CEE Online Certificate Program

Certificate Areas

The Certificate Program allows students to receive a certificate in a specialized area within civil and environmental engineering. Each certificate requires students to complete three or four courses for 12 credit hours. Courses cannot be applied to more than one certificate, and students must earn a B- or higher in each course.

See the areas that follow for more information about the courses offered toward each certificate.

The Construction Management area of study at Illinois prepares students to manage and direct construction projects in the increasingly global construction industry. The Construction Management faculty includes world-class experts who utilize cutting-edge technology to enable greater efficiency and better collaboration during construction projects.

Courses:
CEE 420.  Construction Productivity
CEE 421.  Construction Planning
CEE 422.  Construction Cost Analysis
CEE 424.  Sustainable Construction Methods
CEE 498CEM. Construction Equipment and Methods
CEE 498CS. Construction Safety
CEE 522. Visual Data Analytics
CEE 526.  Construction Optimization
CEE 528. Construction Data Modeling

The Data Science courses balance data science methodology and disciplinary contents from different CEE areas of study. The goal of the certificate is to provide students with expertise in data science as it applies to civil and environmental engineering topics.

Courses:

  • CEE 492 Data Science for CEE: Students will learn to leverage data to study CEE problems, identify patterns and make actionable insights. The course include training in digital and computer tools (such as data processing, exploratory data analysis, spatial data, data visualization, distributed computing, and statistical modeling) with their applications to CEE issues. Class offered every fall semester.
  • CEE 498MLC Machine Learning for CEE: Students will learn the fundamentals behind advanced machine learning and learn how to use machine learning tools to solve CEE problems. Topics include regression, Bayesian inference, deep neural networks, scientific deep learning, and Gaussian Processes. Class offered every spring semester.
  • CEE 498ISL Infrastructure Sensing Lab: Students will learn basic strategies for experimental design, and gain experience working with a variety of CEE sensing techniques; with components in experimental design and approaches to terrestrial, field, and laboratory-based measurements and experiential learning to explore sensor types and technologies. The course will have modules on 4 sensing applications: (1) mechanics and materials, (2) water and environment, (3) transportation, and (4) construction. Class offered every spring semester.

The Geotechnical Engineering group at the University of Illinois has educated generations of experts in the use of natural and engineered geomaterials. One of the key tenets of geotechnical engineering is the engineering of foundations for buildings, dams, and other geostructures. Dr. Ralph B. Peck, founder of the Geotechnical Engineering Program at Illinois, was a Professor of Foundation Engineering and offered the first course in Foundation Engineering at the University of Illinois in the 1940s. As foundation engineering has broadened and seen significant innovations over the past 80 years, the Geotechnical Engineering group now covers this fundamental topic in three courses.

The Graduate Certificate in Foundation Engineering is geared toward students looking to expand their understanding of Foundation Engineering and for practicing engineers looking to deepen their knowledge base. This certificate will provide a review of both fundamental theories and new and up-to-date applications in Foundation Engineering.

Courses:
CEE 484.* Applied Soil Mechanics (4 credit hours)
CEE 585. Deep Foundations (4 credit hours)
CEE 587.** Applied Rock Mechanics (4 credit hours)

*Students must have had the CEE 484 prerequisite, CEE 483 Soil Mechanics and Behavior, in order to begin this certificate.
**CEE 586 is a required prerequisite for CEE 587.

The Certificate in Pavement Engineering is geared towards practicing engineers who wish to gain additional technical expertise in pavements and transportation materials. The pavement engineering group at Illinois boasts the largest research and graduate education program of its kind in the US. This comprehensive program boasts world-class faculty, a broad-based, cutting-edge research portfolio, and strong ties to industry and government agencies. Our Pavement Engineering courses are kept up-to-date with the latest developments in materials, design, specifications, and sustainable pavement engineering practices.

Courses:
CEE 406. Pavement Design/Analysis I
CEE 503. Construction Materials Deterioration
CEE 505. Transportation Soil Stabilization
CEE 506. Pavement Design/Analysis II
CEE 508. Pavement Evaluation and Rehabilitation
CEE 509. Transportation Soils
CEE 598ABM. Advanced Bituminous Materials

The Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) at Illinois is the largest and oldest railroad program in North America, providing courses in railroad infrastructure design and maintenance, network operation, and management. Today, U.S. railroads are transporting more freight than any point in history, and high-speed rail corridors are being considered throughout the country. Railroads, and the engineering firms and manufacturers that supply the industry, need talented engineers to develop and implement the technology needed for the future of rail transport.

Courses:
CEE 408.  Railroad Transportation Engineering
CEE 409.  Railroad Track Engineering
CEE 410. Railway Signaling and Control
CEE 411.  Railroad Project Planning and Design
CEE 412. High Speed Rail Engineering

The Geotechnical Engineering group at the University of Illinois has educated generations of experts in the use of natural and engineered geomaterials. In recent years, underground construction has rapidly expanded in response to increasing societal needs, particularly in urban areas. At the same time, many new applications in underground engineering have emerged.

The Graduate Certificate in Underground Engineering will provide students and practicing engineers with the tools to successfully navigate this expanding area of Geotechnical Engineering. This certificate includes one of the only courses on tunneling offered in the United States, as well as courses on the fundamentals of numerical modeling and new geoenergy applications for underground construction and geostructures.

Courses:
CEE 498GE.  Geoenergy Systems (4 credit hours)
CEE 580.  Excavation and Support Systems (4 credit hours)
CEE 589.  Computational Geomechanics (4 credit hours)
CEE 593.  Tunneling in Soil and Rock (4 credit hours)

As the demand for freight and passenger mobility continues to grow at an increasing pace, there is a pressing need to ensure efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of transportation systems for current and future generations. The transportation engineering faculty at Illinois offer unequaled expertise in holistic and innovative solutions to planning, managing, and control of urban mobility systems. The courses offered in this program emphasize development of analytic, problem-solving, design, and management skills that will be essential for professional, teaching, and research careers in public and private sectors.

Courses:
CEE 417. Urban Transportation Planning (4 credit hours)
CEE 418. Public Transportation Systems (4 credit hours)
CEE 498TE. Transportation Economics (4 credit hours)
CEE 512. Logistics Systems Analysis(4 credit hours)
CEE 598UTM. Urban Transportation Models (4 credit hours)

Rapid advances of information technologies in recent years, such as those in sensing, wireless communication, and artificial intelligence, are revolutionizing the ways vehicular traffic systems are monitored and operated. The transportation engineering faculty at Illinois include world-class experts who utilize such cutting-edge technologies to enable greater efficiency, safety, and sustainability of vehicular traffic. The courses in this certificate program offer physics-based and data-based analysis methods to enable effective monitoring, planning, management, and control of vehicular traffic systems.

Courses:
CEE 416. Traffic Capacity Analysis (4 credit hours)
CEE 498LM. Learning Methods in CE (4 credit hours)
CEE 515. Traffic Flow Theory (4 credit hours)
CEE 517. Traffic Signal Systems (4 credit hours)

Requirements

Students who wish to apply must meet the following requirements.

  • BS degree in engineering or science from an accredited college in the United States or an approved institution of higher learning abroad. The Transportation Certificate requires basic knowledge in the area of civil engineering and transportation, and the Construction Management Certificate requires basic knowledge in the area of civil engineering and construction management. Students with a non-engineering BS must have taken courses to gain this background knowledge.
  • GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher for the last 60 semester hours in a BS program. Students who do not meet the 3.0/4.0 GPA criterion may still be eligible to enroll if they have significant experience outside of the classroom. Such students are encouraged to contact ceeonline@illinois.edu to determine if they are eligible to register for online classes and participate in the certificate program.

Application

  • To apply, please complete the application and return to ceeonline@illinois.edu.
  • A resume and transcripts reflecting the total BS degree program and any other degrees listed under the "Degree Information" section must be sent along with the application before it will be processed.

Application Deadlines

  • August 1 for Fall Semester
  • December 1 for Spring Semester

Contact Us

General program questions:
Email: ceeonline@illinois.edu
Phone: (217) 333-3921

Meg C. Griffin, PE
Assistant Director for Graduate Programs
mgriffn@illinois.edu