Civil Systems

The graduate program in Civil Systems leads to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering. Students studying toward the M.S. degree can pursue a thesis or a course work option of 30 semester hours. The Ph.D. degree requires additional course work beyond M.S. degree as well as a dissertation. More information on the civil systems program requirements can be found in this flyer.

Graduate study in Civil Systems prepares students to plan and manage civil infrastructure systems on multiple scales from individual town or village level to mega-cities. This program allows students with interests that span traditional civil engineering disciplines as well as outside fields to focus on the global, societal, and infrastructure issues of today. Applying engineering, social science, economic, and public policy approaches, civil systems students will learn to adopt a large-scale, systems analysis approach to the development, management and monitoring of civil infrastructure systems under natural and society-induced hazards. Students will learn to integrate model-based analysis, field and laboratory experiments, and life-cycle decisions to address the built and human environment.

The Civil Systems research faculty is an interdisciplinary area: a group of faculty from multiple disciplines within the University of Colorado’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering. The University of Colorado at Boulder, the state’s flagship research and teaching institution, opened in 1877, with programs in the sciences, engineering, business, law, arts, humanities, education, music, and many other disciplines. The Civil Systems interdisciplinary area was formed in 2010 by CU faculty interested in the interaction within complex systems that are addressed by two or more civil engineering disciplines. It is a partnership that includes faculty from structural engineering and structural mechanics; hydrology, water resources, and fluid mechanics; building systems; construction engineering management; geotechnical engineering and geotechnical mechanics; and environmental engineering.

Faculty Members

Bernard Amadei, Professor, PhD, University of California, Berkeley. Engineering for Developing Communities and International Development, Geological Engineering(303-492-7734, amadei@colorado.edu)

 Paul Chinowsky, Professor, Ph.D., Stanford University. Climate Change Impacts, Strategic Planning, Engineering Organizations.
(303-735-1063, paul.chinowsky@colorado.edu)

 Ross B. Corotis, Professor, P.E., N.A.E., Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Probabilistic modeling, risk assessment and perception, structural reliability.
(303- 735-0539, corotis@colorado.edu)

Amy Javernick-Will, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Stanford University.  Global Projects, Global engineering and construction Organizations, Organizational learning, Knowledge management, disaster recovery.
(720-220-7220, amy.javernick@colorado.edu)

Abbie Liel, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Stanford University.  Seismic collapse performance prediction of structures and structural systems; life safety risks and economic losses; earthquake performance of housing and schools internationally.
(303-492-1050, abbie.liel@colorado.edu)

Keith Porter, Associate Research Professor, Ph.D., Stanford University. Seismic vulnerability of buildings, catastrophe risk modeling, performance-based earthquake engineering.
(303-952-0426, keith.porter@colorado.edu)

JoAnn Silverstein, Professor, Ph.D. University of California, Davis.  Conventional and advanced wastewater treatment, Utility Management, Distributed Water Systems.
(303-492-7211, joann.silverstein@colorado.edu)

 Kenneth Strzepek, Professor, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Water resource planning and management, river basin planning, modeling of agricultural, environmental, and water resource systems.
(303-492-7111, kenneth.strzepek@colorado.edu)

Areas of Emphasis:

  • Interdisciplinary Topic Areas
  • Engineering for Developing Communities
  • Engineering for Societyo    Sustainable Development
  • Disaster Planning and Recovery
  • Climate Change and Adaptation

Traditional CEAE Disciplines

  • Building Systems
  • Construction Engineering and Management
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics
  • Water Resources Engineering

Applications:

Students should apply to the Civil Systems graduate program within CEAE.
For additional information and application forms, please contact:

Graduate Coordinator
Department of Civil, Environmental and Arch. Engineering
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0428

Telephone: 303-492-7316
Fax: 303-492-7317
E-mail: cvengrad@colorado.edu