Civil Engineering, MS
Admission Requirements
Applicants for the master's of science program must hold a bachelor’s degree from a program that is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology at the time of graduation, or provide evidence of an equivalent academic background to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science and the appropriate department chair.
Applicants must submit official undergraduate transcripts, undergraduate grade point average, three letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. Personal statements or descriptions of post-baccalaureate experience that provide a rationale for proposed graduate study may also be submitted.
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree must have an overall grade point average of 2.75 or better or 3.00 for the last two years (64 semester credits or equivalent).
Applicants whose native language is not English must have a TOEFL score of at least 79 on the internet-based TOEFL.
Bridge-up Requirements for Applicants with a bachelor's degree in another discipline
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than civil engineering shall have completed coursework in calculus, differential equations, and have one year of classical physics. Applicants must also have a minimum of nine credits of uppper-level civil engineering coursework on topics appropriate to their intended master's area of study within Civil Engineering, equivalent to the courses below.
Students taking undergraduate coursework at UA to qualify for future graduate admission are advised to work carefully with the department to choose nine credits appropriate to their intended area of study.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge-up for intended area of study | 9 | |
Nine credits of upper-level civil engineering coursework is required of all applicants coming from a discipline other than civil engineering. Note that required topics vary by intended area of study as denoted in footnotes. | ||
| CIVE 306 | Theory of Structures 3 | 3 |
| CIVE 313 | Soil Mechanics 2 | 3 |
| MECE 310 | Fluid Mechanics I 5 | 2 |
| CIVE 323 | Water Supply & Pollution Control 1 | 3 |
| CIVE 341 | Hydraulic Engineering 5 | 3 |
| CIVE 361 | Transportation Engineering 4 | 3 |
| CIVE 401 | Steel Design 3 | 3 |
| CIVE 403 | Reinforced Concrete Design 3 | 3 |
- 1
Required for an area of study in environmental issues.
- 2
Required for an area of study in geotechnical issues.
- 3
Required for an area of study in structures.
- 4
Required for an area of study in transportation.
- 5
Required for an area of study in water resources.
Degree Requirements
In addition to meeting the University's requirements for all master's programs, students must complete the degree requirements shown.
Thesis Option
Thesis Completion Milestone
Students must successfully (no “fail” votes) defend the master's thesis before the Advisory Committee and complete the thesis.
Plan of Study
A student must consult their faculty advisor and master's advisory committee in choosing their classes to ensure that the classes align with their area of study. The minimum requirements for a Plan of Study are:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering Courses 1 | 15 | |
| These fifteen credits must be from the civil engineering (CIVE) subject area. | ||
| Approved Mathematics or Science 2 | 3 | |
| These three credits may be from the following subject areas: biology (BIOL), chemistry (CHEM), geology (GEOG), mathematics (MATH), physics (PHYS), or statistics (STAT). | ||
| Approved Electives 3 | 6 | |
| These six credits may be in the following subject areas: civil engineering (CIVE), mechanical engineering (MECE), electrical engineering (ELEN), computer science (CPSC). | ||
| Thesis Requirement | 6 | |
| CIVE 699 | Master's Thesis | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
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The following courses may not be used towards the Civil Engineering Courses requirement:
- 2
The following courses may not be used towards the Approved Mathematics or Science requirement:
- 3
Research, dissertation, and engineering report courses may not be used towards the Approved Electives requirement.
Nonthesis Option
Plan of Study
A student must consult their faculty advisor and master's advisory committee in choosing their classes to ensure that the classes align with their area of study. The minimum requirements for a Plan of Study are:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering Courses 1 | 15 | |
| These fifteen credits must be 500- or 600-level courses from the civil engineering (CIVE) subject area. | ||
| Approved Mathematics or Science 2 | 3 | |
| These three credits may be from the following subject areas: biology (BIOL), chemistry (CHEM), geology (GEOG), mathematics (MATH), physics (PHYS), or statistics (STAT). | ||
| Approved Electives 3 | 9 | |
| These nine credits may be in the following subject areas: civil engineering (CIVE), mechanical engineering (MECE), electrical engineering (ELEN), computer science (CPSC). | ||
| Engineering Report Requirement 4 | 3 | |
| CIVE 697 | Engineering Report | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
The following courses may not be used towards the Civil Engineering Courses requirement:
- 2
The following courses may not be used towards the Approved Mathematics or Science requirement:
- 3
Research, dissertation, and engineering report courses may not be used towards the Approved Electives requirement.
- 4
Completion of the engineering report requires approval of the final report by the student's advisory committee.