Civil & Environmental Engineering Master's Degree Requirements

Program | Faculty | Master's | Doctoral | Courses

Course Requirements

A minimum of 30 graduate credits is required for the M.S. degree. Of these credits no more than nine can be outside of the Department, no more than six may be transferred from outside of the University, no more than six credits of Independent Study (CEE 696) may be counted toward the degree, and at least 12 credits must be earned in 600- to 800-level courses (six credits of project or thesis may be applied to this requirement). Requirements for specific courses vary among programs. The Transportation Engineering Program requires CEE 509, 511, 516, and 695. The Geotechnical Engineering Program requires CEE 525, 620, 622, 623, a geology elective (Geo 560, 562 or 587), and nine credits of approved elective coursework (of which six credits must be in Geotechnical Engineering). The Structures Program requires CEE 536, 541, 548, 549 or equivalent, and an Engineering Mathematics course, CEE 631 or equivalent. Course requirements for the Environmental Engineering Program are detailed elsewhere in this Bulletin under the corresponding heading. Environmental and Geotechnical Engineering programs also require one credit of seminar.

Thesis/Project Option

Students not electing the Professional Practice option do either a thesis or a project under the guidance of a thesis/project committee chaired by the adviser. The thesis or project committee administers the student's General Examination which consists of material presented in the thesis or project report and general knowledge in the student's area of specialization.

Professional Practice Option

Three programs in the department (Environmental, Geotechnical, and Transportation) offer a Professional Practice option for the M.S. degree. The Professional Practice option stresses practical experience and is designed for students with a bachelor's degree in engineering who are interested in careers in practice, including consulting engineering firms, government agencies, industries, and water or wastewater utilities or authorities. Students in both areas will work together on different aspects of an engineering project (CEE 679). The Professional Practice option is a fast-paced program which allows students to complete their degree requirements in nine months, but must be initiated in the Fall semester, and is limited to those students who are providing their own financial support. The requirements of the Environmental Engineering Program are listed elsewhere in this Bulletin under the corresponding heading. For the Geotechnical Engineering Program, students must take CEE 525, 620, 622, 623, 668, 679, 694 (seminar), and a geology elective (Geo 560 or 587), along with three elective courses chosen among graduate-level geo-technical and environmental/geotechnical electives. For the Transportation Engineering Program, students must take: CEE 509, 511, 516, 668, 679, 695 (seminar) along with four approved elective courses chosen among graduate-level transportation courses.

General Examination

All candidates must pass a general examination conducted by a committee of at least two graduate faculty members.

A brochure containing detailed information on the requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering is available from the Civil Engineering Graduate Program Director. Web site: http://www.ecs.umass.edu/cee/ E-mail address: ceedgrad@ecs.umass.edu.