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Free Electives in MS Structural Engineering Program

Select additional courses from the list of breadth electives and from course offerings from the engineering and engineering-related disciplines that contribute to coherent program of study. 

The following groupings are of courses to consider if your interest, whether in practice or in research, falls in these general areas. Please note that there are not concentrations (majors or minors) in the SEM graduate program. These groupings are simply suggestions tied to areas of interest.

Advanced Materials

Mechanics of CompositesAA2563AutumnChang
Damage and Failure Mechanics of Structural SystemsCEE3053-4SpringLepech
Experimental Stress AnalysisME3483Not OfferedNelson
Mechanical Properties of MaterialsMATSCI2083-4SpringDauskardt
Fracture and Fatigue of Materials and Thin Film StructuresMATSCI3583Not OfferedDauskardt

Analysis and Computation

Introduction to Sensing Networks for CEECEE2553-4SpringRajagopal
Wind Engineering for Sustainable CitiesCEE261C3SpringGorle
Advanced Structural AnalysisCEE2803-4AutumnDeierlein
Mechanics and Finite ElementsCEE2813WinterBorja
Nonlinear Structural AnalysisCEE2823-4WinterSimpson
Structural DynamicsCEE2833-4WinterLaw
Finite Element Methods in Structural DynamicsCEE2843-4AutumLaw
Structural MonitoringCEE2863-4WinterNoh
Damage and Failure Mechanics of Structural SystemsCEE3053-4SpringLepech
Computational Fracture MechanicsCEE3063-42025-2026Linder
Computational Solid MechanicsCEE3103-4Not OfferedLinder
Computational PoromechanicsCEE31432025-2026Borja
Plasticity Modeling and ComputationCEE3153SpringBorja
Finite Element AnalysisME335A3WinterLew
Finite Element AnalysisME335B3Not OfferedPinsky
Finite Element AnalysisME335C3Not OfferedStaff

Earthquake Engineering

Nonlinear Structural AnalysisCEE2823-4WinterSimpson
Structural DynamicsCEE2833-4WinterLaw
Advanced Structural Concrete Behavior and DesignCEE285A3-4AutumnDouglas
Advanced Structural Steel Behavior and DesignCEE285B3-4WinterMiranda
Structural MonitoringCEE2863-4WinterNoh
Earthquake Resistant Design and ConstructionCEE2873SpringMiranda
Seismic Hazard and Risk AnalysisCEE2883-4WinterBaker
Earthquake SeismologyGEOPHYS2873-5Not OfferedDunham

 

Forensic Engineering

Mechanics and Finite ElementsCEE2813WinterBorja
Nonlinear Structural AnalysisCEE2823-4WinterSimpson
Structural MonitoringCEE2863-4WinterNoh
Managing Critical InfrastructureCEE297M2SpringMcCann
Structural Performance and FailuresCEE2902SpringGriffith
Damage and Failure Mechanics of Structural SystemsCEE3053-4SpringLepech
Experimental Stress AnalysisME3483Not OfferedNelson

Risk and Reliability Engineering

Probabilistic Models in Civil EngineeringCEE2033-4AutumnBaker
Structural ReliabilityCEE2043-4AutumnKiremidjian
Decision Analysis for Civil and Environmental EngineersCEE2063SummerKiremidjian
Data Analytics for Physical SystemsCEE2543-4AutumnNoh
Applied Data Analysis Uncertainty QuantificationCEE2673Not OfferedStaff
Seismic Hazard and Risk AnalysisCEE2883-4WinterBaker
Engineering Risk AnalysisMS&E250A3WinterPate-Cornell
Decision Analysis I: Foundation of Decision AnalysisMS&E2523-4AutumnShachter

Sensing and Data Analytics

Data Analytics for Physical Systems                                                                         CEE2543-4 Autumn     Noh               
Introduction to Sensing Networks for CEECEE2553-4SpringRajagopal
Structural MonitoringCEE2863-4WinterNoh
Data Analytics for Urban SystemsCEE3223AutumnRajagopal
Networks Analysis for Urban SystemsCEE3453Not OfferedJain
Introduction to SensorsME2204SpringKenny
Digital Signal ProcessingEE2643-4Winter Mujica
Machine LearningCS2293-4Autumn
Winter
Spring
Summer
Charikar
Data Mining and AnalysisSTATS2023Autumn
Spring
Walther
Modern Applied Statistics: LearningSTATS315A3WinterDuchi

Structural and Geotechnical Design and Consulting

Wind Engineering for Sustainable CitiesCEE261C3SpringGorle
Mechanics and Finite ElementsCEE2813WinterBorja
Nonlinear Structural AnalysisCEE2823-4WinterSimpson
Advanced Structural Concrete Behavior and DesignCEE285A3-4AutumnDouglas
Advanced Structural Steel Behavior and DesignCEE285B3-4WinterMiranda
Earthquake Resistant Design and ConstructionCEE2873-4SpringMiranda
Foundations and Earth StructuresCEE29332025-2026Wren
Computer Integrated Architecture/
Engineering/Construction
CEE222A3WinterFruchter
Computer Integrated Architecture/
Engineering/Construction
CEE222B2SpringFruchter

Urban Resilience

Shaping the Future of the Bay AreaCEE218X3-5Not OfferedStaff
Intro to Urban System EngineeringCEE2433AutumnJain
Introduction to Sensing NetworksCEE2553-4SpringRajagopal
Wind Engineering for Sustainable CitiesCEE261C3WinterGorle
Structural MonitoringCEE2863-4WinterNoh
Seismic Hazard and Risk AnalysisCEE2883-4WinterBaker
Managing Critical InfrastructureCEE297M2SpringMcCann
Network Analysis for Urban SystemsCEE3453Not OfferedJain
Performance-Based Earthquake EngineeringCEE3853-4AutumnMiranda
Data Science for GeoscienceEnergy2403Not OfferedCaers
Engineering Risk AnalysisMS&E250A3WinterPate-Cornell
Sustainable CitiesURBANST164
EARTHSYS160
4-5SpringKos

Example non-engineering courses suitable as elective units

  • ECON 135: Finance for Non-MBAs 
  • ECON 140: Introduction to Financial Economics
  • ESS 164: Fundamentals of GIS
  • GEOPHYS 190: Near-Surface Geophysics
  • GEOPHYS 287: Earthquake Seismology
  • STATS 195: Introduction to R 
  • STATS 200: Introduction to Statistical Inference
  • STATS 202: Data Mining and Analysis

Other comparable courses may be suitable as elective units, subject to approval from your advisor. Courses unrelated to the profession or practice of structural engineering are not suitable.