Civil and Environmental Engineering - MS

College of Engineering

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Masters of Science (MS) degree emphasizes research, coursework and the preparation of a significant publication. For the Master of Science program, each student plans an individualized course of study with their advisor and thesis committee and can specialize in a variety of emphasis areas.

Graduate students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering seeking the degrees of ME, MS, or PhD are able to select an emphasis that corresponds to the program in which they are studying. These include Environmental Engineering, Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Structural Engineering and Mechanics, Water Resource Engineering and Hydrology.  Additionally, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers an MS or PhD degree with specialization of Climate and Adaptation Science.

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School of Graduate Studies Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U. S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.
• Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3. 0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.
• The Program of Study for a master’s degree must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above.
• A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.
• Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.
• At least 24-semester credits for a master’s degree must be from a committee-approved and a School of Graduate Studies-approved Program of Study from Utah State University.

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Program Requirements

Three program plans are available for the Civil and Environmental Engineering MS degree.

The Plan A Thesis requires 32 credits (minimum):

• A minimum of 24 credits of technical and scientific coursework is required, a minimum of 6 credits of Thesis Research thesis research, as well as two semesters of seminar credit for a total of 32 credits.
• Approval of academic forms required for master’s students by the School of Graduate Studies
• List of specific forms required:
  • Supervisory Committee
  • Program of Study
  • Thesis/Project Approval
  • Appointment for Examination
  • Record of Examination
  • SGS and library review and approval
• The Plan A option for a master’s degree requires the preparation of a thesis as well as the successful defense and submission of the thesis to the library.

The Plan B Report requires 32 credits (minimum):

• A minimum of 27 credits of technical and scientific coursework is required, a minimum of 3 credits of thesis research, as well as two semesters of seminar credit for a total of 32 credits.
• Approval of academic forms required for master’s students by the School of Graduate Studies
• List of specific forms required:
  • Supervisory Committee
  • Program of Study
  • Appointment for Examination
  • Record of Examination
  • Committee review and library approval
• A Plan B option requires the production and defense of a report, and successful submission of the report to the library.

The Plan C Coursework Only requires 38 credits (minimum):

• A minimum of 36 credits of technical and scientific coursework is required as well as two semesters of seminar credit for a total of 32 38 credits.
• Approval of academic forms required for master’s students by the School of Graduate Studies
• List of specific forms required:
• Supervisory Committee
• Program of Study