Online Education for Working Professionals
Use modern methods to analyze and design bridges.
Upgrade your technical skills to meet the specialized needs of the structural bridge
design industry.
Apply advanced techniques to evaluate the design and construction of bridges of many
material types. Skills learned as part of this certificate focus on design, analysis,
construction, and operation of bridges and support structures. This is useful for
career advancement of structural engineers in the technical track at large and small
engineering firms. Also benefiting from this certificate would be working professionals,
particularly those already holding undergraduate engineering degrees, who want to
expand their skills to evaluate and design bridge structures. Provisions of the AASHTO
LRFD Bridge Design Specification are introduced and used for the design bridge structures.
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How to Apply
3 courses in 3 semesters.
| Length |
3 courses in 2-3 semesters |
| Effort |
3 hours per credit per week |
| Each course |
3 credits |
| Total credits |
9 |
| Course type |
Online or on-campus |
| Modality |
Watch class recordings on demand |
| Cost |
Based on credits and course type |
| Already enrolled? |
Speak with your advisor |
Curriculum
Progress quickly with a compact curriculum. Work with the program advisor to select
courses that fit your interests and prerequisite skills.
Prerequisites
Check your preparation. Here are some of the pre-requisite courses for this certificate.
CEE 4213 - Structural Concrete Design
Introduction to design of reinforced concrete structural components. Analyze and design reinforced concrete beams, columns, and footings. Understand material behavior, limit state criteria, and practical detailing considerations. Application of the ACI 318 to cast-in-place and precast systems.
- Credits:
4.0
- Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-2)
- Semesters Offered:
Spring
- Pre-Requisite(s): CEE 3202
CEE 4223 - Steel Design I
Behavior and design of structural steel members using both ASD and LRDF approaches. Covers material behavior, external loads, and the design of tension, compression, and flexural members (rolled, built-up, and composite), and simple welded and bolted connections.
- Credits:
4.0
- Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-2)
- Semesters Offered:
Fall, Summer
- Pre-Requisite(s): CEE 3202
Required Courses
Take a 3 credit required course.
CEE 5261 - Bridge Analysis and Design
Introduction to design and behavior of short and medium span bridges. Topics include aesthetics, preliminary design and layout, design of prestresses and plate girders bridges, deck design, foundation design. Project may alternate between structural steel and prestressed concrete member design.
- Credits:
3.0
- Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
- Semesters Offered:
Spring
- Pre-Requisite(s): CEE 4213 and CEE 4223
Electives
Take 6 credits of elective courses. Students who have already taken the required course
CEE 5261, or its equivalent, may take 9 credits from the elective course list to complete
the certificate requirements.
CEE 5212 - Prestressed Concrete Design
Theory of prestressed and post-tensioned members. Covers analysis and design of prestressed concrete beams, slabs, box girders, and bridge girders by elastic and ultimate strength methods. Precast and cast-in-place system construction techniques will be included.
- Credits:
3.0
- Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
- Semesters Offered:
Fall
- Pre-Requisite(s): CEE 4213 or CEE 5211
CEE 5213 - Concrete and Masonry Building Systems
Design of reinforced concrete two-way slabs and reinforced masonry systems for buildings. Includes design of bearing walls, shear walls, lintels, pilasters, slender columns, torsional beams and connections. A design project may be included during the semester.
- Credits:
3.0
- Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
- Semesters Offered:
Fall
- Pre-Requisite(s): CEE 4213 or CEE 5211
CEE 5223 - Steel Design II
Additional topics in steel design including beam-columns, floor vibrations, diaphragms, buckling behavior of thin elements, torsional buckling, and beam and column bracing. Includes an introduction to cold-formed steel design.
- Credits:
3.0
- Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
- Semesters Offered:
Spring
- Pre-Requisite(s): CEE 4223 or CEE 5221
Typical Schedule
The minimum completion time is three semesters. Here is a typical schedule.
- Summer:
CEE 5213 or CEE 5223
- Fall:
CEE 5212
- Summer:
CEE 5261
Application Process and Admissions Requirements
Applications are reviewed on an individual basis using a holistic approach. Fill out
our free graduate application online to apply to any of our programs. Official transcripts and scores are not required
for the initial application, although you will need to upload them later.
Graduate School Admissions Process
Applying to the Graduate School is free (no application fees) and fast (no official transcripts, test scores, or letters needed to start). The application
process involves three easy steps.
See Admissions Steps
Graduate School Requirements
To be considered for admission to the Graduate School as a degree- or certificate-seeking student, you need to:
- have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution, and
- be prepared for advanced study in your chosen field, as demonstrated by your previous
degree and your scholastic record.
See additional application requirements, including required materials:
Program Specific Requirements
Program Specific
- Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0
scale
- GMAT/GRE: Not required
- Preferred major: Civil, environmental or related degree
International Students
- TOEFL scores as of January 21, 2026: Recommended Score of 4.5
- For tests taken before January 21, 2026: Recommended Score of 79 iBT
- IELTS: Recommended Overall Band Score of 6.5
Admissions Decisions
Made on a rolling basis.
Prospective Students
- Prospective students and non-degree seeking students interested in obtaining a graduate
certificate must apply to the certificate program using the online application.
- Accelerated certificate options exist for current Michigan Tech undergraduate students in good standing and have
achieved at least junior-level standing or recent bachelor’s graduates of Michigan
Tech (less than two years).
- The number of credits earned prior to admission that can be counted are restricted.
Current Graduate Students
- Current Michigan Tech graduate students who are in a degree program do not need to formally apply. Current students must still submit the appropriate degree schedule in order to complete the certificate.
International Student Requirements
International Students must apply and be accepted into a degree-granting program in order to earn a graduate certificate. A non-refundable $10 processing fee per application is required.
See International Applicants
Interested in taking a single, online course? Enroll as a non-degree seeking student.
Upon completion of the certificate, students will be able to:
Apply advanced engineering skills necessary for the design, analysis, construction,
and inspection of small- and medium-span bridges.
Michigan Tech was founded in 1885.
The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and widely respected
by fast-paced industries, including automotive development, infrastructure, manufacturing,
and aerospace. Michigan Tech graduates deliver on rapid innovation and front-line
research, leaning into any challenge with confidence.
The College of Engineering fosters excellence in education and research.
We set out as the Michigan Mining School in 1885 to train mining engineers to better
operate copper mines. Today, more than 60 percent of Michigan Tech students are enrolled
in our 17 undergraduate and 29 graduate engineering programs across nine departments.
Our students and curriculum embrace the spirit of hard work and fortitude our founders
once had. Our online graduate courses are the same, robust classes taken by our doctorate
and masters candidates, taught directly by highly regarded faculty, with outstanding
support from staff. We invite working professionals to join these courses, bring their
own experience and challenges as part of the discussion. Leverage the national reputation
of Michigan Tech to advance your career in tech leadership.
