MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering

General Characteristics

The Master of Science program in Civil and Environmental Engineering has the following objectives:

• Job-entry education for the more complex areas of engineering, such as research and development, innovative design, systems analysis and design, and managerial engineering
• Updating and upgrading opportunities for practicing engineers
• Graduate preparation for further study in engineering, leading to the Ph.D. or Doctor of Engineering degree
• Graduates who seek to maintain currency in their fields

An Masters of Science can be earned in the disciplines of Environmental, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation, or Water Engineering

Prerequisites

For admission as a classified graduate student, an applicant must hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or a closely related field with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter units (60 semester units) attempted. Prior college-level work must include certain prerequisites which vary with the chosen area of study. Applicants for graduate engineering programs are required to submit satisfactory scores for the General (Aptitude) Test of the Graduate Record Examination. An applicant who meets these standards but lacks prerequisite coursework may be admitted as a conditionally classified student and must make up any deficiencies before advancement to classified graduate standing. Information pertaining to specific requirements for admission to graduate standing (classified or conditionally classified) may be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department.

Program of Study

Graduate students are required to take 45 units, of which at least 24 must be at the 500 (graduate) level. The remaining units must be at the 400 (senior) level. With the Graduate Coordinator's approval, students will be expected to select their elective units in one of the following areas of study: environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation and planning, and water resources. A general civil option may also be selected.

Two program options are available for M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering students. Those who choose the thesis option will be required to complete an oral thesis defense examination administered by a panel of three faculty in addition to the required coursework. Those who choose the non-thesis option will be required to complete a written comprehensive examination administered by a panel of three faculty in addition to the required coursework. The two options are listed below.

Thesis option: 36 units of adviser-approved coursework, 9 units of thesis research/design, and an oral thesis defense examination administered by a panel of three faculty.

Non-thesis option: 45 units of adviser-approved coursework and a written comprehensive examination administered by a panel of three faculty (maximum of three opportunities to pass this examination).

Required Courses

Analysis and design CE and ENVE Electives

CE 405 Advanced Strength of Materials (3)
CE 407 Structural Dynamics (4)
CE 421 Traffic Engineering (4)
CE 422 Highway Geometrics and Design (4)
CE 424 Public Transportation (4)
CE 431 Coastal Hydraulics (3)
CE 432 Coastal Engineering (3)
CE 434 Ground Water Hydraulics and Hydrology (3)
CE 440 Hydraulic Systems Engineering (3)
CE 453 Structural Steel Design (3)
CE 454 Structural Design (4)
CE 481 Analysis & Design of Shallow Foundations (4)
CE 482 Conventional Subsurface Exploration (4)
CE 483 Environmental Geotechnology (4)
CE 521 Airfield and Highway Pavement Design (4)
CE 522 Advanced Transportation Design (4)
CE 523 Transportation Systems Planning (4)
CE 525 Airport Planning and Design (4)
CE 528 Transportation Analysis (4)
CE 529 Modeling and Simulation in Transportation (4)
CE 533 Advanced Water Resources Engineering (3)
CE 535 Water Resources System Planning and Analysis (3)
CE 537 Groundwater Contamination (3)
CE 554 Matrix Analysis of Structures (3)
CE 555 Advanced Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory (2)
CE 557 Earthquake Analysis/Design of Structures (4)
CE 558 Introduction to Finite Element Analysis (3)
CE 559 Advanced Structural Design (4)
CE 571 Selected Advanced Laboratory (1-3)
CE 573 Public Works Administration (3)
CE 574 Computer Applications in Civil Engineering (3)
CE 581 Advanced Geotechnical Engineering (4)
CE 582 Advanced Geotechnical Testing (4)
CE 583 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (4)
CE 584 Lateral Support Systems (4)
CE 585 Slope Stability Analysis (4)
CE 586 Analysis and Design of Deep Foundations (4)
CE 599 Design Project Thesis (9)

ENVE 411 Air Pollution Control (3)
ENVE 421 Mass Transfer Operations (3)
ENVE 434 Water Quality Measurements (2)
ENVE 436 Introduction to Hazardous Waste Management (3)
ENVE 437 Industrial and Hazardous Waste Treatment Technologies (4)
ENVE 438 Water and Wastewater Treatment Design (3)
ENVE 439 Solid Waste Management (3)
ENVE 443 Bioenvironmental Engineering I (4)
ENVE 465 Environmental Management and Urban Systems (2)
ENVE 534 Advanced Design of Pollution Control Systems (3)
ENVE 535 Advanced Wastewater Treatment (3)
ENVE 536 Biological Wastewater Treatment Processes Engineering (3)
ENVE 541 Resource and Energy Recovery (3)
ENVE 551 Environmental Unit Operations (4)

Deadlines and Application

See the Admissions office website for deadlines and online application form. Applications are reviewed as they are received therefore it is highly recommended to submit as early as possible.

A successful application requires that the online application form be completed before the deadline, along with GRE scores and 3 letters of recommendation sent directly to the graduate coordinator (Dr. Robb Moss).