Masters in Civil Engineering

The following civil engineering specializations are in vogue with high demand in the skill-market:

1. Construction Management

This course brings together the best of the worlds of business and technology to address the larger problems that surface as the construction projects are undertaken and during their progress. Even though students get a chance to deepen their knowledge of technical aspects of civil engineering, it is the management of large-scale infrastructure projects, public policy, sustainability, economic and environmental efficiency, logistics and judicious use of resources that lay at the heart of this course.

• Course Components - Project management, financial planning, strategic issues in Construction Management and Sustainable Construction are the chief course components. Use of IT tools and Building Information Modeling for smarter Construction Management through fiscal control, production rate forecasting and risk management are also focused upon. On the technical side, students are expected to choose a definite number of modules from the general civil engineering course structure.
• Road Ahead - Civil engineers with a specialization in Construction Management find employment as Building Surveyors, Estate Managers, Sustainability Consultants, Site Engineers, Facilities Managers, and Geotechnical Engineers.

2. Geological Engineering

Geological Engineers are trained to study and solve problems associated with civil engineering projects through the application of geology. Some common tasks of geological engineers include groundwater resource assessment, site selection for civil engineering projects, environmental impact analysis and assessments for prudent use of minerals. Geological engineers usually work in close coordination with other specialist and non-specialist civil engineers. Their work is fundamental to civil engineering projects.

• Course Components - Geological engineering design, Working with Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems and their applications, Soil Mechanics, Geologic Field Methods, Environmental risk assessment, Remediation of groundwater, Advanced environmental engineering techniques for mining, Subsurface Hydrology, Introduction to Rock Engineering, Renewable Energy, Properties and utility of aggregates, Hazardous Waste Management, Numerical techniques for subsurface flows, Working with Ground Penetrating Radar and surface waves, Advanced Geotechnics, analyzing and preventing landslides.
• Road Ahead - With a Master’s degree in Geological Engineering, one can find employment as a Mining Engineer, Mining Safety Engineer, Geoscientist, Petroleum Engineer, Hydrologist, Environmental Engineer and, Health and Safety Specialist.

3. Structural Engineering

It is one of the conventional civil engineering specializations but has hardly ever been out of demand. It is the design-focused aspect of civil engineering that is concerned with the study of the impact of force on materials. It involves the analysis of how structures behave under service and environmental loads. The static and dynamic impact of loads is focused on. Computations are at the centre of analytical techniques taught in this course.

• Course Components - The essential modules in the course shall be Advanced structural analysis, Advanced engineering materials, Geo-environmental planning, Concrete, Steel and Composites design, Seismic Analysis, Bridge Engineering, Finite Element Analysis, Timber and Masonry Design, Structural reliability and risk assessment, Sustainable built environments, Introduction to Earthquake Engineering and earthquake-resistant design, and Random vibrations.
• Road Ahead - Structural engineers can easily find jobs in organizations that require Construction Engineers, Bridge Engineers, Highway Engineers, Structural Designers, Sustainability consultants, Infrastructural Project Managers, and Structural Analysts among others.

4. Infrastructure Engineering

This specialization track in master’s in civil engineering is aimed at maintenance, improvement, and longevity of civil infrastructure. Students will be trained to analyze and maintain transport, water, and building infrastructure under the local, state or national governments. Engineers learn to work with infrastructure projects such as dams, roads, and highways, canal systems and pipelines, railways, bridges and tunnels, etc. Improving the quality of soil to support the pressure of structures, geometrics, design of transportation facilities, prevention of excessive settlement and structural stability are some of the focus areas within infrastructure engineering.

• Course Components - Infrastructure modelling, and risk and uncertainty assessment are the core concerns of infrastructure engineering. It also covers Pavement Design, Soil Behaviour, Dynamic Soil Analysis, Mechanics of Materials, Foundations, Highway Materials, Site Improvement, Urban Transport Systems, Resilience Analysis, Spatial Analysis, Disaster Management, Waste Management, Water Resources Systems, Design and Analysis, Advanced Geographic Information Systems, Sensors and Statistical methods and Probability.
• Road Ahead - With a master’s in Infrastructure Engineering from a reputed university, one would be able to work with the leading public and private sector organizations across the globe. The main job positions for this area of specialization include Infrastructure Analyst, Infrastructure Architect, Tunnel Engineer, Infrastructure Planning Engineer, Infrastructure Consultant, etc.

5. Transportation Planning and Engineering

It involves the planning, construction, and maintenance of transportation systems. The impact of transportation systems on the environment is one of the central concerns of this course. The focus in on identifying, analyzing and finding solutions to the main problems in the transportation of goods and people. Traffic Management, Road Safety, Public Transport Planning and Maintenance, Road Geometry, Transportation Infrastructure, and System dynamics are some of the key concerns of the course.

• Course Components - A Master’s in Transportation and Engineering shall include modules on Traffic Engineering Design, Transport Economics, Transport Modeling, Traffic Network Modeling, Transport Demand Management, Railway Signaling and Control, Transport Safety Planning, Integrated Transport Networks, Data Collection and Analysis, Building Sustainable Transport Systems, Public Transport Modeling, and Transport Policy.
• Road Ahead - With a specialization in Transportation Planning and Engineering at the graduate level, one can work as Highway Engineer, Airport Engineer, Railway Construction Engineer, Transportation Coordinator, Transportation Planner, Transport Logistics Manager, Transport System Designer, and Transport Policy Consultant, etc.

Global Rank

Regardless of the minor differences in the emphasis areas within general or specialized Master’s in Civil Engineering courses, companies are on a hunt to hire skilled civil engineers for the following roles.

1. Structural Engineer

A structural engineer would be expected to compute loads and stresses, selecting appropriate construction materials, inspecting the work undertaken by contractors, inspecting prevailing structures and properties and preparing reports, diagrams, designs, etc.

2. Project Engineer

A Project Engineer has to perform a supervisory role. One would have to make sure that the designs are being carried out. Risk analysis, testing construction materials, project planning and preparation and submission of permits to concerned authorities are some other responsibilities of a Project Engineer.

3. Transportation Engineer

A civil engineer with a specialized master’s in transport engineering would be expected to supervise the maintenance of transport systems. This could involve evaluation of construction materials, planning of transportation networks, figuring out traffic problems and devising solutions, analysis of environmental impact, evaluation of traffic signalling and control devices for replacement, repair or maintenance and modelling of transport scenarios, etc.

4. Design Engineer

A Design Engineer has to develop design layouts based on specifications and requirements of construction, find problems with designs and address them, conduct civil design analysis, conduct field surveys to prepare engineering drawings, incorporate the aspects of climate change, health and safety into designs at an early stage, and ensure ISO compliance etc.

5. Staff Engineer

Staff Engineers will have to participate actively in administrative and organizational aspects of civil engineering projects besides catering to their technical roles. They have to approve problem-solving plans, be a coordinator amongst team members, prepare cost estimates, and recommend modifications and improvements to projects through active participation in the project as well as an inspection from a distance. Quality control, testing, prototype development, data collection, and analysis and experimentation are some other responsibilities.   

It is not an exaggeration to say that we are living in the age of megaprojects. Transnational projects such as Economic Corridors, international railroads and highways, and SEZs, etc. define the developmental moment of globalization that is being witnessed. On the other end, urbanization and globalization are penetrating deeper into so far untouched backwoods in all corners of the globe. These massive changes in the built landscapes across the globe are possible only through excellent civil engineering.

The demand for civil engineering graduates soars as new projects are conceived; however, it never falls even after the projects are finished. The reason is simple. Maintenance and improvement of structures is an endless task that sustains the demand for skilled civil engineering graduates. Suffice it to say that it is the indispensability and widespread application of civil engineering skills that make it a promising career choice for the coming decades.  According to BLS, employment in this sector is projected to grow at a rate of 6% between 2018-28.