Future Astani Masters Students
Future Astani Masters Students
Future Astani Masters Students
Spring 2025 Application Coming Soon!
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Astani Master's Degrees
*Online option via DEN@Viterbi.
^Program curriculum updates under review.
Burçin Becerik-Gerber
Department Chair
RESEARCH
INNOVATE
ENGINEER
INNOVATE
ENGINEER
The Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering equips our students with the tools to address global challenges in the field. Our strategic vision is to address five impact areas: disaster resilience, environmental stewardship, urban livability, extreme habitats, and transportation service systems.
Why a master's degree at USC?
Our programs are taught by leaders in academic research and industry, providing students with highly desired skills that will kickstart their careers.
Now is a great time to build on your knowledge and explore the field of civil and environmental engineering. California is the place to be! The annual mean wage for civil and environmental engineering in California is ~$110,000-$115,000 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). Within California, Los Angeles is one of the top metropolitan areas with the highest employment levels of civil and environmental engineers. With access to the alumni network and industry connections, our programs offer students a unique opportunity to jumpstart their careers!
Don't take our word for it, see what our faculty have to say!
“As I began to consider schools and different programs, I noticed that the same care and compassion for one another that USC is known for in its alumni network is deeply rooted in the culture at Viterbi, that students get to experience every day. Without the relationships with my professors, helping me grow, and investing in me, I would not be where I am today. So definitely the amazing professors in the Environmental Engineering department had a major part in why I chose USC."
By Jessica Holmes
MS Environmental Engineering
“USC provides students with precious academic resources, and we learn so much knowledge both in class and out of class. Professors are knowledgeable and well-prepared. They also encourage the students to join professional organizations and sponsor them for some activities, which are useful to connect with professionals and to explore our career interests.”
By Zhenlu Huang
MSCE General
“MSCE is not only great advancement in learning theoretical knowledge but also in line with industry reality. The software we learned in class is also very normal in the market. Many professors are also experts in the industry, and they know the current needs of the industry. That really helped me get a good job.”
By Zesheng Zhang
MSCE Transportation Engineering
"CE578 Technology-Enabled Architecture, Engineering, and Construction is a course that broadened my understanding of industry. We worked in a group on a real-world challenge, learned state-of-the-art technology to come up with a solution, presented the solution to industry influencers, and received valuable feedback."
By Ruying Liu
PhD Civil Engineering
"Earning a scholarship was astepping stonein helping meconquer my graduate educational journey. I have enjoyed thecoursework here specializing in climate change and air qualityand finding products and processes to combat these issues. "
By Sheyenne Harris
MS Environmental Engineering
“I was a shy student in undergrad. But I had much better interactions while at USC and got along very well. I enjoyed smaller class sizes and great professors who knew me by my name and gave me constant support.”
By Sean Dempsey
MSCE Water and Waste Management
“The PDP in Civil Engineering - Transportation Systems enabled me to pursue an interdisciplinary exploration of the transportation field, and I wouldn't have been able to learn so many practical and theoretical transportation concepts without the incredible professors and community at USC Viterbi.”
By James Huang
MSCE Transportation Systems
“MSCE is a great program. During the time I studied at USC, I was able to explore different fields of transportation that I am interested in and figure out what I like.”
By Shuqi Hao
MSCE Transportation Engineering
"My experience in the Viterbi Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has expanded my understanding of the aqueous world and helped me grow as a water scientist. Upon entering the program, I was concerned that my non-engineering background would make the coursework more challenging. Though the coursework was challenging at times, the department staff and faculty were incredibly helpful and made me feel as though they were invested in my success.”
By Emily Townsend
MS Environmental Engineering
“I learned several technical tools in USC that really helps me to land the job, for example, ArcGIS, data analysis skills, some programming languages. When attending interviews, the employer highlighted these skills. USC has equipped lots of excellent courses. As I know, our MSCE program also has some courses which combines the frontier skills into our Transportation study, which is super helpful in my career.”
By Yi Li
MSCE Transportation Engineering
Astani graduates kickstart their careers at companies leading the civil and environmental engineering industry.
The companies showcased here highlight where some alumni have gone. (Note: the list is NOT exhaustive)
Financial Support
Astani Graduate Scholars Program
The Astani Graduate Scholars program seeks to recruit academically strong candidates into our Master’s programs. It offers intimate opportunities with faculty and alumni. These opportunities include but are not limited to industry project opportunities, research opportunities, networking, and financial assistance.
To learn more and apply:
Scholarships
The Viterbi School of Engineering awards merit-based scholarships to students with indicators of success in graduate studies and strong potential to contribute to the Trojan community.
Unique Opportunities
Outside our strong curriculum, the Astani CEE department offers other opportunities for students to explore the field and bolster their resume to prepare for their careers.
SoCal CEE Research Symposium
The Southern California Civil and Environmental Engineering Research Symposium (SoCal CEERS) aims to foster a space for student-initiated research conversations in the southern California region.
To learn more about the 2023 Symposium, please visit our webpage.
Just interested in exploring the research opportunities? Take a deeper dive into our fields by visiting our research overview page.
Astani CEE ResearchAstani CEE Research
Das Family Innovate LA Competition
The Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), with the generous support of the Das Family, has launched its inaugural Das Family CEE Student Innovation Competition themedInnovate LA.Focusing on some of the most pressing challenges facing the City of Los Angeles, student teams must develop innovative solutions using civil and environmental engineering concepts. This competition is designed to provide students with guidance for launching a startup and creating compelling pitches for their ideas.
To learn more about the 2023 competition, please visit our webpage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Admissions requirements vary based on the program you are interested in. To see the specific requirements for the program you are interested in, please visit the Admissions website. Select the program you are interested in and you will be taken to a page that lists out the eligibility criteria.
Our Spring 2024 admission deadline is September 15, 2023. Our Fall 2024 admission deadline is January 15, 2024.
To learn more about the application steps, please visit our Viterbi Graduate Admission website. Once you are ready to apply, you can start your application here.
Our management programs do not require a STEM degree. To review the admission requirements for the program you are interested in, please visit the Admissions website. If you have additional questions, please contact our admissions team (viterbi.gradadmission@usc.edu).
Please visit our Tuition and Funding website to learn more about the current tuition and fees.
It also shares additional information about merit-bused funding opportunities and need-based funding options.
Please visit our DEN@Viterbi Experience website to learn more about the opportunities and support for remote students.
Unlike other online programs, DEN@Viterbi has the same academic requirements and adhere to the same academic standards as the traditional on-campus program.
We believe our current students are best equipped to answer any questions regarding student life!
Please visit our Student Life website to speak to any of the student ambassadors or to view current student and alumni profiles!
Our admissions team is here to answer any questions or concerns! Please reach out to us at viterbi.gradadmission@usc.edu.
Interested in Learning More?
Application deadlines and other admissions information can be found on the Admission Webpage.
Spring 2025 applications are coming soon!
Fall 2025 applications are coming soon!
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