Apply Advanced Civil Engineering to Build a Better Tomorrow.
Civil engineers design, create, and maintain the structures that support our communities, states, and country. They work to imagine, design, and create sustainable solutions to deteriorating infrastructure, traffic congestion, society’s energy needs, urban redevelopment, community planning, water resources, and risks posed by natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes. Civil engineers, then, are not only unsung heroes, but also the backbone of any modern society.
Earn your online Master’s or PhD in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University and lead the way in sustainable infrastructure, structural systems, water resources, and geospatial data projects.
Who are These Online Civil Engineering Degrees For?
Online MS: This degree is intended for civil engineers and related professionals seeking advanced coursework in structural engineering, water resources, or geospatial engineering. It can suit practitioners who want to take on more specialized design, modeling, planning, or infrastructure responsibilities.
Online PhD: The online PhD is designed for engineers who want to investigate complex infrastructure challenges, contribute original research, and develop advanced expertise in their chosen specialization. It may be particularly well suited to professionals pursuing research and development leadership in industry, government agencies, or academia.
How These Program Work
For the online master's civil engineering degrees, you can focus on structural, water resources, or geospatial engineering. You'll complete 30 credits of coursework while focusing on one of these areas.
MS in Structural Engineering
If you’re interested in designing, building, analyzing, and even leading advanced civil and structural engineering projects around the globe, our online master’s in civil engineering with a focus on structural engineering is perfect for you.
Examine advanced structural engineering theory, structural analysis, and material dynamics. Dig deeper into building code and analyze the materials that create our world. And in the master's program, you can earn stackable structural engineering graduate certificates on the way to pursuing your degree. Some of these, just as timber building design, are especially respected and unique to MTU.
Visit our program website for more details about the curriculum.
MS in Water Resources Engineering
Maybe you’re interested in gaining the expertise to design, plan, and manage advanced water resources projects to help protect and use water in sustainable ways.
In our online master's in civil engineering with a focus on water resources engineering, you'll apply advanced design and modeling techniques in hydraulics and hydrology. And examine climate change adaptation, water supply reliability and affordability, ecosystem restoration, and other critical topics. You'll also earn a certificate in water resources modeling along the way.
Visit our program website for more details about the curriculum.
MS in Geospatial Engineering
If you'd like to dive into a field that combines principles of engineering, geography, and surveying to collect, analyze, and manage spatial data, then a master's degree in Geospatial Engineering is for you.
In this branch of engineering, you'll use various technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), remote sensing, and computer-aided design (CAD) to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, and visualize geographic information.
Not sure if you're ready for a master's degree? Try out an online certificate in advanced photogrammetry and mapping first. Get more information about earning your degree in this focus area.
PhD in Civil Engineering
If you want to go further, Michigan Tech's online PhD in Civil Engineering allows qualified students to pursue original research under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Research topics may draw on departmental expertise in structural and geotechnical engineering, transportation, water resources, infrastructure systems, and geospatial engineering. Students work with their advisor to identify a research direction and to ensure that the project can be completed remotely.
The PhD combines advanced coursework with independent research culminating in a dissertation that contributes new knowledge to the field. Degree requirements include the following:
- A minimum of 30 credits beyond a master's degree or 60 credits beyond a bachelor's degree.
- Successful completion of qualifying and research proposal examinations.
- Preparation and submission of an approved dissertation.
- A successful final oral defense.
Additional program requirements may apply. Prospective online doctoral students should discuss research interests, faculty advising, and remote research arrangements with the graduate program director.
Why Choose Michigan Tech?
Michigan Tech's online graduate pathways in Civil Engineering connect advanced study to the design, analysis, and stewardship of infrastructure and natural systems. You can focus on structural engineering, water resources, or geospatial engineering, drawing on expertise from related engineering disciplines. The master's pathway features also focused graduate certificates in areas such as timber building design and water resources modeling, offering ways to build credentials within a broader degree plan.
If you're considering doctoral study, Michigan Tech's research environment creates a setting for investigating advanced engineering questions.
Earn a Sought-After Certification Along the Way
Whatever program path you choose, you can integrate CEE5390 (Civil Asset Management) into your degree plan, earning a respected certification. Asset management, the science and coordinated activity for the long-term care and maintenance of infrastructure systems, facilities, and other civil assets, is an in-demand interdisciplinary field crucial to civil engineers.
Your Program Questions, Answered
Want to dive into program details? Watch the webinar recording.
Webinar on MTU's Online MS in Civil Engineering
Where You'll Apply Your Knowledge and Skills
With an online MS in civil engineering from Michigan Tech, you’ll be qualified for leadership and managerial positions in some of the fastest-growing, and well-paying fields in engineering. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), the median annual salary for civil engineers was $99,590.Civil engineers with advanced expertise are in demand across sectors.
Possible Career Paths
- Structural and transportation systems
- Urban planning, water systems, and infrastructure management
- Geospatial analysis, asset management, and resiliency projects
Ready to Build What's Next?
Join a top-ranked, research-driven university that’s shaping the future of infrastructure, sustainability, and civil innovation. Whether you're aiming to advance your career, lead major engineering projects, or prepare for a PhD, Michigan Tech’s online Civil Engineering programs give you the flexibility, expertise, and support to succeed—on your schedule.
Apply today to start creating your future with Michigan Tech. Or request more information and take the first step toward earning your online master’s or PhD in Civil Engineering.