• Degrees Offered
• Admission Requirements
• Academic Requirements
• Statutes of Limitation
• Academic Load
• Petition
• Grade Requirements and Evaluation of Progress
• Thesis/Dissertation Preparation
• Awarding of Assistantships
• Contact for More Information

The University's most current Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog is the basic document describing overall requirements for all degrees, course offerings, and library, laboratory and computer facilities. It includes the general requirements for graduate degrees in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as well.

The present document provides you with the more specific requirements of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department for its graduate degrees, and additional academic and procedural information. The department also issues a Graduate Student Handbook that offers supplemental information to help graduate students with the day-to-day logistics of graduate student life in this department.

I. Degrees Offered

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers five graduate degrees. These include three Master's degrees--the Master of Civil Engineering, the Master of Applied Science, and the Master of Ocean Engineering--and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering and Ocean Engineering.

• Master of Civil Engineering: The Master of Civil Engineering (MCE) degree is only awarded to individuals who, upon admission, have an undergraduate degree in engineering, preferably in civil or environmental engineering. The student pursuing the MCE degree may choose a traditional thesis program or a non-thesis option. The courses for the non-thesis option correspond to the course requirements for the traditional thesis master's degree program. The core requirements for both Master's degrees are the same.

• Master of Applied Science: Students who, upon admission, have a non-engineering degree are awarded the Master of Applied Science (MAS) degree. The MAS degree is also an option for students who choose to utilize the elective graduate courses in the degree program to study other engineering or physical science disciplines (even if they were admitted with an undergraduate degree in engineering). The student pursuing the MAS degree may choose a traditional thesis program or a non-thesis option. The courses for the non-thesis option correspond to the course requirements for the traditional master's degree program.

• Master of Ocean Engineering: The Master in Ocean Engineering is offered jointly with the Physical Ocean Science and Engineering Program (POSE) in the College of Marine Studies. Students may matriculate through either the College of Engineering or the College of Marine Studies, and may choose a thesis advisor from either program. Degree requirements are the same for either College and are given in Section III.

Non-thesis Options: Within the Master of Civil Engineering and Master of Applied Science degree programs, non-thesis options are available for the students concentrating their studies in the areas of Coastal Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering,

Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources Engineering. The objective of the non-thesis master's programs is to provide an opportunity for students who do not aim at developing research skills to obtain a non-thesis degree with a quality and depth of study comparable to the master's degree with thesis. Through course work (minimum of 30 credits), the students will develop their engineering skills and obtain a state-of-the-art background within the chosen area of study. The non-thesis programs are designed for students with relevant experience in industry, whose employment precludes them from doing a thesis master's degree. Students originally enrolled in the thesis master's degree program may not transfer to the non-thesis option except under special conditions and with the approval of the faculty (thesis) advisor and the Graduate Committee. Students selecting the non-thesis option are not eligible for financial support from the University.

• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering: This degree is offered in the major areas of Coastal Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources Engineering. Detailed requirements are outlined in Section IV.

• Ph.D. in Ocean Engineering: The Ph. D. in Ocean Engineering is offered jointly with the Physical Ocean Science and Engineering Program (POSE) in the College of Marine Studies. Students may matriculate through either the College of Engineering or the College of Marine Studies, and may choose a thesis advisor from either program. Degree requirements are the same for either College and are given in Section IV.

II. Admission Requirements

The minimum requirements for admission to a master's or doctoral program in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering are an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (out of a possible 4.0) for Masters applicants or 3.5 (out of a possible 4.0) for Ph.D. applicants; GRE scores (verbal and quantitative combined) of at least 1050; and a TOEFL score (for international students) of at least 550.

Although it is possible for students to study toward a Ph.D. directly upon entering graduate school, most students choose to obtain the MCE or MAS first. Students considering doctoral study typically must have completed any previous graduate study with at least a 3.5 grade point average and have clearly demonstrated a capacity for independent work. If an M.S. thesis or other comprehensive work was written at another institution, a copy must be provided to the advisor soon after the student enrolls at University of Delaware.

The minimum requirements for admission to a masters or doctoral program for a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Ocean Engineering are as follows: a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (out of a possible 4.0) for Masters applicants or 3.5 (out of a possible 4.0) for Ph.D. applicants, GRE scores (verbal and quantitative combined) of at least 1200, and a TOEFL score (for international students) of at least 600. The POSE Graduate committee may increase these minimum requirements. The Master of Ocean Engineering is not available in a non-thesis option.

III. Academic Requirements

3a. Fields of Study

The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering offers the following areas of graduate study:

• Civil Infrastructure Systems- including asset management, natural disaster risk analysis, and infrastructure vulnerability
• Coastal Engineering - including coastal engineering, wave mechanics and fluid mechanics.
• Environmental Engineering - including water and wastewater treatment, environmental chemistry and remediation, solid and hazardous waste management.
• Geotechnical Engineering - including computational geomechanics, soil mechanics, foundation engineering, earth structures engineering.
• Structural Engineering - including structural mechanics, dynamics and design, analysis of structures, matrix and finite element methods, computational mechanics, structural engineering materials, and railroad engineering.
• Transportation Engineering - including urban transportation, traffic engineering, systems engineering, logistics engineering, and engineering management.
  
• Water Resources Engineering - including groundwater hydraulics, groundwater contamination, watershed management, hydrology, and water quality control.

Study in two or more related fields is allowed.

3b. Master's Degree Requirements (Civil Engineering and Applied Science)

1. Master's Degrees with Thesis - total of 30 credits (24 course credits and 6 thesis credits):

Introductory Graduate Program Courses:

Mathematics & Engineering Sciences - at least one course each in mathematics and in engineering sciences. Students emphasizing environmental engineering are required to include CIEG 632, 634, and 636. Students emphasizing coastal engineering are required to include CIEG 639 and 672, and MEEG 690.

The courses typically include at least 6 credits at the 800 level and at least 9 credits of courses in the field of study. The student should consult his/her advisor in selecting courses to fit these requirements. Petitions for required course substitutions may be made via the advisor to the Department Graduate Committee. A maximum of 9 credits are transferable to the University of Delaware toward any Master's degree.

2. Master's Degrees - Non-Thesis Option

The non-thesis master's degree options require 30 credits of courses comprising a core of studies as specified below, together with elective courses selected with the approval of a faculty advisor. (The courses for the non-thesis options correspond to the course requirements for the traditional master's degree programs with thesis.) Petitions for core course substitutions (e.g., in the case of cross-disciplinary programs of study) may be made via the advisor to the Department Graduate Committee. A maximum of 9 credits is transferable to the University of Delaware toward any Master's degree.

Fields of Study for Master's Degrees (both thesis and non-thesis options)

3c. Master's Degree Requirements (Ocean Engineering)

The Master of Ocean Engineering degree program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours. This includes a thesis describing independent research. Students may earn up to six credits for the thesis.

Required courses are as follows:

• MAST 691/CIEG 639 (Ocean Fluid Dynamics)
• MAST 882 (Physical Ocean Science and Engineering Seminar) or CIEG 865 (Civil Engineering Seminar)
• MEEG 690 (Intermediate Engineering Mathematics)
• MAST 693 (Waves in the Marine Environment) or CIEG 672 (Wave Water Mechanics)

Additional courses typically include at least 6 credits at the 800 level and at least 9 credits of graduate courses. The student's advisor approves the course curriculum. Petitions for required course substitutions may be made via the advisor to the program director. A maximum of 9 graduate course credits from other universities may be applied toward the Master's degree.

3d. Ph.D. Degree Requirements (Civil Engineering)

The Ph.D. program is aimed at training the graduate student to achieve the highest degree in research within a chosen topic. Mathematics, fundamental sciences, and engineering sciences are combined to provide a personalized program of study and research. All graduate students work in close cooperation with the faculty in the chosen area. Although it is possible for students to study toward a Ph.D. directly upon entering graduate school, most students choose to obtain the MCE or MAS first.

1. Residency Requirement - The student must meet a campus residency requirement of at least one continuous academic year devoted exclusively to full-time study in the major field at the University of Delaware. The residency requirement may be fulfilled in the fall and spring semesters, but not in the summer or winter sessions. If a student has earned a master's degree at the University of Delaware, this can be used to fulfill the residency requirement.

2. Preparation for the Qualifying Exam - The qualifying examination is usually taken near the completion of 48 credits of course work beyond the bachelor's degree.

a. Course Requirements

A student's doctoral program, comprising 72 credits beyond the bachelor's degree (including doctoral dissertation), is planned around a central objective in applied science and mathematics. If a student who already holds a master's degree in the specific field of study is accepted directly into the Ph.D. program, the coursework from the master's degree will be taken into account in the design of the doctoral program. All courses in the program are selected with the approval of the student's dissertation advisor. Examples of the courses to be taken in mathematics and engineering sciences are listed below in the section titled Introductory Graduate Program Courses. Examples of courses in the specific fields of study are listed below that section. The program requirements are as follows:

Mathematics and Engineering Sciences
The purpose is to provide an adequate basis for original work in the field of study and, within the limits of available time, to extend the student's knowledge outside that field. Typically one course must be taken from each of the Mathematics and Engineering Sciences course lists. Students emphasizing environmental engineering are required to include CIEG 632, 634, and 636. Students emphasizing coastal engineering are required to include CIEG 639 and 672, and MEEG 690.

Field of Study
The area may be primarily within the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, but in more interdisciplinary fields, may include significant components from other departments.

BREADTH REQUIREMENT
At least 12 of the above 48 credits should be taken outside of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

b. Graduate Program Courses
Graduate courses include selected courses in mathematics and engineering sciences, to be chosen with the advice of the student's advisor to insure that the advanced degree recipient has the basic skills that constitute the "fundamental language" of civil and environmental engineering. Examples of such courses are listed below.

c. Resume and Dissertation Proposal
A student who has completed about 40 credits of coursework should consult his/her advisor for assistance in the preparation of a resume that is to include the dissertation proposal. The resume should provide information about the student's background: publications authored; the specialty area contemplated; and a proposal describing the doctoral research to be undertaken. The resume can enable the advisor and the committee to assess progress and plans for the future. It is also useful to advisor and student in determine the composition of the student's Doctoral committee and the most appropriate character for the Qualifying Exam. The student will provide a copy of the resume to each committee member and the Department Chairperson for approval.

d. Doctoral Committee
The selection of prospective members of the Doctoral Committee is discussed by the student and his advisor, who then forwards a recommendation for the composition of the doctoral committee via the Department Chairperson to the University Coordinator of Graduate Studies. At least three, but not more than five, members (in addition to the advisor) will be appointed to the committee by the Department Chairperson. At least two committee members, one of whom is the committee's chairperson, represent the major field of interest. At least one committee member shall be an external examiner from a different academic unit or from outside the University. Changes in the composition of the committee to reflect the student's interests may be made following the same procedure; i.e., consultation with the faculty advisor, who forwards the recommendation via the Department Chairperson to the University Coordinator of Graduate Studies.

It is the student's responsibility to consult each member of the Doctoral Committee at least six weeks before the qualifying exam for advice on any specific preparation that the committee members suggest. Any committee member who is not fully satisfied with a student's preparation for the formal exam will advise the Doctoral Committee chairperson promptly.

3. Qualifying Exam - After the resume has been prepared and a Doctoral Committee selected, the committee chairperson shall schedule a qualifying exam. The Qualifying Exam is a comprehensive written and oral exam. It is usually administered in two sections, a week or so apart, to test the student's preparation and the aptness of the proposed research. It is not open to the public. The advisor, as Exam Committee Chairperson, administers the written exam and chairs the oral. Upon successful completion of the Qualifying Exam, the student is certified as a candidate for the doctorate. The student must then register for each semester until the thesis is completed. At the conclusion of the Qualifying Exam, the Committee members signify agreement by signing the appropriate Graduate Office form.

The Qualifying Exam (written and oral) may result in one of the following actions for a student:

a. Passed; candidacy form signed by all committee members.

b. Passed, but additional work required (self study or formal course); form signed by all committee members. If the Qualifying Exam Committee