2024-2025

Civil Engineering, Master of Science

Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering

College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences

This program assists students who wish to further their engineering education and acquire the knowledge and skills to tackle important engineering challenges, including resilience and sustainability. The plan of study features real-world relevancy and considers how sustainable and resilient systems impact economics, design, and usability.

  • To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.

    You must additionally complete:

    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
    • All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
    • All work toward the master's degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.

    Read the full policy here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Minimum Units for Completion 30
Additional Admission Requirements

Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Optional
Thesis Thesis may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
Research Individualized research is required.
Progression Plan Link View Program of Study
Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan Optional

Purpose Statement

The Master of Science in Civil Engineering aims to educate civil engineers to conduct analytical and experimental studies in the areas of water resources, transportation, structural, and geotechnical engineering. Examples of content areas include quantitative techniques for restoring natural stream channels, modeling and designing intelligent transportation systems, studies of the theoretical underpinnings of advanced structural analysis and design software, and sustainable engineering materials. The learning experiences provided by the program prepare students to enter the workforce with advanced skills or to pursue further studies in a doctoral program. The program also aims at increasing competitiveness in the local, regional, and global markets, advancing existing careers, or serving as a gateway to the PhD degree.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate the ability to apply graduate level critical thinking skills to formulate and solve advanced civil engineering (CE) problems.
    • Examine, analyze, and explicate contemporary CE topics and assess and apply specific CE computational tools.
    • Identify, formulate, and solve advanced CE problems.
    • Synthesize, explain, verify, and justify solutions to complex CE problems.
  • Demonstrate the ability to independently and creatively design and conduct research studies.
    • Assess the state of the art in their field of study, including a thorough literature review.
    • Design a research study of personal or professional interest and importance including: planning, organizing, scheduling, and executing the project with the guidance and input of their thesis advisor.
    • Apply independently and creatively appropriate CE and cross-disciplinary engineering theories and tools towards finding a viable solution to the thesis topic.
    • Perform and interpret complex quantitative analyses specific to the thesis.
    • Communicate effectively the results of a comprehensive research study through oral presentations and publications:
    • Evaluate the effectiveness of the research study and the implications of the resulting data
    • Synthesize and present the relevance of the research study in both technical and non-technical terms.
    • Conduct an oral thesis defense to a community of engineering faculty and peers.
    • Create a publishable paper reflecting the integration of knowledge acquired through the research study.

Graduate Admission Information

  • The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.

    Admission requirements include the following:

    • Transcripts.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.


    Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.

    Ready to apply? Begin your application now.

    International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.

Additional Admission Requirements

  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

    • Letter(s) of Recommendation or Reference(s)
      • Three Letters of Recommendation
    • Personal Statement or Essay
  • For those applying for fall 2025 and beyond, the following will also be required:
    • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • Recommended
    • GRE® Revised General Test

  • Undergraduate GPA of 2.5

Master's Requirements

  • This Master's degree requires 30 units distributed as follows:

    • Graduate-level Mathematics or Statistics: 3 units
    • Civil Engineering Coursework: 12 units
    • Additional Electives: 9 units
    • Non-Thesis or Thesis Option - Select one: 6 units


    Take the following 30 units:

  • Graduate-level Mathematics or Statistics (3 units)

    • Select a graduate-level (500-level or higher) mathematics or statistics course (3 units)

  • Additional Electives (9 units)

    • Additional electives chosen in consultation with your advisor. (9 units)

  • Non-Thesis or Thesis Option - Select one (6 units)

    • Non-Thesis Option (6 units)

      • Select one from the following options (6 units):
        • CENE 690 - Master's Project
        • Additional CENE electives
      • Students completing a non-thesis, coursework, project, or track option must complete 24 units of formal letter-graded coursework.

    • Thesis Option (6 units)

      • CENE 699 for the completion and final defense of an approved thesis.
      • Students selecting a thesis option are required to complete 18 units of formal letter-graded coursework.

  • A maximum of two courses (up to 6 units) may be at the 400-level.

    You must complete at least 18 hours of formal coursework, other than such individualized studies as independent study, directed readings, thesis, and research.

    Since the Civil Engineering MS program emphasizes interdisciplinary topics, students may wish to take courses outside of their primary emphasis area. Some courses may require prior completion of prerequisite courses. Other requirements for Civil Engineering Master of Science students include the following:

    • You are responsible for choosing the chair and members of your advisory committee before completing 9 units of coursework.
    • You must submit a plan of study that lists all coursework intended to satisfy the MS degree requirements by the first month of the semester in which you take your 10th credit. The elective and math/statistics courses are selected in consultation with and acceptable to the student's graduate committee and its chair.

  • Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program

    • This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.

    • Students enrolled at the Flagstaff campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and start a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at NAU.

    • Students must apply to the master's program by the graduate program's application deadline, meet all admissions requirements listed in the policy Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs, as well as the admissions requirements for the specified master's plan to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year.

      Be sure to speak with the Master's Program Director/Coordinator regarding your interest in the accelerated plan.

    • Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:

    • Master's Requirements
       

      This Master degree requires 30 units distributed as follows:

      • Graduate-level Mathematics or Statistics: 3 units
      • Civil Engineering Coursework: 18 units
      • Additional Electives: 3 units
      • Non-Thesis or Thesis Option - Select one: 6 units


      Take the following 30 units:

    • Graduate-level Mathematics or Statistics (3 units)

      • Select a graduate-level (500-level or higher) mathematics or statistics course (3 units)

    • Additional Electives (3 units)

      • Additional electives chosen in consultation with your advisor. (3 units)

    • Non-Thesis or Thesis Option - Select one (6 units)

      • Non-Thesis Option (6 units)

        • Select one from the following options (6 units):
          • CENE 690 - Master's Project
          • Additional CENE electives
        • Students completing a non-thesis, coursework, project, or track option must complete 24 units of formal letter-graded coursework.
      • Thesis Option (6 units)
        • CENE 699 for the completion and final defense of an approved thesis.
        • Students selecting a thesis option are required to complete 18 units of formal letter-graded coursework.

    • A maximum of two courses (up to 6 units) may be at the 400-level.

      You must complete at least 18 hours of formal coursework, other than such individualized studies as independent study, directed readings, thesis, and research.

      Since the Civil Engineering MS program emphasizes interdisciplinary topics, students may wish to take courses outside of their primary emphasis area. Some courses may require prior completion of prerequisite courses. Other requirements for Civil Engineering Master of Science students include the following:

      • You are responsible for choosing the chair and members of your advisory committee before completing 9 units of coursework.
      • You must submit a plan of study that lists all coursework intended to satisfy the MS degree requirements by the first month of the semester in which you take your 10th credit. The elective and math/statistics courses are selected in consultation with and acceptable to the student's graduate committee and its chair.

  • Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

  • Program Fee Information

  • Program fees are established by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). A program fee has been approved for this program. See program fee details. Program fees are subject to change and updated July 1 for the next academic year.