The Master of Science in Structural Engineering Degree (MSSE)

Lehigh’s Master of Science in Structural Engineering (MSSE) degree program focuses on analytical and experimental studies of structural behavior. The MSSE prepares students for careers in industry as well as progression to a Ph.D. and an academic career track.

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Master of Science (M.S.) students work with a professor on a research project, and then write a thesis to help fulfill the degree requirements. Sometimes the research is basic, designed to explore fundamental scientific principles; often the research is applied, geared to produce an end result that has practical value.

What’s the difference between the M.Eng. and M.S. in structural engineering degree?

The MSSE degree is research-oriented and includes the completion of a thesis or project. The Master of Engineering in Structural Engineering degree is design-oriented and involves the completion of both group and individual design projects. Here’s how the programs compare:

M.S. M.Eng.

Orientation

Research

Professional Practice

Thesis

Yes

No

Duration

21 months

10 months

Credit Hours

3 credit hours of thesis
12 credit hours of required courses
15 credit hours of electives

30 total credit hours

9 credit hours of design projects
3 credit hours of structural laboratory
6 credit hours of required courses
12 credit hours of electives

30 total credit hours

Funding opportunities

  • Teaching assistantships
  • Graduate research assistantships
  • Fellowships

  • Partial tuition scholarships

Program Overview
Each class is worth 3 credits.

Fall

  • Mechanics and Behavior of Structural Members
  • Structural Dynamics
  • Technical Elective

Spring

  • Advanced Structural Analysis
  • Finite Element Methods in Structural Engineering
  • Technical Elective

Fall

  • Technical Elective
  • Technical Elective

Spring

  • Thesis
  • Technical Elective

Summer

  • Design Project I
  • Structural Behavior Laboratory

Fall

  • Design Project II
  • Mechanics and Behavior of Structural Members
  • Technical Elective
  • Technical Elective

Spring

  • Design Project III
  • Advanced Structural Analysis
  • Technical Elective
  • Technical Elective

All our master’s degree students work with an internationally known faculty in laboratories that draw students, scientists and clients from all over the world to research capabilities few universities can match.

CEE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: M.S. IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

Photograph of Liz Labuz

Liz Labuz came to Lehigh on a graduate assistantship after earning her BSCE from MIT in 2009. Her master’s thesis focuses on structural health monitoring, specifically the application of densely clustered sensor networks that detect localized damage in structures.

Liz spent her first year at Lehigh serving as a teaching assistant. During summer 2010, she mentored students in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program while working on her own research project, taking a week off to coach at an all-girls distance running camp.

Liz is spending her second graduate year working as a research assistant. She is currently president of the Fritz Engineering Research Society, an organization that boasts more than 1,100 active lifelong members. She expects to graduate from Lehigh in spring 2011, and subsequently plans to work in investigative or preservation engineering as a licensed professional engineer.

How to apply to the program

For detailed information on admission to graduate study through the P. C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science (PCREAS), consult pp. 55 – 60 of the University Course Catalog.

Click here to access an online application. Send transcripts and supplemental materials to:

Prisca Vidanage

Prisca Vidanage, Graduate Coordinator
Lehigh University
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
13 E. Packer Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18015-3176

For general information about the CEE graduate program and current course descriptions, consult pp. 176-180 of the University Course Catalog. For specific questions, call Prisca at (610) 758-3530 or e-mail her at pmv1@lehigh.edu.