Santa Clara University

Civil Engineering

Master of Science Degree
 

Overview

The Department of Civil Engineering offers graduate programs in the areas of structural engineering and general civil engineering. The focus of the educational effort is on modeling, analysis, and practical methods used to design structures and other civil engineering-related infrastructure systems.  As such, many of the courses offered are beneficial to practicing engineers interested in advancing their knowledge and enhancing their technical skills.

The Degree

The civil engineering graduate program at Santa Clara University is designed to accommodate the needs of students interested in advanced study in the areas of structural engineering and general civil engineering. An individual may pursue the degree of Master of Science (M.S.) as either a full-time or part-time student through a customized balance of coursework, design projects, and directed research. Program participants are also required to supplement their more technical work with coursework on project management and professional ethics.

M.S. in Civil Engineering

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 overall 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, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) exam scores are required before applications are processed.
• In very rare cases, applicants not meeting the above requirements 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.

Transfer of Units Policy

Applicants who have taken graduate-level courses at other institutions may qualify to transfer a maximum of 9 quarter units or 6 semester units of approved credit to their graduate program at Santa Clara University.

Faculty Advisor

Upon acceptance or conditional acceptance to the graduate program in civil engineering, a student will be required to select a faculty 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.

Graduation Requirements

To qualify for the degree of Master of Science in Civil Engineering, the students must complete a minimum of 45 quarter units, including elective and  required core courses, within the School of Engineering. The required and elective course offerings for both the structural engineering and general civil engineering programs of study are provided below.

Please note: Upon the approval of the student’s advisor, alternative elective courses may be taken. Courses used to satisfy the 45-unit minimum total for the Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree cannot be used to satisfy any previous undergraduate degree program requirement. This includes cross-listed undergraduate courses at Santa Clara University and/or their equivalent courses at other institutions. Where required courses in the SCU graduate civil engineering programs have been completed prior to graduate-level matriculation at SCU, additional elective courses may be required to satisfy the minimum unit total requirement as necessary.