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Online MS in Civil Engineering: Construction Engineering

Courses & Degree Requirements

The online Master of Science in Civil Engineering: Construction Engineering degree requires the completion of 14 courses. Each course is worth 3 credits. A total of 42 credits is required to complete the program.

Three to four courses are offered each quarter, and you can take as many courses as you'd like each quarter. Courses may be taken in any sequence over the course of the degree program.

Course Offerings (2023-24)

Autumn 2023

CESI 588: Energy Infrastructure & the Environment

Instructor: Joe Mahoney
Credits: 3
This course explores the site selection, permitting, design, construction and maintenance of energy infrastructure. It includes electrical production facilities and transmission, with a focus on the permitting and construction of renewable energy facilities, especially wind, solar and geothermal.

CM 520: Construction Procurement Systems

Instructor: Yong-Woo Kim
Credits: 3
This course explores different methods used in the procurement and delivery of projects in the construction industry, including lump sum, unit price, cost-plus, design-build and construction management contracts.

CM 525: Cost Analysis & Measurement

Instructor: Yong-Woo Kim
Credits: 3
This course offers a study of cost management procedures applicable to the building process from the conceptual phase through owner operations, including conceptual estimating, project cost analysis and control, and value engineering and life-cycle costing.

Winter 2024

CESI 508: Accounting & Finance for Construction

Instructor: Mohammad Malakoutian
Credits: 3
This course introduces construction-oriented financial management and explains why construction financial management is different than financial management in other industries. It describes how to account for a company’s financial resources and how to build the company’s accounting system. The course also examines how to manage the costs and profits of a construction company at the project level as well as at the company level; how to manage company cash flows; how to evaluate different sources of funding cash needs; and ways to quantitatively analyze financial decisions. This course requires a virtual conference with the class for approximately 1 hour per week.

CESI 531: Project Field Assembly

Instructor: Julian Yamaura
Credits: 3
Introduces engineered lift techniques and development of support structures needed to assemble infrastructure projects on site. Major topics include determination of loads, environmental and site considerations, crane picks and rigging, use of temporary structures, and software involved in these tasks.

CM 500: Design & Construction Law

Instructor: Athan Tramountanas
Credits: 3
This course focuses on legal issues arising from design and construction services, with an emphasis on risk management and liability awareness. You’ll explore basic legal doctrines, the design professional/client relationship, contractor selection, the construction process and professional practice problems.

CM 588: Construction Operations & Productivity

Instructor: Hyun Woo "Chris" Lee
Credits: 3
This course offers a study of heavy construction operations with emphasis on productivity enhancement. The focus is on an integrated approach to planning, modeling, analysis, and design of construction operations, as well as the use of simulation models and other analytical tools.

Spring 2024

CESI 592: Statistical Fundamentals for Construction & Materials Applications

Instructor: Mohammad Malakoutian
Credits: 3
This course offers an overview of statistical measures used in various construction and materials decision-making processes. Course topics include data distributions, hypothesis tests (making decisions with statistics), regression analysis, sampling, quality control and assurance, and experimental design. The course uses construction data to illustrate these measures. 

CESI 595: Construction Materials

Instructor: Joe Mahoney
Credits: 3
This course provides students with detailed knowledge of aggregates, bituminous mixtures, Portland cement concrete, roller compacted concrete, soil and site stabilization, utility cuts and flowable backfill. Background information is provided on basic soil properties and characterization, and there is an emphasis on the behavior of materials in various construction applications.

CM 580: Temporary Structures

Instructor: Fred Aguayo
Credits: 3
This course offers the study of materials, methods and techniques associated with temporary structures used in various construction operations, including concrete formwork, scaffolding, underpinning, cofferdams, slurry trenches, earth-retaining structures and dewatering systems. 

Summer 2024

CM 582: Heavy Construction Estimating

Instructor: Ahmed Abdel Aziz
Credits: 3
This course concerns the principles used in developing cost estimates for heavy construction projects. We’ll cover the interpretation of contract documents, quantity take-off, pricing, and preparation of unit-price bid documents. The emphasis is on developing cost estimates for highway projects. 

CM 586: Utility System Construction

Instructors: Giovanni Migliaccio
Credits: 3
In this course, we’ll examine the materials, methods and techniques associated with construction of major utility systems, including water, sewer, communications, natural gas and electrical. We’ll also explore the construction of central utility plants as well as major distribution and collection systems. 

CESI 596: Pavement Construction

Instructor: Stephen Muench
Credits: 3
This course examines pavement construction, including pavement contracts and specifications, quality control and assurance programs, and plant and laydown operations. It includes a review of both national and international pavement construction practices. 

Course Offerings (2024-25)

Autumn 2024

CM 520: Construction Procurement Systems

Instructor: Yong-Woo Kim
Credits: 3
This course explores different methods used in the procurement and delivery of projects in the construction industry, including lump sum, unit price, cost-plus, design-build and construction management contracts.

CM 525: Cost Analysis & Measurement

Instructor: Yong-Woo Kim
Credits: 3
This course offers a study of cost management procedures applicable to the building process from the conceptual phase through owner operations, including conceptual estimating, project cost analysis and control, and value engineering and life-cycle costing.

CESI 588: Energy Infrastructure & the Environment

Instructor: Joe Mahoney
Credits: 3
This course explores the site selection, permitting, design, construction and maintenance of energy infrastructure. It includes electrical production facilities and transmission, with a focus on the permitting and construction of renewable energy facilities, especially wind, solar and geothermal.

CESI 594: Computer-Aided Construction

Instructors: Fady Masoud
Credits: 3
Information technology plays an important role in construction management and cost estimating. This course covers computerized construction, fundamentals of computer hardware, construction management software tools, web publishing, GPS applications and construction data management. 

Winter 2025

CM 500: Design & Construction Law

Instructor: Athan Tramountanas
Credits: 3
This course focuses on legal issues arising from design and construction services, with an emphasis on risk management and liability awareness. You’ll explore basic legal doctrines, the design professional/client relationship, contractor selection, the construction process and professional practice problems.

CM 588: Construction Operations & Productivity

Instructor: Hyun Woo "Chris" Lee
Credits: 3
This course offers a study of heavy construction operations with emphasis on productivity enhancement. The focus is on an integrated approach to planning, modeling, analysis, and design of construction operations, as well as the use of simulation models and other analytical tools.

CESI 508: Accounting & Finance for Construction

Instructor: Mohammad Malakoutian
Credits: 3
This course introduces construction-oriented financial management and explains why construction financial management is different than financial management in other industries. It describes how to account for a company’s financial resources and how to build the company’s accounting system. The course also examines how to manage the costs and profits of a construction company at the project level as well as at the company level; how to manage company cash flows; how to evaluate different sources of funding cash needs; and ways to quantitatively analyze financial decisions. This course requires a virtual conference with the class for approximately 1 hour per week.

Spring 2025

CESI 531: Project Field Assembly

Instructor: Julian Yamaura
Credits: 3
Introduces engineered lift techniques and development of support structures needed to assemble infrastructure projects on site. Major topics include determination of loads, environmental and site considerations, crane picks and rigging, use of temporary structures, and software involved in these tasks.

CM 580: Temporary Structures

Instructor: Fred Aguayo
Credits: 3
This course offers the study of materials, methods and techniques associated with temporary structures used in various construction operations, including concrete formwork, scaffolding, underpinning, cofferdams, slurry trenches, earth-retaining structures and dewatering systems. 

CESI 592: Statistical Fundamentals for Construction & Materials Applications

Instructor: Mohammad Malakoutian
Credits: 3
This course offers an overview of statistical measures used in various construction and materials decision-making processes. Course topics include data distributions, hypothesis tests (making decisions with statistics), regression analysis, sampling, quality control and assurance, and experimental design. The course uses construction data to illustrate these measures. 

CESI 595: Construction Materials

Instructor: Joe Mahoney
Credits: 3
This course provides students with detailed knowledge of aggregates, bituminous mixtures, Portland cement concrete, roller compacted concrete, soil and site stabilization, utility cuts and flowable backfill. Background information is provided on basic soil properties and characterization, and there is an emphasis on the behavior of materials in various construction applications.

Summer 2025

CM 582: Heavy Construction Estimating

Instructor: Ahmed Abdel Aziz
Credits: 3
This course concerns the principles used in developing cost estimates for heavy construction projects. We’ll cover the interpretation of contract documents, quantity take-off, pricing, and preparation of unit-price bid documents. The emphasis is on developing cost estimates for highway projects. 

CM 586: Utility System Construction

Instructors: Giovanni Migliaccio
Credits: 3
In this course, we’ll examine the materials, methods and techniques associated with construction of major utility systems, including water, sewer, communications, natural gas and electrical. We’ll also explore the construction of central utility plants as well as major distribution and collection systems. 

CESI 596: Pavement Construction

Instructor: Stephen Muench
Credits: 3
This course examines pavement construction, including pavement contracts and specifications, quality control and assurance programs, and plant and laydown operations. It includes a review of both national and international pavement construction practices. 

Quarterly course offerings may be adjusted due to curriculum changes or other factors. Whenever possible, one quarter’s notice will be given for any upcoming changes.