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MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAM: Civil Engineering
MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAM: CIVIL ENGINEERING
Overview
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Civil Engineering program is a graduate degree with a focus on research. The M.S. degree supports those wishing to pursue careers in industry, consulting, or government. More importantly, the degree is well suited for those that are interested in pursuing a path of research at the Ph.D. level. Our program is designed to provide a blend of research skills, fundamental knowledge development, and professional skills needed for careers in research and industry.
The M.S. degree in Civil Engineering requires satisfactory completion of the required coursework and defense of the M.S. thesis. In addition, M.S. students are required to attend CEE seminars.
Faculty Advisor
All M.S. students must have a faculty advisor who will supervise their research. The student’s advisor will also assist them with meeting the M.S. program requirements.
Program Requirements
A candidate for the M.S. in Civil Engineering must fulfill the School of Engineering requirements for an M.S. degree, along with the requirements described below. The School of Engineering academic requirements for M.S. students and steps to graduation can be found on the Office of Graduate Programs website.
Coursework: The M.S. degree in Civil Engineering requires a minimum of 24 graded engineering graduate-level credits (5000 level and above), of which at least 12 credits must be civil engineering courses (CE designation), and a total of 30 credits consisting of graded coursework and research (CE 8999). A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.
Students in the M.S. degree program in CEE may wish to plan their study around one of the following five areas of optional specialization:
- Construction Engineering and Management
- Environmental and Water Resources Engineering
- Infrastructure Systems Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Transportation Engineering
It is recommended that a plan of study be prepared under the guidance of the student’s faculty advisor at the beginning of the first semester of study. The plan of study may be revised, if necessary, at any time
Seminar: As an essential component of the graduate program in CEE, M.S. students are required to enroll in CE 7001 (with zero credit hours), attend the CEE seminars, and receive a Satisfactory grade in their first year of the program.
M.S. Thesis: Each M.S. student must satisfactorily present and defend a thesis based on independent, original research supervised by the student’s M.S. advisor. The M.S. Thesis Defense is conducted orally and publicly in front of the M.S. Thesis Committee. The M.S. Thesis Committee must consist of at least three UVA faculty members and meet the following requirements:
While M.S. students are encouraged to form their M.S. Thesis Committee as soon as possible, the Thesis Committee must be approved at least two weeks before the date of the M.S. Thesis Defense.
More information about the areas of specialization, M.S. Thesis Defense and timeline, and administrative forms can be found on the Master of Science in Civil Engineering webpage.
First Destination Survey: After successful completion of the M.S. thesis defense upload to Libra, all M.S. students must complete the First Destination survey informing the school whether employed, continuing education, military service, volunteering, or still seeking employment.
Students should consult “Transfer Credit” and “Time Limit” in the School of Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section of the Record for policies that govern transferring credits and limits on the time that may be taken to earn a degree.
