MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Overview

The MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering enables students to emphasize either Civil or Environmental engineering or span the study of both through their coursework, Masters Thesis, or Masters Problem.

The M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with an Emphasis in Civil Engineering provides specialized expertise in civil engineering by providing a rigorous curriculum and innovative research in two distinctive areas: Structural and Geotechnical Engineering and Environment and Water . Specifically, the program offers students the opportunity to conduct state-of-the-art research in asphalt and concrete pavements, pavement evaluation and preservation, bridge engineering, non-destructive testing and evaluation, structural and materials modeling, transportation geotechnics and geomechanics, hydrology and hydraulics, urban water, environmental processes, sustainable coastal and river engineering, environmental fluid mechanics, water resources planning and management, and interdependence of infrastructure systems.

The STRuctural ENGineering Testing Hub (STRENGTH) Laboratory and the GMAT Laboratory are two key research facilities where students and faculty work together to advance these areas. Students may tailor a plan of coursework to their interests by drawing from extensive course offerings spanning several engineering disciplines as well as other schools and colleges at UGA.

The M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with an Emphasis in Environmental Engineering requires a rigorous foundation in the life and physical sciences along with the ability to contribute in creative ways to solving interdisciplinary problems. Priority areas of faculty research include integrated water resource management, waste management, and assimilation through biological processes, environmental externalities of energy production, and coastal and urban systems. The program enables students to gain in-depth knowledge and opportunities to seek creative interdisciplinary solutions.

Admission

Students holding a B.S. degree or M.S. in engineering from an ABET-accredited program or a B.S. or M.S. in a related field from an accredited institution are invited to apply for admission to masters or doctoral programs. Students not having an ABET-accredited B.S engineering degree but having degrees in math or physical/biological science or other disciplines may be asked to take additional selected course work to adequately prepare them for their specific engineering studies.

Base requirements for consideration for admission to the College of Engineering’s Graduate Programs are listed below. Specific degree programs and emphasis areas may add additional requirements:

• Completion of a B.S. and M.S. (for Ph.D. applicants) with a minimum GPA of 3.00 (out of 4.00) from an ABET-accredited program or program in a related field. The average undergraduate GPA and graduate GPA of recently accepted students is 3.4 and 3.6, respectively.
• Submission of the online UGA Graduate School Application and submission of:
  • Official undergraduate and graduate academic transcripts.
  • A statement of purpose.
  • Three letters of recommendation.
  • CV or resume.
  • General Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores. Average Quantitative GRE scores of recently accepted students range near the 80th percentile. Applicants holding a UGA degree may waive this requirement if they meet GPA and undergraduate research requirements.
  • TOEFL is required for international students whose native language is other than English.
  • Transcript evaluations prepared by World Education Services (WES) or another approved credentialing agency are required for students who obtained degrees outside of the United States.

Additional requirements may be applicable for admission to discipline-specific M.S. and Ph.D. Programs and Emphasis Areas offered through the College’s schools.

Program of Study

Thesis Option

The thesis option is provided for students wishing to receive professional training via coursework integrated with research training through the successful completion of a thesis. The Civil and Environmental Engineering (M.S.) with a thesis option requires a minimum of 33 semester hours in the program of study, which consists of:

• A minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework, which must include:
  • 23 hours of graduate-level coursework, including
    • 9 hours selected from one of the Civil Engineering or Environmental Engineering Emphasis course lists.
    • 12 hours from UGA courses open only to graduate students and exclusive of the thesis (ENGR 7300, Master’s Thesis) and research (ENGR 7000, Master’s Research, and ENGR 7010, project-focused Masters Research).
  • 1 hour of ENGR 8950, Graduate Seminar*
• A minimum of 6 hours of master’s research (ENGR 7000, Master’s Research) or project-based research (ENGR 7010, project-focused Masters Research). A typical student’s research hours will exceed this minimum; however, at most 6 hours of ENGR 7000 or ENGR 7010 may be listed on the program of study.
• 3 hours of thesis preparation and writing (ENGR 7300, Master’s Thesis)

* Only 1 hour of Graduate Seminar may apply to the program of study. Students are strongly encouraged to continue regular attendance at speaker series presentations even if not formally registered in the seminar.

In the MS Thesis Option, all coursework is selected consistent with specific degree and emphasis area requirements in coordination with the Student’s Faculty Advisor and approved by the student’s Advisory Committee on the Program of Study. To receive the M.S. degree, each student is required to present a satisfactory research proposal approved by the student’s advisory committee and the graduate coordinator and pass a final examination and defense of the research thesis.

Non-Thesis Option

The non-thesis option is provided for students either currently employed in professional practice or wishing to emphasize only professional training through their MS. The M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a non-thesis option requires a minimum of 33 semester hours in the Program of Study, which consists of:

A minimum of 30 hours of coursework which must include:

Environmental Engineering

• Core Coursework (10 hours)
  • Nine hours from one of the three Environmental Engineering emphasis areas ( Energy Systems , Environmental & Water, or Sustainable Coastal Engineering )
  • ENGR 8950, Graduate Seminar (1 hour) *
• Elective Coursework (20 hours)
  • For the non-thesis option, students will work with a graduate advisor to select the most appropriate specialty area and coursework to ensure breadth of understanding as well as mastery of knowledge in a specific subject area. Emphasis courses will be reviewed each academic year and updated as needed to reflect new areas in the field.
• Project Report (3 hours):
  • ENGR 7010, project-focused Masters Research
  • This same advisor will work with the student to help select an appropriate project report.
• A minimum of 15 hours of coursework must be in ECAM Environmental Engineering courses

Civil Engineering

• Core Coursework (10 to 16 hours):
  • Nine to 15 hours from one of the two Civil Engineering emphasis areas ( Structural & Geotechnical Engineering and Environment & Water )
  • ENGR 8950 Graduate Seminar (1 hour) *
• Elective Coursework (14 to 20 hours)
  • For the non-thesis option, students will work with a graduate advisor to select the most appropriate specialty area and coursework to ensure breadth of understanding as well as mastery of knowledge in a specific subject area. Emphasis courses will be reviewed each academic year and updated as needed to reflect new areas in the field.
• Project Report (3 hours)
  • ENGR 7010, project-focused Masters Research
• A minimum of 15 hours of coursework must be in ECAM Environmental Engineering courses

* Only 1 hour of Graduate Seminar may apply to the program of study. Students are strongly encouraged to continue regular attendance at speaker series presentations even if not formally registered in the seminar.

For the MS Non-Thesis Option, all coursework is selected consistent with specific degree and emphasis area requirements and approved by the program’s Graduate Director and Advisory Committee on the Program of Study. The Graduate Director serves as the student’s faculty advisor. The student identifies an appropriate faculty member to serve as supervisor for their Master’s Project who then works in coordination with the Graduate Director to advise the student through degree completion. The supervising faculty for the Master’s Project, the Graduate Director, and Graduate Coordinator comprise the student’s Advisory Committee. To receive the M.S. degree under the Non-Thesis Option, each student is required to complete a Master’s Project under the supervision of a faculty member and submit a Masters Project Report for approval by the student’s Advisory Committee.

Students elect their MS option at the start of their programs. In the event a student wishes to change their degree option during their program, the student must request a change in degree objective. Students successfully petitioning to change their previously elected MS option must:

Complete at least two full-time semesters in their new option before they are eligible for graduation, Adequately complete any prior work to which they committed or for which they were supported under assistantship in their prior option, and After option change start and complete either the MS project requirement (ENGR 7010) or MS thesis research requirement (ENGR 7000/7010, 7300).

Only students in the thesis option are eligible for College assistantship support.

Completion of the M.S. requirements for all programs in the College of Engineering fulfills all requirements of the University of Georgia Graduate School. No grade below C will be accepted in the program of study. To be eligible for graduation, a student must maintain a 3.0 (B) average on the graduate transcript and a 3.0 (B) average in the program of study.

Emphasis Areas

As a requirement of the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering degree, students must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours selected from one of the emphasis areas listed below. Students will work with their graduate advisor to select the most appropriate specialty area and coursework to ensure breadth of understanding as well as mastery of knowledge in a specific subject area. Emphasis courses will be reviewed each academic year and updated as needed to reflect new areas in the field. In addition to completing 9 credit hours selected from the list below, students may work with their graduate advisor to develop an interdisciplinary plan of coursework drawing from the extensive graduate course offerings available at UGA.

The Emphasis in Civil Engineering

Structural and Geotechnical Engineering

• CVLE 6330, Advanced Structural Analysis (3 hours)
• CVLE 6340, Design of Bridges (3 hours)
• CVLE 6470, Pavement Design (3 hours)
• CVLE(MCHE)(LAND) 6660, Sustainable Building Design (3 hours)
• CVLE(MCHE) 8350, Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (3 hours)
• CVLE 8410, Inelastic Behavior of Asphalt (3 hours)
• CVLE 8420, Geomechanics (3 hours)
• CVLE 8460, Soil Improvement (3 hours)
• CVLE 8550, Design of Prestressed Concrete Structures (3 hours)
• CVLE(MCHE) 8640, Advanced Strength of Materials (3 hours)
• ENGR 6350, Introduction to Finite Element Analysis (3 hours)
• ENGR 8103, Computational Engineering: Fundamentals, Elliptic, and Parabolic Differential Equations (3 hours)
• MCHE 6650, HVAC Systems for Buildings and Industry (3 hours)
• MCHE 8380, Continuum Mechanics (3 hours)
• STAT 6315, Statistical Methods for Researchers (4 hours)

Environment and Water

• BCHE(ENVE) 6490, Environmental Engineering Remediation Design (3 hours)
• CRSS(GEOL) 8710, Watershed-Scale Modeling (3 hours)
• CVLE 8110, Environmental River Mechanics (3 hours)
• CVLE 8130, Mechanics of Jets and Plumes (3 hours)
• CVLE 8140, Transport and Mixing in Natural Flows (3 hours)
• CVLE(MCHE) 8160, Advanced Fluid Mechanics (3 hours)
• ENGR 8103, Computational Engineering: Fundamentals, Elliptic, and Parabolic Differential Equations (1 hour)
• ENGR 8220, Microfluidic Transport Phenomena (3 hours)
• ENVE 6430, Advanced Open Channel Design (3 hours)
• ENVE 6435, Natural Resources Engineering (3 hours)
• ENVE 6440, Computer Modeling in Water Resources (3 hours)
• ENVE 6450, Engineering Hydrology and Hydraulics (3 hours)
• ENVE 6460, Groundwater Hydrology for Engineers (3 hours)
• ENVE 6470, Environmental Engineering Unit Operations (3 hours)
• GEOL(WASR) 8740, Hydrologic Flow and Transport Modeling (3 hours)
• MCHE 6590, Fluid Mechanics II (3 hours)
• STAT 6315, Statistical Methods for Researchers (4 hours)
• WASR 8200, Hillslope Hydrology Seminar (3 hours)

The Emphasis in Environmental Engineering

Energy Systems

• ENGR 6490, Renewable Energy Engineering (3 hours)
• ENGR 8103, Computational Engineering (3 hours)
• ENVE 6230, Energy in Nature, Civilization, and Engineering (3 hours)
• ENVE 6250, Energy Systems and the Environment (3 hours)
• ENVE 6530, Energy and Environmental Policy Analysis (3 hours)
• ENVE 8110, Ecological Energetics (3 hours)
• MIST 6550, Energy Informatics (3 hours)

Environment and Water

• BCHE(ENVE) 6490, Environmental Engineering Remediation Design (3 hours)
• CRSS(GEOL) 8710, Watershed-Scale Modeling (3 hours)
• CVLE(MCHE)(LAND) 6660, Sustainable Building Design (3 hours)
• CVLE 8110, Environmental River Mechanics (3 hours)
• CVLE 8130, Mechanics of Jets and Plumes (3 hours)
• CVLE 8140, Transport and Mixing in Natural Flows (3 hours)
• CVLE(MCHE) 8160, Advanced Fluid Mechanics (3 hours)
• ENGR 8103, Computational Engineering: Fundamentals, Elliptic, and Parabolic Differential Equations (1 hour)
• ENGR 8220, Microfluidic Transport Phenomena (3 hours)
• ENVE 6430, Advanced Open Channel Design (3 hours)
• ENVE 6435, Natural Resources Engineering (3 hours)
• ENVE 6440, Computer Modeling in Water Resources (3 hours)
• ENVE 6450, Engineering Hydrology and Hydraulics (3 hours)
• ENVE 6460, Groundwater Hydrology for Engineers (3 hours)
• ENVE 6470, Environmental Engineering Unit Operations (3 hours)
• ENVE 6550, Environmental Life Cycle Analysis (3 hours)
• GEOL(WASR) 8740, Hydrologic Flow and Transport Modeling (3 hours)
• MCHE 6590, Fluid Mechanics II (3 hours)
• STAT 6315, Statistical Methods for Researchers (4 hours)
• WASR 8200, Hillslope Hydrology Seminar (3 hours)

Sustainable Coastal Engineering

• CVLE 8130, Mechanics of Jets and Plumes (3 hours)
• CVLE 8140, Transport and Mixing in Natural Flows (3 hours)
• CVLE(MCHE) 8160, Advanced Fluid Mechanics (3 hours)
• ENGR 8103, Computational Engineering: Fundamentals, Elliptic, and Parabolic Differential equations (3 hours)
• ENGR 8220, Microfluidic Transport Phenomena (3 hours)
• ENVE 6435, Natural Resources Engineering (3 hours)
• MARS 8030, General Physical Oceanography (3 hours)
• MARS 8100, Estuarine and Coastal Oceanography (3 hours)
• MARS 7380, Quantitative Methods in Marine Science (3 hours)
• MARS 8150, Ocean Waves (3 hours)
• MARS 8510, Modeling Marine Systems (3 hours)
• MCHE 6590, Fluid Mechanics II (3 hours)

Understanding that 21st-century engineers require more than technical knowledge, we equip students with an understanding of the social and economic impact of their work, the ability to communicate their ideas to a wide variety of people, the ability to work effectively in teams, and the skills to provide leadership in solving society’s greatest challenges. Our students are immersed in hands-on learning through design-based classroom and field experiences, undergraduate and graduate research, study abroad, co-ops, and internships. The UGA College of Engineering offers eight undergraduate and seven graduate degree programs. We also offer a variety of dual degrees and combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees.