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Program: Civil Engineering Description: “Our Online Master of Civil Engineering program honors the commitment to the advancement and application of civil engineering. It provides working professional engineers, or those in engineering-related fields, with the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience needed to assume leadership positions within their organizations. Our small class sizes promote personalized interactions between the faculty and students to ensure a high level of support. Students learn from experts and practitioners in the field,” said MCE Program Director Dr. Thomas J. Descoteaux. Where is it: Northfield, VT Format: Online Prerequisites: Engineering or equivalent Degree you get: Master of Civill Engineering Size of the Program: 50-70 Students Number of credit hours: 36 (6 Courses) Thesis: Capstone Project And that will take how long? 1.5-2 years When to Start: Summer or Fall Term Fees: $30,000 - $35,000 (subject to increase if prerequisites are needed) Application Requirements:
Admission Requirements
Not Required
Who should take it?
Things to Consider about the Program:
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Norwich University’s Online Master of Civil Engineering Program
For almost 200 years, Norwich University has been teaching the next generation of engineers. In fact, they were one of the first colleges in the US to offer engineering degrees. To cater to the evolving needs of current engineering professionals, Norwich started to offer an online Master of Civil Engineering (MCE) program ten years ago.
“Our online civil engineering graduate program is designed to accommodate the busy schedule of working engineers,” said MCE Program Director Dr. Thomas J. Descoteaux, P.E. “as well as promote personalized interactions between the faculty and students ensuring a high level of support.”
MCE Program Director Dr. Thomas J. Descoteaux, PE
He added, “Our faculty are highly qualified. They represent a body of academics and professional engineers who bring to the table a wealth of theory and real world experience.”
Curriculum for Norwich’s Online Master of Civil Engineering Program
The online MCE program at Norwich is designed to offer students the experience and expertise they need to help them succeed in leadership positions. Therefore, the curriculum focuses on both the business and technical sides of the civil engineering coin.
Recognizing that project management is a critical skill to have in the work force, all four concentration options (Structural, Geotechnical, Environmental/Water Resources, Construction Management) include a course entitled “Project Management Techniques, Tools and Practices” while also expanding deeper into their respective disciplines
The asynchronous structure of the program allows students to absorb the material at their own convenience. Additionally, if they run into any issues, the online platform, Moodle, offers technical assistance 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The Moodle platform is cloud-based so all material is accessible via the web.
An added benefit to the MCE program is that it caps the classes to a maximum of 15 students. This allows the class to get to know each other and enjoy in-depth discussions with their peers and instructors.
Online Master of Civil Engineering Specializations at Norwich University
Students can choose to specialize in one of four areas when taking the Online Master of Civil Engineering program at Norwich University: Construction Management, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental/Water Resource Engineering, and Structural Engineering. These specializations are designed with a set course structure. Electives are not offered.
As for the construction management specialization, it focuses on the management aspect of civil engineering firms as opposed to the tactical nature of the work. The focus is to learn to manage teams to execute construction-related projects.
Students who choose to specialize in Geotechnical engineering will learn about foundation engineering, soil mechanics, and soil stabilization. The MCE specialization has a strong quantitative and lab component to the curriculum.
The Environmental and Water Resource concentration provides students the fundamentals of the biological and physiochemical processes in water, storm water management and waste water treatment. To supplement coursework, students will also do lab work via Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Lastly, students who choose to specialize in structural engineering will be exposed to material in dynamic structural analysis as well as the design of steel, timber, and concrete structures.
Who is taking an Online Master of Civil Engineering Program from Norwich University?
The profile of students that take an Online MCE from Norwich typically includes working engineers who wish to move into leadership or specialized positions. The age range of students taking the program varies from those early in their career to seasoned professionals with PE licenses. For students that have been away from academia for some time, Norwich offers pre-requisite courses to account for gaps in the student’s educational background.
Norwich University: Setting Students Up for Success
To reinforce the commitment involved in the MCE program, Dr. Descoteaux emphasizes that students should prepare to commit to 20-25 hours a week to the program. In terms of support from members of Norwich University, students can rely on faculty, student services and other students regarding aspects of the program and student life.
Given the time and effort required to partake in the program, students are given a 2 week break between courses each semester to unwind. “This way,” Dr. Descoteaux asserts, “they are set up for success.”
Norwich University has sponsored this post. They have no editorial input to this post - all opinions are mine. Shawn Wasserman