
| MA 4330 – Linear Algebra | 3 | Fall |
| MA 4710 – Regression Analysis | 3 | Fall |
| MA 5630 – Numerical Optimization | 3 | Spring |
| MA 5701 – Statistics Methods | 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.