MSCE/MSE Capstone Options

Thesis option:

This requires completion of 6 hours of thesis credits and 24 credits of graduate courses of which not more than 6 credits may be taken from outside the CEE department. The degree requirements for the thesis option are as follows:

  1. Plan of Study – the student must meet with his/her advisor to formulate a plan of study. The plan of study must be submitted after completing at least 9 but no more than 18 semester credits.
  2. Satisfactory completion of 30 hours of approved graduate credits including 9 hours of thesis.
  3. Not more than 6 credits may be taken from outside the civil and environmental engineering department.
  4. Admission to candidacy – the admission to candidacy form must be completed prior to the thesis defense. The student should consult the schedule of classes for deadlines on submitting this form for fall or spring graduation.
  5. Thesis Defense – a copy of the thesis should be distributed to each member of the program committee at least two weeks prior to the defense. The student should make a public announcement of the defense within the department to allow attendance by interested faculty members and students of civil and environmental engineering.

Non-thesis project option:

This requires satisfactorily completing 3 credits of individualized project and 27 credits of graduate courses of which not more than 6 credits may be taken from outside the CEE department. The degree requirements for this option are as follows:

  1. Plan of Study – the student must meet with his/her advisor to formulate a plan of study. The plan of study must be submitted after completing at least 9 but no more than 18 semester credits.
  2. Satisfactory completion of 30 hours of approved graduate credits including 3 credits of project work (individual study or projects)
  3. Not more than 6 credits may be taken from outside the civil and environmental engineering department.
  4. Completion of individualized project that requires a written report and an oral presentation that will be conducted by the student’s advisory committee.
  5. Admission to candidacy – the admission to candidacy form must be completed prior to the oral exam. The student should consult the schedule of classes for deadlines on submitting this form for fall or spring graduation.

Non-thesis course-only option:

This requires satisfactorily completing 30 credits of graduate courses with not more than 6 credits taken from outside the CEE Department. Students taking this option must satisfactorily complete the following requirements:

  1. Plan of Study – the student must meet with his/her advisor to formulate a plan of study. The plan of study must be submitted after completing at least 9 but no more than 18 semester credits.
  2. Satisfactory completion of 30 hours of approved graduate credits.
  3. Not more than 6 credits may be taken from outside the CEE Department.
  4. The student is required to pass a comprehensive exam that must have an oral and written component. The requirements for the written and the oral components of this exam are specific to each CEE discipline (Environmental and Water Resources, Geotechnical and Geo-Environmental, Structural, and Transportation). Current exam requirements for each CEE discipline are provided below.
  5. Admission to candidacy – the admission to candidacy form must be completed prior to the oral exam. The student should consult the schedule of classes for deadlines on submitting this form for fall or spring graduation.

Course-Only Comprehensive Exam Concentrations: ​

  • Structural Engineering
  • Transportation Engineering

Program Committee

Students under the Thesis and the Non-thesis Project options must select a program committee that is composed of at least 3 members of the graduate faculty of CEE. The graduate program advisor generally serves as the chairperson of the committee.

Students under the Non-Thesis Course-Only option work with his/her advisor to develop a plan of study. The advisor also helps coordinate the oral and written components of the required comprehensive exam in coordination with the graduate faculty closest to his/her subject of study.