15 Online Structural Engineering Degree Programs For Students

In this article, you will get details of several online structural engineering degree programs for students that will serve as a great support if you wish to study civil engineering without visiting the four walls of a higher institution or want to go beyond just what your lecturer teaches.

Structural engineering is a sub-division of civil engineering that trains civil engineers on how to conduct structural analysis so as to determine the internal and external forces that could affect a structure and then design a structure using materials and reinforcements to combat the forces.

Although this field of study requires practicals, these online structural engineering degree programs will give you the much-needed training to excel in the field. Upon completion of the program, you will be awarded certification.

The table of contents below gives highlights of what to expect in the article.

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What is Structural Engineering?

This is a sub-discipline of civil engineering that deals with the impact of physical force on force-resisting elements. It is based on applied physical laws and empirical knowledge of the structural performance of different materials and geometries.

This field of study sets numerical quantities to physical forces and examines how different structural elements will react to these forces.

In structural engineering, engineers go through a series of training on how to design the bones and muscles that develop the form and shape of man-made structures.

Structural engineers will have to understand and calculate the stability, strength, and earthquake of built structures for man-made structures. In addition, they use several simple structural concepts to build complex structural systems.

Can I get a structural engineering degree online?

Yes. You can get a structural degree online at the master’s level. Sometimes, the program comes as a hybrid program that requires students to complete coursework online and carry out some practicals on-campus.

On the other hand, structural engineering may be offered as part of a civil engineering degree program. Some institutions offer full-time online master’s degree programs in civil engineering.

Is getting a structural engineering online degree difficult?

No. You can actually get an online degree in structural engineering easily. Most of the online degree programs in structural engineering are available at the graduate level.

You can get these online programs as you continue to read below.

How long does it take to get a structural engineering degree?

If you wish to get a degree in structural engineering, you will have to be certified. It will require you to complete a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in Civil Engineering.

To complete a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, it will take you four (4) years to complete. If you wish to go further by pursuing a master’s degree so as to specialize in structural engineering, it will take you one year to complete the program.

What can I do with a structural engineering degree?

A degree in Civil Engineering paves way for several jobs in the labor market and most especially in the field of science. Acquiring a master’s degree and the necessary certifications will give you the hands-on experience to work in many capacities.

With a degree in structural engineering, you can work as a:

  • Architectural engineer
  • Bridge engineer
  • Construction engineer
  • Facilities engineer
  • Geotechnical engineer
  • Highway engineer
  • Hydrographic engineer
  • Research hydraulic engineer
  • Transportation engineer
  • Quantity surveyor
  • Engineering geologist
  • Urban designer
  • Patent attorney

Online Structural Engineering Degree Programs

Here, we compiled a list of institutions that offer mostly online master’s degree programs in structural engineering for students. You will also find the online structural engineering program in each of the schools.

Therefore, the institutions that offer online structural engineering degree programs are:

  • Texas Tech University
  • North Carolina State University
  • Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Mississippi State University
  • Auburn University
  • Kansas State University
  • University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
  • Ohio University
  • University of Florida
  • University of Idaho
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • Vilanova University
  • Lawrence Tech
  • University of Southern California

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas that was founded in 1923.

The school’s online structural engineering degree program is available at the master’s level. Under this program, students can also explore other sub-fields in civil engineering including environmental engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation engineering, water resources engineering, or construction engineering and management.

Students may either choose the normal thesis pathway or choose the non-thesis pathway that is completed by either a report or an exam. Under the thesis pathway, students complete 24 hours of coursework, complete 6 credit hours of independent research, and write a thesis based on the findings of the research.

Generally, the program requires students to complete 30 credit hours before they can earn their degree.

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North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina that was established in 1887.

The online master’s degree in civil engineering at NC State is designed for students possessing an undergraduate degree in civil engineering. Under the program, students specialize in structural engineering.

The online structural engineering program is similar to the on-campus courses in terms of content, requirements, and academic precision. However, the online structural engineering program does not require on-campus visits or the completion of a thesis.

It takes six (6) years to complete but the majority of the students complete the program in three (3) years. NCSU offers one of the best online structural engineering degree programs to students.

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Missouri University of Science & Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a public research university in Rolla, Missouri that was established in 1870.

This school offers one of the top online structural engineering degree programs. The online program available at Missouri S&T is the master’s degree in civil engineering. It is made up of five specializations such as structural engineering, environmental engineering, construction engineering, geotechnical engineering, and water resources engineering.

Students can choose either a thesis route or a non-thesis route. In addition, they have the opportunity to communicate with faculty staff through live sessions. Most of the coursework is asynchronous and classes are recorded and saved for review throughout the semester. The program requires 30 credit hours to complete.

It takes between 3 to 4 years to complete the program but the maximum duration for the program is six (6) years.

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Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university that was founded in 1878.

MSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers master’s (thesis and non-thesis) and doctoral degree programs in structural engineering.

The structural engineering program is offered only online. That is to say, students are not required to visit the campus for lectures. Students learn at their own pace (asynchronous) by watching recorded video lessons and completing quizzes within deadlines.

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Auburn University

Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public research and land-grant university in Auburn, Alabama that was established in 1856.

The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering offers online structural engineering degree programs. Some of the other specializations that the college of engineering offers include environmental engineering and geotechnical engineering.

Here, students are offered advanced training online plus an MCE on-campus program. This allows students to earn their degrees in a blended format. The program is designed for students that hold a bachelor’s degree in engineering. However, students with related fields can still apply for the program if they meet specific requirements.

Auburn offers one of the best online structural engineering degree programs that you can ever find.

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Kansas State University

Kansas State University (KSU or K-State) is a public land-grant research university that was founded in 1863.

As one of the schools that offer the best online structural engineering degree programs, KSU offers online classes to working-class students whose jobs cannot permit them to take regular studies on-campus. It does not have any compulsory courses rather, students choose courses relevant to structural engineering through the guidance of their advisors.

The online structural engineering degree programs at KSU requires students to complete an on-campus oral examination at the end of the coursework. It requires 30 credit hours to complete this online program at $594.50 per credit hour.

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University of Illinois-Urban Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (U of I or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois that was founded in 1867.

Structural engineering is one of the specializations that are offered in the master of the civil engineering program at U of I. The online program requires students to complement this specialization by using some courses that are available in sub-disciplines including geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, and water resources.

It does not require any thesis. Additionally, the online structural engineering degree programs at U of I require 36 credit hours to be completed within a period of five (5) years.

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Ohio University

Ohio University (OHIO or OU) is a public research university in Athens, Ohio that was established in 1804.

The online structural engineering degree program is a specialty in the civil engineering program at OHIO. Under the online program, students are offered coursework asynchronously online without having to visit the campus.

Students also have the opportunity to interact with faculty staff and fellow students through video conferencing. In addition, the online structural engineering master’s degree program at Ohio University does not require any GRE scores.

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University of Florida

The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida that was founded in 1853.

The Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment (ESSIE) offers the online structural engineering program as a specialization in civil engineering.

It is a non-thesis program that is designed for working-class professionals and it is offered at the masters level. Almost all the coursework is administered to the students asynchronously online. In other words, students do not have to visit the campus for lectures.

The majority of the students complete the program in just two (2) years. Students can also choose to take a few or many courses synchronously.

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University of Idaho

The University of Idaho (U of I or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho that was established in 1889.

UIdaho offers an online civil engineering master’s degree program of which structural engineering is a sub-discipline in the field. The online program is designed for working professionals that have a strong background in civil engineering.

In addition, the online program requires no thesis but students will have to prepare a technical paper. It requires at least 33 credit hours to complete.

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New Jersey Institute of Technology 

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a public research university that was founded in 1881.

At NJIT, students are offered an online MS in structural engineering that comes as a specialization in civil engineering. The online program is administered to working-class students so that they can combine work with studies at their own pace.

Under this program, students learn how to apply the concepts of management science, organizational behavior, and legal issues to the technical aspects of civil engineering. The coursework is offered to the students asynchronously.

Upon completion of the online structural engineering degree programs, students have the opportunity to earn a Professional Engineer license. It takes just 19 months to complete the online master’s degree program.

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Vilanova University

Villanova University is a private Catholic university in Villanova, Pennsylvania that was founded in 1842.

The university offers students advanced study in structural design, analysis, mechanics, and other related topics under the online structural engineering degree program. Students are offered self-paced learning synchronously using recorded lectures and materials.

On the other hand, students are offered both theory and application with emphasis on modern structural design codes and practicals. The required core courses include CEE 7412, 8434, 8435, 8437 while students choose the remaining courses based on their interest.

Students carry out research on a thesis-track work in the Richard K. Faris ’69 CE, ’70 MSCE Structural Engineering Teaching and Research Laboratory.

The online program can be completed between 2 to 3 years.

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Lawrence Tech

Lawrence Technological University (LTU) is a private university in Southfield, Michigan that was established in 1932.

LTU offers the online structural engineering program coursework asynchronously allowing students to learn at their own pace. The online program teaches students how to explore structural dynamics, advanced steel design, the analysis and design of complex structures, and the use of composite materials in buildings.

The online structural engineering degree program requires 30 credit hours to complete within a period of two (2) years.

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University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private research university in Los Angeles, California that was established in 1880.

Students have the option of either completing the structural engineering program online or by visiting the campus. USC offers online students the same lectures that on-campus students receive.

The program lays emphasis on response predictions or computations for structures and their constituent materials including steel, reinforced concrete, and composites. Students also learn the nature of these loadings, both static and dynamic, with implications being drawn for design.

This online program can be completed within 18 months but some students complete it within 3 years.

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Conclusion

Online structural engineering degree programs are designed specifically for professionals whose jobs cannot allow them to attend the on-campus classes.

Courses that are offered in traditional classroom settings are also offered in the online structural engineering programs. However, some schools that offer online structural engineering degree programs require students to complete an on-campus examination at the end of the program.

This article has listed all the institutions that offer the best online structural engineering degree programs as a specialization in the civil engineering program.

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