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Pavement Analysis and Design Graduate Certificate

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Why this certificate?

The Pavement Analysis and Design graduate certificate, offered through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is available to both degree and non-degree-seeking students who are interested in continuing their education but may not be ready to commit to a master's degree program. The program is structured to advance the working engineer’s knowledge and skills in the rapidly changing field of pavement analysis and design. Engineers in the pavement analysis and design area are responsible for roadway design, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of pavements. Pavements – a primary component of transportation infrastructure – are engineered with a strong understanding of materials behavior, mechanistic principles and construction details.

You are eligible to apply if...

  • Those who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent on or related to civil engineering from an institution of recognized standing (exceptions may be approved if the student has the background needed to succeed in the graduate engineering courses) are eligible.
  • There is no GRE requirement.
  • GPA of 2.75/4.0 or higher for a bachelor's degree program on or related to civil engineering. Students who do not meet the 2.75/4.0 GPA criterion may still be eligible to enroll if they have significant engineering experience outside of the classroom.

To complete the program you must...

  • The program requires students to take two required and two elective graduate courses (12 credit hours) from the following:
    • CIVL 6810 Pavement Design (3) (Required)

    • CIVL 7820 Advanced Pavement Design and Rehabilitation (3) (Required - prerequisite CIVL 6810)

    • CIVL 6820 Design and Production of Asphalt Paving Mixtures (3)

    • CIVL 6830 Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (3)

    • CIVL 7840 Pavement Management and Rehabilitation (3)

    • CIVL 7860 Pavement Construction (3)

    • CIVL 7870 Advanced Characterization of Pavement Materials (3) (prerequisite CIVL 6820)

    • CIVL 6340 Geosynthetics and Soil Improvement (3)

    • CIVL 6970 Pavement Analysis and Design Special Topics (3) (e.g., Asphalt Binders)

    • CIVL 7390 In-situ Testing of Soils (3)

    • CIVL 7970 Special Topics in Pavement Analysis and Design (3)

  • Some graduate courses are possibly offered for distance or outreach students, and those courses will have the same course number (e.g., CIVL 6810) as the on-campus option but have a unique section number "D01" ("D" stands for "distance." Some special topic courses, e.g., CVIL 6970 or 7970, may have several corresponding distance sections, D01, D02, D03, … D09). Therefore, distance certificate students should take the above courses with the section number starting “D.”
  • CIVL 6970 and CIVL 7970 will be replaced by a specific title when they are offered. Only special topic courses in pavement analysis and design can be counted toward this certificate program.
  • Some of the elective courses are available for more than one certificate program, but the same course cannot be counted for more than one civil engineering graduate certificate.

What can you expect?

  • After completion of this certificate program, students will be able to:
    • Apply advanced concepts and principles related to pavement analysis and design.
    • Analyze information presented in the scientific literature related to pavement analysis and design.
    • Formulate effective and persuasive communication to technical and nontechnical audiences.
  • If a student chooses to pursue a master's degree, all academic credits earned from the certificate may be applied toward the graduate degree.
  • Most students take 1-2 courses per semester and complete their certificate in 3–4 semesters. Graduate level courses are not typically offered in the summer.

Applying for the Pavement Analysis and Design Graduate Certificate

  • You can apply for it by filling out the online graduate application at https://graduate.auburn.edu/prospective-students/application-instructions/ (you will be required to create an account) and selecting “Certificate/Graduate- Pavement Analysis and Design.”
  • Information on tuition and fees can be found at https://eng.auburn.edu/online/tuition-fees.html
  • For additional questions, contact Adriana Vargas Nordcbeck, pavement certificate coordinator, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the National Center for Asphalt Pavement.