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M.S. Program

Requirements

In the M.S. degree program, 96 units are required, with each unit of academic credit expected to require one hour of effort per week. Semester long graduate courses are typically 12 units, so 96 units of work represents 8 courses. All courses, independent study units and project units must be approved by an academic advisor. A minimum 3.0 Quality Point Average (QPA) is required.

A candidate must be a graduate of an accredited undergraduate engineering curriculum or equivalent. Recipients of a B.S. degree in a non-engineering field will also be considered, but they are required to take substantial prerequisite courses as specified by the department.

The completion time for an M.S. degree is typically two semesters of full-time study (with 48 units per semester) or three semesters of full-time study for students undertaking a research project (due to the extra time requirements for research project results). Graduating M.S. students wishing to enter the Ph.D. program must reapply to take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination.

The 96 units counted towards the M.S. degree course option must also satisfy the following requirements:
  • A minimum of 78 units (including course and independent study units) must be at the graduate level (600 level and above). A minimum of 60 units must be from CEE, though graduate courses from other departments can be counted towards this requirement if consistent with the students program of study and with the approval of the academic advisor. Up to 18 units of upper level undergraduate courses may be counted towards the 96 unit requirement with the approval of the academic advisor. Lower level undergraduate courses will not be counted toward the M.S. degree without the written permission of the academic advisor.
  • A maximum of 24 units of transfer credit may be included for coursework undertaken elsewhere, provided these credits were not used for other degree requirements. Transfer credits must have received a grade of "B" or higher and must be approved by both the academic advisor and the Department Head.
  • No more than 12 units of independent study may be counted toward the 96-unit requirement.
  • Students undertaking a research project can take up to 36 units of graduate project, less any independent study units taken. A project document describing the work performed for the graduate project units received must be submitted and approved. The scope of the project, the amount of credit, and its form of documentation (e.g., Master's thesis, project report, or manuscript for a professional publication) will be determined jointly by the student and the academic advisor, except that certain types of financial support may require specific forms of documentation. Any changes to the scope of, the credit for and the form of documentation of a project must be approved by the academic advisor and, in the case of a thesis, by the Department Head and Associate Dean.

For high-performing students who have a bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited institution and who are highly motivated toward research and pursuing a Ph.D., admission to the Direct Entry (MS/Ph.D.) program can be sought.  Requirements for the MS degree must still be completed before beginning Ph.D. studies, but students in this program will automatically transition to the Ph.D. program and will not have to apply to the Ph.D. program upon completion of MS studies. Requirements for completing the MS and Ph.D. degrees are the same as for all students in the department, including the successful completion of the doctoral qualifying examination. For students who do not have a B.S. in Engineering, please review the information found on the Applicants without a B.S. in Engineering page. 

M.S. Degree Title Options

The standard title of the M.S. degree awarded to candidates in Civil and Environmental Engineering is the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Students must petition the Department Head to use any degree title other than M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

In recognition of the variety of interests and educational backgrounds of students wishing to enroll in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the following optional degree titles are offered:

M.S. in Advanced Infrastructure Systems

This optional degree title is intended for those students who have satisfied the degree requirements for the M.S. in Civil and Environmental engineering and who have participated in the Advanced Infrastructure Systems program specialization. The program in AIS provides students with a diverse background in the concepts, tools and techniques required to design, build, and operate infrastructure systems that are able to continuously determine their conditions, perform self-assessment and support proactive decision making that improves their performance, increases their life spans and reduces life-cycle costs and impacts. Students must formally petition the department head to use one of this title for their M.S. degree. (AIS course offerings)

M.S. in Civil Engineering

This degree title is intended for students intending professional practice in civil engineering, particularly those planning on obtaining a Professional Engineering license in Civil Engineering.  It may be of particular interest to students without an undergraduate engineering degree from an accredited undergraduate program, since the department undergraduate program is accredited in civil engineering.  A candidate for this degree must be a graduate of an accredited undergraduate engineering curriculum or equivalent. Recipients of a B.S. degree in a non-engineering field will also be considered, but will be required to take basic undergraduate engineering makeup courses as specified by the department.

M.S. in Computational Mechanics

The M.S. in Computational Mechanics degree is intended for students desiring advanced studies in mechanics, materials and computing but who do not have an undergraduate engineering degree.  The candidate may be a graduate in engineering or other disciplines. For the candidate with a non-engineering bachelor's degree, additional course work with no graduate credit will be required, but such course work will not be as extensive as that for obtaining the standard M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering or any of the optional engineering M.S. degrees listed above. Students must formally petition the department head to use this title for their MS degree. (MMC course offerings)

M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering

The M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering is an optional degree title for students in the MMC program. To be eligible for the degree, the student must complete 72 course units in three areas: (1) one of the engineering or scientific disciplines practiced within the CEE Department, (2) computer science, and (3) applied mathematics.  The major field must be in category (1), and the program of study must demonstrate breadth through substantial academic achievement in the other two.  In most cases, it would take two academic years for a student to complete the necessary requirements. A student pursuing an MS in CSE will design the POS in consultation and with the approval of his/her advisor. Students must formally petition the department head to use this title for their MS degree. (CSE course offerings)

M.S. in Environmental Engineering

This is an optional degree title that can be selected at the student’s discretion.  It may be of particular interest to students whose curriculum focuses strongly on environmental engineering.  A candidate for this degree must be a graduate of an accredited undergraduate engineering curriculum or equivalent. Recipients of a B.S. degree in a non-engineering field will also be considered, but will be required to take basic undergraduate engineering makeup courses as specified by the department.  Students must formally petition the department head to use this title for their MS degree. (EESM course offerings)

M.S. in Environmental Management and Science

This degree is intended for students desiring advanced studies in environmental engineering, science, or management but who do not have an undergraduate engineering degree. The candidate may be a graduate in engineering or other disciplines. For the candidate with a non-engineering bachelor's degree, additional course work with no graduate credit will be required, but such course work will not be as extensive as that for obtaining the standard M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering or any of the optional engineering M.S. degrees listed above. Students must formally petition the department head to use this title for their MS degree. (EESM course offerings)