The urban infrastructure needs of the 21st century demands civil engineers with up-to-date skill sets that can design sustainable and resilient new infrastructure and/or rehabilitate existing infrastructure to meet the sustainable needs of a growing population. Whether your focus is in structural, transportation, environmental, water resources, geotechnical, or construction engineering, you can be an integral part of the future with your Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MS CE) from Penn State Harrisburg.
2021 ASCE Infrastructure Report Card giving America’s overall infrastructure a C-
Students interested in environmental or water resources engineering may choose to pursue the Environmental Option in the master’s program. Coursework in this option specifically focuses on urban water, wastewater, and stormwater and includes courses in water and wastewater process engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, groundwater, bioremediation, and policy.
One Water in the Urban Landscape showing how wastewater and stormwater can be recycled to make drinking water or captured for non-potable uses. One Water treats water holistically and retains it in an urban area.
This degree complements Penn State Harrisburg's existing undergraduate degree in civil engineering, is designed to support both full-time students and working professionals, and helps them achieve a mastery in one of the five focus areas (construction, environmental/water resources, geotechnical, structural, transportation) of professional practice in civil engineering.
Classes are offered in the evening one night per week, minimizing time away from work and family.
In addition to coursework, both full- and part-time students have the opportunity to work with faculty on research, with fellowships and assistantships potentially available for full-time students.
Students may complete a master’s thesis (6 credits) or a master’s paper (3 credits). The master’s paper option is geared towards working professionals and students take an additional academic class along with 3 credits of research. The master’s thesis is geared towards the research-focused student. The thesis student takes 6 credits of research on an approved thesis topic.
For students interested in internships, the program works with regional firms and governmental agencies to offer active internship opportunities for students who wish to combine practical experience with a full-time education. International students, if approved for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), would have the option to complete a summer internship with a US-based engineering firm and gain practical experience in civil engineering.
