Online Master of Science in Civil Engineering program connects Canadian grad to his dream
As part of his job, Todd Barkhouse finds defects in bridges and their designs. So, it wasn’t difficult for him to spot the weakness in his plan to earn a master’s degree in civil engineering: geography.
Barkhouse lives in the middle of rural Nova Scotia, Canada. Boundless beauty, limited opportunities for advanced engineering education.
“There’s no real access for me,” said Barkhouse, a bridge engineer and the practice lead for his team. “I work remotely out of a small town, so I’m not actually in the same city as where my desk is. I only go there once in a while, so attending classes in person was not really an option for me.”
Purdue University’s online Master of Science in Civil Engineering program proved to be Barkhouse’s virtual superhighway to success.
Ranked No. 1 for Best Online Master’s in Civil Engineering Programs by U.S. News and World Report in 2026, the program offered Barkhouse an opportunity he could not find locally: a quality online advanced engineering education at a reasonable price.
Learn more about Purdue’s online master’s in civil engineering
The more he considered his lack of education options, the greater his concern grew. By 2019, Barkhouse had been out of school for 13 years and changed companies, roles and outlooks. His then-new company, CBCL Limited, an engineering design firm based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, placed a strong focus on technical expertise and hired additional staff with specialized skills.
“We brought in a lot of really high-quality junior people, and I was really enjoying mentoring them,” Barkhouse said. “Then COVID happened and obviously we started thinking about things beyond your day-to-day.”
He wondered if his skills and knowledge base were as competitive as they once were. When he launched his career as a civil engineer in 2006, he was convinced that he knew everything he needed to know.
“I think it was an attitude thing,” Barkhouse said. “I felt like I was smart. I knew what I was doing. I didn’t need to check off a box to validate that at the time. I wanted to get my hands dirty and get to work.”
But time passed. New technologies and techniques emerged. And his new team members had more education.
“For me, to have the role that I want and provide that mentorship, I needed that credibility. And I really wanted to make sure my career took the direction as a technical lead within our group.”
Then, it occurred to him that maybe his future could be found online. At first, it looked like a dead end.
“We have a few good Canadian schools for engineering, but they don’t offer civil engineering online,” Barkhouse said. “So, I said, ‘I’m not going to sit around and wait another 20 years for that to happen.’”
He expanded his search to the United States, where he found several online programs. But he didn’t recognize many of the universities.
“I was a little bit nervous about the credibility of the programs,” Barkhouse said. “I didn’t want to go to a school that I’ve never heard of or that people might not recognize or respect.
The schools he found with good reputations were too expensive, he said.
“The only school I found that had both a reasonable price point and was a good, reputable school was Purdue,” Barkhouse said.
The civil engineering program opened doors Barkhouse never expected. He explored courses in aerospace and astronautics.
“I can say I got an A in rocket science,” Barkhouse said, “which I think was really cool because you’re doing a civil engineering degree, but yet you have access to a world-class aerospace department.”
The more demanding Multidisciplinary Design Optimization course challenged him with its use of math, computer programming and reasoning skills.
“It was hard,” he said. “It really changed the way I think about design and the way I think about optioneering — all the different variables available and how they play with each other.”
He used the skills he learned in that course to create a tool used by his company to help with the optioneering process. That tool combines bridge designs with background calculations to create code-compliant options for the client immediately.
“I didn’t know this field existed; it’s outside of civil engineering,” Barkhouse said. “It’s learning something from a different discipline, what are they doing over there in that world, and applying it to our particular corner of the engineering field. It’s pretty exciting and pretty cool.”
He said the online modality offered the flexibility his career and personal life needed. For Barkhouse, who has three children under 13, that meant being able to study around his work schedules and family responsibilities.
“It was stressful at times,” Barkhouse said. “I learned to be very regimented and stick to the plan. The effort happened.”
Though the experience was challenging, Barkhouse completed his degree in December 2025. He has no regrets.
“If you’re on the fence about whether you should do something like this, I feel like yes, you should.” Barkhouse said.
“I always said, ‘I’m doing this as an older person.’ But now that it’s done, I’ve brought myself to that same level as anyone else who’s done it at any other time. Instantly, you’re not just someone with 20 years of experience. You’re not just someone with a masters, but all of a sudden, you’re someone with 20 years of experience and a master’s at the same time.”
For more information about Purdue’s online Master of Science in Civil Engineering, visit the program’s website.