DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM

A candidate for the Master of Science (M.S.) degree must satisfactorily complete at least 32 semester hours of graduate work and present an acceptable thesis, or 36 hours without a thesis. Twelve of these 32 hours must be in advanced level courses, and at least eight of these twelve hours must be taken for grades in the major field. No more than twelve hours of thesis credit may be included in an 32-hour program. At least half of the required hours must be for residence credit. An M.S. candidate must complete all degree requirements within five calendar years after initial registration. All M.S. students are required to take an independent study where they work on a field or laboratory research project. Typically, this independent study will comprise four hours of the entire program. Additional information can be found in Section 2 (be sure to scroll down) of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Handbook.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE PROGRAM

A total of 32 hours of course work beyond the M.S. degree is required in addition to 32 hours of thesis credit. Upon or near completion of the student's course work, a written examination is administered. This examination concentrates on topics in the EHHE program and is intended to provide the faculty with further evidence regarding qualifications of the student to undertake a thesis study. The oral preliminary examination is administered following successful completion of the written examination and the preparation of a thesis proposal. No foreign language proficiency is required. Upon completion of his/her research, the student is required to present a written thesis and satisfactorily defend it.

A Ph.D. candidate must complete the degree requirements within seven years of initial registration with the B.S. degree or within six years with the M.S. degree. More information can be found in Section 2 (be sure to scroll down) of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Handbook.