MS Degree Tracks

Overview

There are four different tracks available to students seeking a master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering:

•    Thesis track
•    Project track
•    Course work track
•    Accelerated BS/MS track

Only CEN undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a master’s degree can choose the Accelerated 5-Year BS/MS option. 

Thesis Track

The thesis option requires the completion of a research thesis usually involving a theoretical, numerical or experimental investigation of a fundamental nature. 

1.    A minimum of 30 credits must be completed. These must be selected by the student in consultation with the graduate advisor. 

2.    A grade of C or better is required for all graduate courses to be counted towards the degree.

3.    As many as 6 credits of 400 level courses may be counted towards the degree. For these courses, a grade of B or better and the approval of the graduate program director are required.

4.    6 credits of MS Graduate Thesis (CEN 590) must be completed. In addition to the written thesis, the approval of the Thesis Committee (see Appendix A for the approval form) on a satisfactory oral presentation and defense of the thesis is required. 

5.    No more than 6 credits of individual study, including independent study and/or directed study, and excluding graduate thesis, may apply as credit toward the master’s degree.

6.    The thesis must be accepted for library collections. The library has moved to an electronic only system for archiving theses, and the submission of bound copies to library are no longer required. A minimum of 2 copies, however, should be bound and submitted to the department and the Graduate Advisor. Other copies may be requested by thesis committee members or other interested parties involved in the thesis research.

Project Track

The project option requires the successful completion of a project, usually involving a theoretical, numerical or experimental investigation of an applied nature, often in conjunction with a company’s or government agency’s interests.

1.    A minimum of 30 credits must be completed. These must be selected by the student in consultation with the graduate advisor. 

2.    A grade of C or better is required for all graduate courses to be counted towards the degree.

3.    As many as 6 credits of 400 level courses may be counted towards the degree. For these courses, a grade of B or better and the approval of the graduate program director are required.

4.    3 credits of MS Graduate Project (CEN 592) must be completed for the Project track. In addition to the written report, the approval of the Project Committee (see Appendix A for the approval form) on a satisfactory oral presentation and defense of the project is required.

5.    No more than 6 credits of individual study, including independent study and/or directed study, and excluding graduate project, may apply as credit toward the master’s degree.

Coursework Track

The course work option requires the successful completion of a comprehensive written exam, involving questions from a set of a minimum of four core courses completed by the student.  The set of core courses will be determined by the student's advisor in consultation with the student and must be approved by the Graduate Program Director. The comprehensive exam will only be offered twice per year at the end of the fall and spring semesters. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Graduate Program Director by November 1 or April 1 to schedule the exams for the fall and spring semesters respectively. 

1.    A minimum of 30 credits must be completed. These must be selected by the student in consultation with the graduate advisor. 

2.    A grade of C or better is required for all graduate courses to be counted towards the degree.

3.    As many as 6 credits of 400 level courses may be counted towards the degree. For these courses, a grade of B or better and the approval of the graduate program director are required.

4.    A comprehensive written or oral exam must be passed after the completion of a set of core courses. A student who fails to pass the exam may retake it for the second time upon consultation with the graduate advisor and approval of the graduate program director. 

5.    No more than 6 credits of individual study, including independent study and/or directed study, may apply as credit toward the master’s degree.