A master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a focus in water resources engineering allows you to move beyond undergraduate fundamentals and build advanced technical expertise in the analysis, design, and management of water systems. At Michigan Tech, graduate study in water resources helps students deepen their capabilities in hydraulics, hydrology, stormwater design, flood risk, infrastructure resilience, and water systems modeling.
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 consulting, utilities, public agencies, and infrastructure design.
What Makes Graduate Study Different?
Graduate-level study emphasizes deeper analysis, more advanced modeling tools, and greater independence in solving open-ended engineering problems. In this program, students build on their undergraduate background to tackle more complex water resources challenges involving uncertainty, system performance, resilience, and long-term infrastructure planning.
Advanced Skills You’ll Build
- Build advanced skills in modeling, simulation, and mapping tools used to solve real-world water resources problems.
- Develop graduate-level design solutions for stormwater management, including low-impact development (LID) and resilient infrastructure approaches.
- Advance your ability to design and evaluate water distribution and wastewater collection systems.
- Address modern engineering challenges such as climate adaptation, flood risk management, and aging infrastructure renewal.
- Model and analyze open channel flow systems and natural systems such as rivers, streams, and floodplains.
- Plan and evaluate water resources projects with consideration of economic, environmental, and societal factors.
- Apply probabilistic methods and reliability analysis to assess infrastructure performance and support engineering decision-making.
How a Master's Degree Can Support Your Career
Technical Specialization
Develop deeper expertise in hydrology, hydraulics, stormwater, floodplain analysis, and water infrastructure systems.
Career Advancement
Prepare for advanced technical roles in consulting, utilities, municipalities, environmental agencies, and infrastructure planning.
Professional Growth
Strengthen your qualifications for licensure, leadership, and more complex engineering responsibility early in your career
A Strong Option for Current Michigan Tech Students
For Michigan Tech undergraduates, pursuing the MSCE in Water Resources Engineering can be an efficient way to gain additional specialization while continuing to build on the knowledge, faculty connections, and momentum you already have.
- Deepen your expertise in a focused area of civil and environmental engineering.
- Strengthen your preparation for consulting, design, utility, and public-sector careers.
- Explore flexible degree pathways, including options that may align with accelerated or online study plans.
- Continue developing advanced technical skills that can set you apart in a competitive job market.
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 3620 (Water Resources Engineering) and CEE 3501/3503 (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 4507 – Distribution and Collection w lab | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5501 – Environmental Process Engineering | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5504 – Water Quality Modeling in Natural Systems | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5625 – River and Floodplain Hydraulics | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5630 – Advanced Hydrology | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5640 – Stormwater Management and LID | 3 | Summer |
| CEE 5650 – Hydraulic Structures | 3 | Fall/Spring |
| CEE 5665 – Stream Restoration | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5666 – Water Resources Planning and Management | 3 | Fall |
| Systems Elective | 3 |
Systems Elective
| Course | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| CEE 5710 – Modeling and Simulation Applications | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5730 – Probabilistic Analysis and Reliability | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5740 – Introduction to System Identification | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5760 – Optimization Methods | 3 | Spring |
Sample Graduate Electives
| Course | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| CEE 4505 – Surface Water Quality Engineering w lab | 3 | Fall |
| CEE 5690 – Special Topics in Water Resources | 1-3 | Fall/Spr/Sum |
| CEE 5520 – Introduction to Hydrodynamic Modeling | 3 | Spring |
| CEE 5620 – Stochastic Hydrology | 3 | Spring |
| BL 5447 – Stream Ecology and Fish Biology | 3 | Fall |
| FW 3540 – Intro to GIS for Nat. Res. Manage. | 4 | Spring |
| FW 4220 – Wetlands | 4 | Fall |
| FW 4370 – Forest and Landscape Hydrology | 3 | Spring |
| FW 4371 – Snow Hydrology | 3 | Spring |
| FW 4540/5540 – Remote Sensing of the Environ. | 3 | Fall |
| FW 5510 – Watershed Analysis and Management | 3 | Fall |
| FW 5550 – Geographical Information Systems w/Lab | 4 | Fall/Spring |
| FW 5555 – Adv GIS Concepts and Analysis | 3 | Spring |
| FW 5556 – GIS Project Management w lab | 3 | Spring |
| GE 4800 – Groundwater Engineering | 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.