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 - The following is applicable to all MS students admitted to Structural Engineering starting in Fall of 2007. There are three options for completion of an MS degree. They are:
Option A: 30-hour Thesis option -- 24-hours coursework + 6 hours Thesis (CE 698A & CE 698B);
Option B: 30-hour Graduate School Report option -- 27-hours coursework + 3 hours Graduate School Report (CE 698B); and
Option C: 30-hour No Thesis/No Report option -- 30-hours coursework
Miscellaneous rules:
1. Students enrolled in any option must take at least six hours but no more than 12 hours of coursework outside the major area of study (i.e. in minor area). Students should consult with their academic advisor for approval of courses to be counted towards the minor.
2. Students enrolled in Option A may count up to 3 upper-division undergraduate courses (9 hrs) towards the degree requirements, with no more than two courses (6 hrs) in either the major or the minor. Students in Option B may count up to two upper-division undergraduate courses (6 hrs) towards the degree requirements.
3. Students enrolled in any option can take at most one course (3 hrs and in the minor) for CR/NCR, and only with the approval of their academic advisor.
4. Students enrolled in Option C may include the Special Studies in CE course (CE 397) as part of their coursework. CE 397 must be taken for grade. No other Independent Study course can be used to fulfill Option C coursework. The CE 397 Special Studies in CE course is not available to students enrolled under Options A or B.
5. It is expected that all graduate students receiving research support will enroll in Option A.
6. Students must also comply with all other applicable rules of the Graduate School and of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Egineering.
7. According to Graduate School rules, graduate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to be in good standing. Please note that a grade of B- is less than 3.0. Further, only courses in which a student earns a grade of C or better may be counted towards the degree.
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.