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Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) program in Civil and Environmental Engineering is designed for engineers seeking to enhance their technical skills and practical experience. Students engage in advanced coursework and a project reflecting real-world engineering practice. The program offers three fields of study, providing a comprehensive education in the discipline.

Format

In-Person

Page Contents

Note: This page provides a general overview. For complete and accurate information, please refer to our M.Eng. Handbook or consult the M.Eng. Student Services Coordinator. For current course offerings and information, refer to the Cornell University Registrar: Courses of Study

Program Requirements

Program core course requirements for each of the three major concentrations are provided, students round off their studies via engineering and general electives. Each student’s program is designed and approved individually in consultation with an academic advisor based on their professional aspirations.

To earn a Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering the following requirements must be met:

  • A minimum of 30 graduate-level (5000-level or above) credit hours of course and project work is required for the M.Eng. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
  • At maximum of 2 credits may be taken for S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) credit in approved seminar courses
  • Complete a M.Eng. Project (see more information below)
  • Carry a minimum of 12 credit-bearing hours each semester
  • A minimum cumulative M.Eng. GPA of 2.5
  • No grade below a C-

Concentrations

  • Environmental Engineering Concentration

    Our program empowers students with the expertise to drive innovation. Through a dynamic curriculum and team hands on M.Eng. project, you’ll build domain knowledge, sharpen your technical skills, and gain the analytical tools sought by employers across sectors. You’ll learn to frame complex problems, extract insight from data, and design solutions that make measurable impact.

  • Structural Engineering Concentration

    Step into the forefront of structural engineering with a curriculum designed to equip you with the latest tools, technologies, and methodologies in structural behavior and design. Our program prepares engineers to create resilient, sustainable, and advanced structures that meet the demands of a rapidly evolving world. With the ability to take coursework in smart infrastructure, computational modeling, and next-generation materials individuals develop the skills and insights needed to lead in industry.

  • Transportation Systems Engineering Concentration

    Join a program at the cutting edge of transportation systems engineering- where technology, data, and design converge to shape the future of mobility. Our curriculum equips engineers with advanced tools and emerging methodologies to tackle complex challenges. The program offers flexibility to tailor coursework aligned with your interests.

Environmental Engineering Core Courses

Engineering Methodology

Students should choose one from the following courses: CEE 5930 or CEE 5980 or CEE 5970

  • CEE 5930

    Data Analytics (4 credits)

  • CEE 5980

    Decision Framing and Analytics (3 credits)

  • CEE 5970

    Risk Analysis and Management (3 credits)

Sustainable Water and Energy Applications

Students should choose two from the following courses: CEE 5420 or CEE 6210 or CEE 6530 or CEE 6560

  • CEE 5420

    Energy Technologies and Subsurface Resources (3 credits)

  • CEE 6210

    Renewable Energy Systems (3 credits)

  • CEE 6560

    Physical and Chemical Processes (3 credits)

  • CEE 6530

    Water Chemistry for Environmental Engineering (3 credits)

  • CEE 5051 or CEE 5052

    Project in Environmental Engineering

  • Engineering Elective

    Students must complete additional credits from 5000-level or higher courses in engineering and supporting disciplinary areas that enhance technical skills. Course selection should align with the student’s background, career goals, and academic advisor’s guidance, ensuring a well-rounded professional foundation.

Structural Engineering Core Courses

  • CEE 5071

    Professional Experience in Structural Engineering (3 credits)

  • MAE 5700

    Finite Element Analysis for Mechanical and Aerospace Design (4 credits)

  • MSE 5820

    Mechanical Properties of Materials, Processing, and Design (3 credits)

  • CEE 5760 (Recommended)

    Behavior and Design of Concrete and Masonry Structures (4 credits)

  • CEE 6780 (Recommended)

    Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering (4 credits)

  • CEE 6070 (Recommended)

    CI Fall Seminar Series (.5 credits)

  • Engineering Elective

    Students must complete additional credits from 5000-level or higher courses in engineering and supporting disciplinary areas that enhance technical skills. Course selection should align with the student’s background, career goals, and academic advisor’s guidance, ensuring a well-rounded professional foundation.

Structural M.Eng. illustration showing: Core Curriculum includes Structural Dynamics, Steel II & Concrete II, Concrete I & Masonry, Finite Element Analysis, Design Project, and Mechanics of Materials II. Underneath Core Curriculum is Behavior & Design, Advanced Materials, Analysis & Computation, and Professional Electives
Illustration of Structural Engineering M.Eng. course organization, reflecting the informatiomn outlined in this section.

Transportation Systems Engineering Core Courses

  • CEE 5061 or CEE 5062

    Project in Transportation Engineering (3 credits)

  • CEE 5665

    Modeling and Optimization for Smart Infrastructure Systems (3 credits)

  • CEE 5930

    Data Analytics (4 credits)

  • CEE 6620

    Analysis and Control of Transportation Systems and Networks (3 credits)

  • CEE 6640

    Microeconometrics of Discrete Choice (3 credits)

  • CEE 6648

    Sustainable Transportation Systems Design (3 credits)

  • Policy course

    Policy course of your choice from City and Regional Planning

M.Eng. Project

The M.Eng. program requires an engineering project of 3-6 units over 1-2 semesters. We offer a diverse selection of hands-on projects for the different majors that can either be taken over one or two semesters.

Students develop new solutions for open-ended civil and environmental engineering problems using laboratory experiments, field measurements, and/or computer modeling and simulations. Students can select projects to develop skills in engineering design, engineering research and development, and/or data analysis and decision making.

Group Projects

  • Provide opportunities to apply your skills to a real engineering problem.
  • Provide valuable insight to the sponsoring client
  • Involve worldwide traveling for fieldwork
  • Help you define a desired career path after graduation

Student teams have developed village scale sustainable water-supply treatment plant technologies and designs; seven such plants have been built in Honduras. They have modeled electricity microgrids for the waterfront energy district as well as for South Ithaca and the Cayuga Medical Center Hospital Complex, that provide energy from distributed generation in parallel with the regional grid but can also function in “island mode” during a grid failure. Work with the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility has also extended to converting part of the waste stream into liquid fuels for use in vehicles such as trucks or public buses, and extracting energy from the heat content of the waste water itself for use in district heating. Teams have also studied local hydropower and wind resources.

Project Fields

  • Structural Engineering M.Eng. Project

    Representative themes for the project experience include forensic engineering studies and failure investigations; and design of signature buildings or bridges; structural condition assessment and prognosis studies.

  • Environmental Engineering M.Eng. Project

    Students develop new solutions for open-ended civil and environmental engineering problems using laboratory experiments, field measurements, and/or computer modeling and simulations.

  • Interdisciplinary M.Eng. Project

    The Interdisciplinary M.Eng. Projects are open to any program

  • Transportation Systems M.Eng. Project

    Focuses on transportation planning, design and analysis.

Environmental Engineering Specializations

Students may mix and match among the below specializations:

  • Environmental and Water Resources Systems
  • Sustainable Energy Systems
  • Environmental Processes
  • Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology

Environmental and Water Resource Systems Courses

A student may select supporting electives from engineering and non-engineering subject areas related to environmental engineering, including biology, chemistry, toxicology, law, policy, economics, operations research, computer science, engineering mathematics, systems engineering, and city and regional planning. Add as needed to reach a total of 30 credits.

  • CEE 6790

    Time Series Data Analysis for Civil, Mechanical and Geophysical Applications (3 credits)

  • CEE 5900

    Project Management (4 credits)

Sustainable Energy Systems Courses

  • CEE 6648

    Sustainable Transportation Systems Design (3 credits)

  • CEE 5200

    Economics of the Energy Transition (3 credits)

  • CEE 6880

    Applied Modeling and Simulation for Renewable Energy Systems (3 credits)

  • MAE 5020

    Wind Power (4 credits)

  • MAE 5010

    Future Energy Systems (3 credits)

  • CEE 6210

    Renewable Energy Systems (3 credits)

  • CHEM 6660

    Analysis of Sustainable Energy System (2 credits)

  • CEE 6800

    Engineering Smart Cities (3 credits)

Environmental Processes Courses

  • CEE 5510

    Microbiology for Environmental Engineering (3 credits)

  • CEE 6565

    Wastewater Processes and Resources Recovery (3 credits)

  • CEE 6580

    Biodegradation and Biocatalysis (3 credits)

  • CEE 6590

    Environmental Organic Chemistry (3 credits)

Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology Courses

  • CEE 6350

    Coastal Engineering (3 credits)

  • CEE 6330

    Physical Hydrology in the Built and Natural Environments (3 credits)

  • CEE 6550

    Transport, Mixing, and Transformation in the Environment (3 credits)

  • CEE 6790

    Time Series Data Analysis for Civil, Mechanical, and Geophysical Applications (3 credits)

  • BEE 6710

    Introduction to Groundwater (3 credits)

  • BEE 5730

    Watershed Engineering (3 credits)

  • BEE 6790

    Ecohydrology (3 credits)

Structural Engineering Specializations

Students may mix and match among the below specializations.

  • Behavior and Design Track
  • Advanced Materials Track
  • Analysis and Computation Track

Behavior and Design Track

  • CEE 5710

    Timber Behavior and Design (3 credits)

  • CEE 5790

    Introduction to Building Information Modeling (BIM) using Revit (2 credits)

  • CEE 5770

    Intermediate Behavior of Concrete and Metal Structures (3 credits)

  • CEE 6075

    Foundation Engineering (1.5 credits)

  • CEE 6075

    Tall Building Fundamentals (1.5 credits)

  • CEE 6075

    Tall Building Fundamentals (1.5 credits)

  • CEE 6075

    Forensic Eng & Structural Failure (1.5 credits)

Advanced Materials Track

  • CEE 5746

    Sustainability and Automation: The Future of Construction Industry (4 credits)

  • ARCH 5614

    Building Technology I: Materials and Methods (3 credits)

  • MSE 5820

    Mechanical Properties of Materials, Processing, and Design (3 credits)

  • MAE 5670

    Polymer Mechanics (3 credits)

  • MAE 6110

    Foundations of Solid Mechanics (3 credits)

  • EAS 6590

    Earthquake Physics (3 credits)

Analysis and Computation Track

Students may also find advisor-approved electives in the following fields:

  • Engineering Management
  • Architecture
  • S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management
  • Real Estate
  • Students are expected to take Seminar – Civil Infrastructure CEE 6070 in the fall, and CEE 6071 in the spring.

  • CEE 5745

    Inverse Problems: Theory and Applications (3 credits)

  • CEE 5735

    Mathematical Modeling of Natural and Engineered Systems (3 credits)

  • MAE 5770

    Engineering Vibrations (3 credits)

  • CEE 6730

    Finite Element Method: Theory and Applications in Mechanics and Multiphysics (3 credits)

  • CEE 6790

    Time Series Data Analysis for Civil, Mechanical, and Geophysical Applications (3 credits)

  • CEE 6800

    Engineering Smart Cities (3 credits)

Transportation Systems Engineering Specializations

Students may mix and match among the below specializations:

  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • City and Regional Planning

Civil and Environmental Engineering

  • CEE 5900

    Project Management (4 credits)

  • CEE 5970

    Risk Analysis and Management (3 credits)

  • CEE 6620

    Analysis and Control of Transportation Systems and Networks (3 credits)

  • CEE 6930

    Public Systems Modeling (3 credits)

City and Regional Planning

  • CRP 5040

    Urban Economics (3 credits)

  • CRP 5080

    Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Planners  (3 credits)

  • CRP 5190

    Urban Theory (3 credits)

Advisor Approved Electives

  • ECON 6090

    Microeconomic Theory I (3 credits)

  • ORIE 5300

    Optimization I (3 credits)

  • ORIE 5310

    Optimization II (3 credits)

  • ORIE 5510

    Introduction to Engineering Stochastic Processes (3 credits)

  • NBA 6420

    Supply Chain Analytics (1.5 credits)

Note: This is not a complete list of courses offered that can go toward degree completion. Students may take courses outside of the list as they relate to the degree with approval from their advisor.

CEE 6065 Special Topics in Transportation can be used to pursue an independent study on a particular transportation topic if you and your advisor agree that this is appropriate. In this case, the selection of appropriate core courses will depend on your background and will be determined in discussion with your advisor.