Online Education for Working Professionals
Acquire the ability to perform design tasks for building structures.

Structural Engineering: Building Design—Graduate Certificate

Structural Engineering: Building Design

Study advanced connections, complex structures, and system-level building design.

Learn advanced techniques to evaluate structures as a building engineer. Design building components and systems in structural steel, reinforced and prestressed concrete, masonry, and/or timber. This flexible certificate will allow you to study high-level design topics spanning multiple material systems or focus within a single material system.

3 courses in 3 semesters.

Department Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
Admissions requirement Civil engineering, structural engineering, or related degree.
Contact Angela Keranen
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.

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Progress quickly with a compact curriculum.

Work with the program advisor to select courses that fit your interests and prerequisite skills.

Check your preparation.

Here are some of the pre-requisite courses for this certificate.

Take 9 credits of elective courses.

There are no required courses. Only one course at the 4000-level can be applied toward this graduate-level certificate. For students taking a 4-credit 4000 level course, only 3 of 4 credits will be applied. Students are responsible to ensure that they are able to meet the prerequisite requirements for the courses that they wish to take.

Choose one of the following.

Choose two of the following.

The minimum completion time is three semesters.

Here are typical schedules.

Option 1: Steel Concentration

Fall Spring
CEE 4223 CEE 5201
Summer  
CEE 5223  

Option 2: Cementitious Materials Concentration

  Spring
  CEE 4213
Summer Fall
CEE 5213 CEE 5212

Option 3: Advanced Building Systems Concentration

Summer Fall
CEE 5223 CEE 5212
  Spring
  CEE 4233

Interested in taking a single, online course? Enroll as a non-degree seeking student.

Upon completion of the certificate, students will be able to:

Design building components and connections for gravity and lateral loads with a range of structural materials using current building code specifications and standards.

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.

Meet the online certified instructors.

Students have the flexibility to review class recordings later.

Qingli Dai

Qingli Dai

Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Teaching Statement

Dr. Dai teaches matrix structural analysis, advanced concrete materials, and finite element analysis.

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Yousef Darestani

Yousef Darestani

Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Teaching Statement

Dr. Darestani teaches courses in structural analysis and structural reliability.

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Daniel Dowden, PE, SE

Daniel Dowden, PE, SE

Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Teaching Statement

Dr. Dowden teaches courses in structural concrete design, prestressed concrete design, and advanced structural dynamics.

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Stephen Morse, PE

Stephen Morse, PE

Associate Teaching Professor, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Teaching Statement

Dr. Morse teaches sustainability and civil engineering practice, loads for civil structures, and structural dynamics.

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R. Swartz, PE

R. Swartz, PE

Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Teaching Statement

Dr. Swartz teaches on topics of steel design, structural timber design, continuous-system modeling, and advanced structural analysis.

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