Santa Clara University

Master of Science Program

The Civil Engineering graduate program at Santa Clara University is designed to accommodate the needs of students interested in advanced study in the area of Structural Engineering. An individual may pursue the degree of Master of Science (M.S.) as either a full-time or part-time student.

To be considered for admission to the graduate program in Civil Engineering, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited four-year program; or its equivalent
• An overal grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 (based on a 4.0 maximum scale)
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test
• For students whose native language is not English, TOEFL scores are required before applications are processed.

In special cases, applicants with insufficient background in their chosen area of study may be given conditional acceptance into the M.S. program. A formal acceptance may then be given upon the successful completion of a defined course of studies.

Applicants who have taken graduate courses at other institutions may qualify to transfer a maximum of 9 units of credit to their graduate program at Santa Clara University.

Upon acceptance or conditional acceptance to the graduate program in Civil Engineering, a student will be required to select a graduate advisor (full-time faculty member) from within the Department of Civil Engineering. The student's advisor will be responsible for approving the student's course of study. Any changes to a student's initial course of study must have the written approval of the student's advisor.

To qualify for the degree of Master of Science in Civil Engineering, the student must complete a minimum of 45 quarter units, including elective and required courses, within the School of Engineering.

The following course requirements must be met:

Core Courses

• CENG 211 Advanced Strength of Materials (4)
• CENG 218 Structural Dynamics (2)
• CENG 222 Advanced Structural Analysis (4)
• CENG 233 Timber Engineering (4) 
• CENG 234 Advanced Steel Structures (2)
• CENG 235 Advanced Concrete Structures (4)
• CENG 238 Earthquake Engineering I (2)
• CENG 239 Earthquake Engineering II (2)
• CENG 247 Cold-Formed Steel Engineering (4) 

Elective Courses

Elective courses in Civil Engineering and Applied Mathematics may be taken from the courses listed below. Students must take at least one 2-course Applied Mathematics sequence. All courses (core and elective) are two units unless otherwise indicated. Upon the approval of the student's advisor, alternative elective courses may be taken.

Civil Engineering Courses

• CENG 205 Finite Elements I
• CENG 206 Finite Elements II
• CENG 207 Finite Elements III
• CENG 210 Behavior of Metal Structures
• CENG 212 Variational Methods in Mechanics
• CENG 214 Theory of Elasticity (4)
• CENG 215 Advanced Construction Materials
• CENG 221 Stability of Structures (4) 
• CENG 226 Plastic Theory of Structures
• CENG 227 Experimental Stress Analysis
• CENG 228 Fracture Mechanics of Solids
• CENG 240 Composite Structures (4)
• CENG 241 Reliability of Engineering Systems (3)
• CENG 242 Soil-Structure Interaction
• CENG 244 Nonlinear Mechanics
• CENG 246 Masonry Engineering
• CENG 297 Thesis Research (1-9 units)
• CENG 299 Independent Study (1-6 units)

Applied Mathematics Courses

• AMTH 214 Engineering Statistics I
• AMTH 217 Design of Scientific Experiments
• AMTH 220 Numerical Analysis I 
• AMTH 221 Numerical Analysis II
• AMTH 230 Applied Mathematics I
• AMTH 231 Applied Mathematics II
• AMTH 245 Linear Algebra I
• AMTH 246 Linear Algebra II