Incoming M.S. students are expected to have undergraduate preparation in Structural Engineering that is roughly equivalent to that offered at The University of Texas at Austin. The program provides the opportunity for study at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels.
M.S. Program - Students must take courses and prepare a report or thesis to complete the MS program. Students electing to prepare a thesis are required to take 8 organized courses (24 hours), with the thesis credited as 6 additional hours of work (2 courses). Students electing to prepare a report must complete 10 organized courses (30 hours) and the Structures Seminar (3 hours). A report is presented to the Department and is equivalent to 3 hours of work (one course). The M.S. degree with a report, consists of a total of 36 hours. It normally takes three or four semesters to complete the M.S. degree by either plan.
Ph.D. Program - A qualifying examination consisting of a written English examination, a closed-book written Structures examination, and an oral Structures examination is administered during the first semester after a student is admitted to the Ph.D. Program. Although no minimum course requirements are specified for the Ph.D. degree, students usually take about three semesters of course work beyond the M.S. degree, including supporting work (usually a minimum of three courses) in areas other than Structural Engineering. The Ph.D. candidate is expected to be involved in an independent research study in addition to the course work. At the end of the course work, a comprehensive examination is administered in which the student must demonstrate expertise in Structural Engineering. The defense of dissertation is given when the written portion of the dissertation is complete.
The graduate program provides coursework and research opportunities in the analysis and design of structures and structural materials. Individual programs of work are tailored to meet each student's needs, but should contain courses from all areas of the Structural Engineering curriculum.