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Several options exist for students in the
Master of Science degree program: There are two different options for
each of two degree titles, namely M.S. in Civil Engineering and M.S. in
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering.
The title M.S. in Civil Engineering or M.S. in
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering appears on official
transcripts but not on the diploma. The more specific designation of
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering is preferred by some.
As an advanced specialty degree, the program in Environmental and Water
Resources Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology (ABET); the program is available only to
students with an accredited undergraduate degree in engineering. The
M.S. in Civil Engineering is available to all students in the program,
including those who are eligible for the more specific Environmental and
Water Resources Engineering designation. Students eligible for either
degree can change this designation easily (for a small fee) at any time
prior to the semester of graduation. The two programs described below
are available for both degree titles.
- Thesis Option:
Students take 30 semester credit hours of courses of which 12-18 hours
are in the major area, at least 6 hours are in minor areas and 6 hours
are thesis research. Students who are supported with research assistantships
are almost always required to pursue this option, as their theses
usually serve as part of a contract completion report to the research
project sponsor. The thesis must be approved by the supervising
professor and two other faculty members.
- Departmental Report
Option: Students take 36 hours of courses including a 3 hour
report that is internal to the Civil Engineering Department, 12-24
hours in the major area and at least 9 hours in one or more minor
areas. The report has only to meet the standards of the faculty
(supervising professor and one other) who read it. In this program,
the seminar class (CE 393M or CE 380W) can, with faculty approval, be
counted toward the degree.
Students who are not supported on sponsored
research may elect the thesis option or report option. The report
option is recommended for part-time students and is especially appropriate
for students with special time constraints.
Major Areas: Typical major areas within our program are those
listed in Research. Specific areas of
specialization can be tailored to a student's needs and interests; in fact,
with no specific course requirements in the program, every student works
with a faculty advisor to choose the set of courses that best achieves his
or her objectives. Courses that are closely related to the major area form
the major and may be from either the Department of Civil Engineering or
other departments. Supporting work consists of courses outside the major. Courses
considered supporting coursework are not required to have any relation to
one another; each simply has to be recognizably different from the major. Courses
within EWRE that are significantly different from a student's major area
often serve as supporting work but must be approved as such by the Graduate
Advisor.
Dual Degrees: A dual
M.S. degree program with the Lyndon B. Johnson
School of Public Affairs is also available. Students wishing to receive
this dual degree must be accepted by both M.S. programs. Upon completion of
the program, students receive an M.S. in Engineering and a Master of Public
Affairs. This dual degree program is particularly fitting for those
students with interests in environmental policy and who foresee working in
a governmental or policy arena. Typically, two or three students in the
EWRE program are enrolled in this dual degree program at a time, and there
is excellent rapport among the faculty in both programs. The thesis for students
in this program contains both engineering and policy aspects and fulfills
requirements for both degrees.
Minimum GPA: Students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA to avoid
academic warning and possible dismissal. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is also
required for graduation.
Time Requirements: The time needed to complete a master's degree varies
among students. Students with half-time appointments as research or
teaching assistants usually take between 16 and 24 months to complete the
degree, commonly finishing two semesters beyond the first year.
Full-time students without research or teaching assistantships can complete
the report option within one year, although most students choose to take
one additional semester. Students with non-engineering backgrounds
require longer times because of the make-up courses required, as described
in Additional Requirements for Non-Engineers.
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