Applicants for Graduate Studies that do not have a B.S. in Engineering

Students with a variety of backgrounds undertake graduate work in environmental engineering, science, and management in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon. Engineering backgrounds are most common, especially civil, chemical, environmental, and mechanical engineering. However, students with undergraduate degrees in mathematics and science are also admitted to the graduate program. Examples of the nonengineering undergraduate backgrounds of these students include biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology and physics. The mathematics and science background expected for all entering students is as given in Table 1.

Table 1: Expected Mathematics and Science Background for Students Entering Graduate Environmental Engineering, Science, and Management Programs

1 semester	General Chemistry with lab
2 semesters	Calculus
1 semester	Differential equations
2 semesters	Physics with lab
1 semester	Biology (or other science)
1 semester	probability and statistics; or 1 semester Linear Algebra
1 semester	Computer programming, Applications or Tools

Students with nonengineering undergraduate degrees who are interested in environmental engineering, science, and management graduate studies in the Department have two options. The students can pursue an M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, or a similar degree in Environmental Management and Science. For either option, completion of the M.S. degree is necessary before undertaking Ph.D. studies. Requirements for these curriculum options are discussed below, with focus on M.S. degree which is a prerequisite for the Ph.D.

M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Students with nonengineering B.S. degrees who elect to pursue an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering will be required to take the equivalent of four basic undergraduate engineering courses in addition to the required graduate courses. The intent of the makeup course requirement is to provide sufficient background for graduate work in engineering. The set of required makeup courses drawn from the civil and environmental engineering undergraduate curriculum is given in Table 2. Substitutions of equivalent or closely related courses are permitted at the discretion of the faculty advisor.

Table 2: Required Undergraduate Engineering Makeup Courses in Civil and Environmental Engineering for M.S. students with nonengineering B.S. degrees

12-335/336	Soil Mechanics with lab (12 units, spring semester)
12-355/356	Fluid Mechanics with lab (12 units, spring semester)
12-411	Engineering Economics (6 units, fall semester)
27-357	Issues in Materials Selection (6 units, fall semester)
12-358	Materials Lab (3 units, fall semester)

The Soil Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics courses have prerequisites (Statics, Solid Mechanics) that are waived for graduate students, with the understanding that the graduate student will have had a strong exposure to mechanics in a physics course, and that the student will be motivated to engage in self-study (or makeup courses prior to enrollment) to acquire any backrgound knowledge needed for success in the course.

Eight additional courses are required for completion of the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, as discussed in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department brochure and web site (http://www.ce.cmu.edu). There are no required core courses for the M.S. program, but students with nonengineering-B.S. degrees will be required to include in their program of study at least one engineering course with significant design content. This course must be discussed with and approved by the student’s faculty adviser.

For a student with a nonengineering bachelor's degree, completion of the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering typically requires three semesters, with the undergraduate makeup courses interspersed with the eight graduate courses over the three semesters. Financial support in the form of a partial tuition scholarship or research assistantship is awarded on a competitive basis.

Students who intend to apply for professional engineer registration after completing the necessary years of practical experience after graduation should consider the M.S. in Civil Engineering, an optional degree title offered. State engineer licensing boards evaluate the educational background of applicants who do not possess an ABET-accredited undergraduate engineering degree with special scrutiny. Some states view M.S. degrees bearing the same title as the accredited undergraduate degree associated with the institution more favorably than other titles. Since the accredited undergraduate degree offered by the CEE Department is the B.S. in Civil Engineering, receiving the M.S. in Civil Engineering may strengthen one’s application for professional engineering licensure in some states.

M.S. in Environmental Management and Science

This is an interdisciplinary degree administered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. It also requires eight courses, with course selection decided upon by the student and his/her adviser. The curriculum must be approved by the CEE Department Head. Some undergraduate course work may be required to obtain the necessary background for certain graduate courses, but there are no fixed undergraduate makeup requirements for this degree. The M.S. in Environmental Management and Science can be completed by nonengineering-B.S. students in two-three semesters, depending on the extent of undergraduate courses needed or desired by the student. Financial support in the form of a partial tuition scholarship or research assistantship is awarded on a competitive basis.