Graduate Certificates

Today's dynamic, competitive market provides little margin for error when planning and managing capital projects. But the successful completion of capital projects requires the integrated efforts of team members from a wide variety of backgrounds: business, multiple engineering disciplines (civil, electrical, mechanical, etc.), general and specialty construction, supply chain, and others. Many of these team members understand their portion of the project but do not have a strategic perspective of a capital project and their role in making the entire project successful. They have had little or no formal training in the techniques and tools that provide them with the best opportunities for successful capital projects.

To address this need, the Clemson University Department of Civil Engineering is pleased to offer a Certificate in Capital Project Management. The objective of the program is to provide current and future capital project team members with an understanding of the primary concepts, principles, and issues associated with planning and managing capital projects in an active, flexible learning environment (see Delivery Method).

The certificate program:

• Addresses the entire life cycle of a capital project, from project selection through operation and warranty management
• Considers all types of capital projects (industrial, public, commercial, etc.)
• Is applicable to all key participants (owners, designers, constructors, subcontractors, and major suppliers) who need an overall perspective of the capital project process

Program Overview: An investigation of key topics associated with planning and managing capital construction projects, how these topics are integrated into a capital construction project management plan that achieves business and project objectives, and how the project team uses the project management plan to complete the construction project.

The courses will address the entire life cycle of a capital project, from selection to operation; will consider all types of capital projects (industrial, public, commercial, etc.); and will be applicable to all key participants (owners, designers, constructors, subcontractors, and major suppliers) who need an overall perspective of the capital project process.

The curriculum incorporates best practices and principles from leading organizations, such as the Construction Industry Institute (CII), the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering-International (AACE), the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), and the latest research results.

Senior industry professionals were involved in shaping the curriculum to ensure the courses meet working professionals' needs and provide an appropriate balance between theory and practical application.

Faculty from Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, the Business School, and Construction Science provide the expertise needed to present this well-rounded curriculum.

Two cohorts will be formed each year. One cohort will start in January and cover the three courses in the spring, summer, and fall semesters. The second cohort will begin in the fall and cover the three courses in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Each semester is approximately 15 weeks long. Students are encouraged to complete the coursework with their cohort but will be allowed to take up to two years to complete the three courses.

Courses

The Capital Project Management Certificate Program (CPMCP) includes a series of three, three-hour graduate-level courses that cover the primary concepts associated with planning and managing capital projects. The courses are: (click on a link to view a course description)

CE 8320 — Capital Project Management Fundamentals Fundamental concepts of designing and constructing capital projects – what they are, why they are done, who is involved, and how to best design and build them; phases of a capital project; variations of organizational and contractual structures used for capital projects.

CE 8330 — Capital Project Controls Principles and best practices of project controls for capital construction projects, including conceptual and detail estimating, scheduling, and earned value management (EVM); development of project baseline incorporating scope, schedule, and budget; use of baseline to monitor and manage cost and schedule performance; and shortcomings of EVM.

CE 8340 — Key Topics in Capital Project Management An investigation of key topics associated with planning and managing capital construction projects, how these topics are integrated into a capital construction project management plan that achieves business and project objectives, and how the project team uses the project management plan to complete the construction project.

Why a Certificate?

Although numerous project management training opportunities are currently available, the Capital Project Management Certificate Program offers the best value to help working professionals meet their career goals.

1. The certificate is specific to capital project management, not generic project management. Capital project team members will be able to understand and identify with the principles and make direct application to current job challenges.
2. The certificate program provides a systematic approach to learning about capital project management. Rather than taking a series of disjointed training courses covering a hodge-podge of topics, the certificate program integrates all aspects of capital project management into a logical, sequenced approach.
3. The courses may count for graduate credit.
4. Since the courses are taken for graduate credit, most companies have funding available through existing education programs. This saves training budgets for other needs.
5. Multiple participants for a company can complete the program together, which helps them share company-specific ideas and improvements.

Delivery method

The Capital Project Management Certificate Program (CPMCP) includes a series of three, three-hour graduate-level courses that cover the primary concepts associated with planning and managing capital projects (see courses). Coursework will consist of viewing the online recordings presented by industry experts, completing assigned readings and homework, and demonstrating the appropriate application of the concepts to specific situations.

To meet the needs of working professionals who are unable to attend on-campus classes, all courses will be offered online in an asynchronous mode. Students can take the courses from any location with internet access, based on their schedule, without interfering with their current job.

The program faculty will actively evaluate all student work and provide feedback to company points of contact about student progress and performance. Companies are encouraged to form company study teams to complete the program together. Members of the company study teams will share thoughts, ideas, and company-specific applications through the assignments and discussion board topics.

Requirements, Registration and Fees

Three options are offered for course participation:

1. Participants with a bachelor's degree who do not desire to immediately pursue a master's degree may register for the courses as Non-degree Seeking Graduate Students. Non-degree Seeking Graduate Students are not required to go through the normal graduate school application process. These students will receive graduate-level credit for the courses and a Capital Project Management Certificate from the Clemson University Department of Civil Engineering.

If these students decide to pursue a graduate degree at some point in the future, the three certificate courses may be used for graduate credit (if applicable to the degree sought). However, the students would be required to complete the standard graduate application process to be accepted into the graduate program.

2. Participants who do not have a bachelor's degree may register for the courses. Upon completion of the courses, they will be awarded a Capital Project Management Certificate from the Clemson University Department of Civil Engineering, but they cannot be given graduate credit for the courses.

3. Degree-seeking graduate students may register to take the courses for graduate credit if the courses are acceptable to their course of study.

Fees:

Non-degree students: $750 per semester hour ($6750 for all three courses)
Degree-seeking students: normal tuition

This certificate program will provide the in-depth knowledge and skill set necessary for performing site investigations and designing various geotechnical systems using analytical and numerical methods. A student must take three (total of nine credits) of the following courses to receive the Design and Computational Modeling of Geotechnical Systems certificate.

All the courses listed below will be offered online in synchronous mode.

CE 6240 — Earth Slopes and Retaining Structures This course provides in-depth knowledge necessary for analyzing earth slopes using various methods and software, designing earth gravity-cantilever walls, mechanically stabilized earth walls, and sheet pile walls. At the end of this course, the students will be able to perform slope stability analysis using industry.

CE 8010 — Finite Element Analysis of Geotechnical Systems This course provides the basic knowledge necessary for developing finite element models of geotechnical systems and analyzing them by applying static and dynamic loads. The industry-standard finite Element software, CANDE, PLAXIS, and ABAQUS/ANSYS, will be introduced to the students. At the end of this course, the students will be able to develop finite element models of various geotechnical systems including, earth slopes, soil-pile-bridge systems, and tunnels, and analyze them by applying static and earthquake loads, and interpret results for better decision-making. 

CE 8200 – Geotechnical Site Characterization This course provides the in-depth knowledge needed to conduct successful geotechnical site investigations.  At the end of this course, students will have a working understanding of several common geotechnical field test methods and, along with geologic information, be able to apply the test results to select appropriate soil and rock properties for the design of civil structures. 

CE 8220 — Foundation Engineering This course provides in-depth knowledge necessary for designing shallow and deep foundations subjected to axial and lateral loads. The course will cover bearing capacity and settlement analysis of the shallow foundation, analytical methods for calculating deep foundation capacity, pile load test, wave analysis and pile drivability analysis. Industry-standard finite element and/or finite difference software will be introduced in deep foundation design and analysis. At the end of this course, the students will be able to select a suitable foundation type and design it for axial and lateral loads.

CE 8760 — Inelastic Material Models for Geomaterials In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of constitutive models for geomaterials, their implementation within the context of nonlinear finite element programs, and their application for geotechnical problems. The commonly used constitutive models for soils and rocks will be introduced, and the analysis of their advantages and limitations will be discussed. Students will be able to identify and demonstrate an understanding of the basic components and formulations of nonlinear elasto-plastic and elasto-viscoplastic constitutive models and will be able to apply them to engineering analysis.

CE 8900 —Special Topics in Geotechnical Engineering This course provides in-depth knowledge of special topics important for designing and analyzing complex geotechnical systems under special conditions. The following topics may be taught depending on the availability of the instructor and the suitability of the topics.

1. Soil-Structure Interaction and Finite Element Modeling
2. Reliability Analysis
3. Soil Dynamics and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
4. Advanced Soil Mechanics
5. Ground Improvement Techniques

This certificate focuses on digital technologies and their applications for construction automation. Explore the latest technologies in digital modeling, design coordination, construction simulation, data management, environmental sensing, and energy simulations as applied to construction project management. The DTCA certificate program helps better prepare professionals to leverage digital technologies to efficiently manage construction projects. The courses include:

Classes for this certificate program are taught online.

CE 6910 –  Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Construction Management Introduction to the theory of building information modeling (BIM) and comprehensive training in relevant Autodesk software to produce 3D BIM models for improving the efficiency of design coordination, cost estimating, and construction sequencing.

CE 8930 – Digital Project Delivery Essential techniques in managing and utilizing digital data associated with geometric models (i.e., BIM), geospatial models (i.e., GIS), business data (i.e., cost and productivity), and text documentation (i.e., inspection reports) for efficient construction project management.

CE 8930 – Emerging Topics in Digital Technologies and Construction Automation Emerging digital technologies for the construction and operation of smart and sustainable built environments with a focus on environmental sensing, energy simulation modeling, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

This certificate program is intended for post-baccalaureate students, providing graduate-level courses to full-time graduate students, working professionals, and non-traditional students within South Carolina and beyond. Research associated with Clemson’s Center or Connected Multimodal Mobility (C²M²) will greatly help our development and support of this program through wide outreach to both national and international audiences.

Classes for this Transporation Engineering certificate program are taught online.

CE 6100 – Traffic Engineering: Operations (3 cr. hrs.) Basic characteristics of motor-vehicle traffic, highway capacity, applications of traffic control devices, traffic design of parking facilities, engineering studies, traffic safety, traffic laws and ordinances, and public relations.

CE 6120 – Urban Transportation Planning (3 cr. hrs.)  Consideration of urban travel characteristics, characteristics of transportation systems, transportation and land-use studies, trip distribution and trip assignment models, city patterns and subdivision layout.

CE 6910 – Analysis of Civil Infrastructure Systems (3 cr. hrs.) Structured study of civil infrastructure systems not found in other civil engineering courses.

CE 8140 – Intelligent Transportation Systems (3 cr. hrs.) Students learn concepts of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), including traffic flow principles, advanced traffic sensor and communications technologies and real-time management strategies, to increase the safety and efficiency of the surface transportation system. Covers the process of planning, design and operations of ITS.

Water resources engineers are under increased pressure to adapt to a changing climate and a changing regulatory environment. It is therefore essential that they improve their understanding of water resources modeling beyond the level covered in a standard undergraduate engineering curriculum. The goal of this graduate certificate is to assist working professional water resources engineers in gaining a deeper understanding of modern modeling methods in water resources engineering.

Classes for this Water Resources Engineering certificate program are taught entirely online.

CE 6420 – Hydrologic Analysis and Design (3 cr. hrs.)Provides an introduction to water resources infrastructure designs using hydrologic information, such as frequency analysis, peak discharge, hydrographic, and design-storm computer methods. Students learn to apply statistical methods and hydrologic models (e.g., HEC-HMS) to quantify hydrologic information for design studies of a wide variety of problems in water resources engineering.

CE 6430 – Water Resources Engineering (3 cr. hrs.)Extension of the concepts of fluid mechanics to applications in water supply, water resource assessment, water transmission, water distribution networks, pump and pipe selection, pipe networks, and analysis of open channel appurtenances.

CE 6470 – Stormwater Management (3 cr. hrs.)Evaluation of peak discharges for urban and rural basins, design of highway drainage structures such as inlets and culverts; stormwater and receiving water quality; best management practices, detention and retention ponds, and erosion and sediment control.

CE 8460 – Flow in Open Channels (3 cr. hrs.)Free surface flow problems; applications of digital computer; concepts of boundary layer theory; uniform and varied flow; hydraulic jump; design criteria for prismatic channels and transitions; applications of unsteady flow.

The Masters of Engineering in Risk Engineering and Systems Analytics is a terminal degree at The Glenn Department of Civil Engineering at Clemson University. This degree was designed to help working professionals in risk management, risk engineering, safety, and insurance to better understand, communicate, and manage risk. Classes introduce traditional engineering methods and techniques with applications in risk-centric domains. The program consists of 31 credit hours and a capstone project.

Build toward an MEng degree with graduate certificates in Civil Engineering. Stack and combine graduate certificates from the Department of Civil Engineering to create a customized program.

• Risk Engineering
• Risk Management
• System Analytics

Students can also select from additional complementary or stand-alone certificates.

Please visit our Masters of Engineering Online page for more details on each stackable certificate and how they can advance your career in Risk Management.

Civil Engineering admits students into the program each semester. Deadlines for application for each term: June 15 for Fall, October 31 for Spring, and March 15 for Summer. A GRE is not needed.

Application Requirements

• Unofficial Transcripts (official transcript required once admitted).
• TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE (waiver may be provided based on interview and work experience where English is required)
• 2 Letters of Recommendation
• Resume/CV
• At least one year of experience post B.S. in an engineering field.

How to Apply

For more information, contact Dr. Abdul Khan, our Graduate Program Coordinator. When you are ready to take the next step, complete the Graduate Student application online.