Overview
The Department of Civil Engineering at LAU offers a comprehensive program leading to the degree of Master of Science (M.S.) in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) with one of three emphases: (i) Infrastructure and Construction Management; (ii) Environmental Science, Engineering and Management; or (iii) Engineering Mechanics. The CEE Program aims at attracting qualified students to pursue graduate studies. The program provides graduate students with a sound professional and academic training in civil engineering, giving them access to a variety of courses in their area of study, as well as the opportunity to conduct research, thus combining the theoretical and the applied aspects of civil engineering.
The program is designed to stimulate independent thinking and the acquisition of knowledge, as well as the application of acquired knowledge and skills to the solution of practical engineering problems. The program provides an in-depth experience with one or more particular fields of Civil Engineering, while simultaneously exposing the student to cross-disciplinary issues and topics that affect the engineering and management of systems.
Flexibility is a key benefit of this program as it allows students to plan their degree in line with their long-term career goals, and to be consistent with any professional experience and prior training they may have. The M.S. – CEE Degree may be completed with or without a thesis.
Mission
The mission of the graduate program in Civil and Environmental Engineering at LAU is to provide students with a well-rounded set of career skills that empowers them to address a wide range of problems through exposure to an advanced body of knowledge and scholarly endeavors.
Program Educational Objectives
The purpose of the Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering is to:
- Train students to develop the methodology and necessary skills to explore emerging issues in engineering and science.
- Provide students with an advanced background and a focused body of knowledge required for the present day professional practice in their chosen field of study, and to prepare them to adapt to a changing profession.
- Train the students in an active research environment, to equip them with the latest tools of research, and to prepare them for further study toward a Doctoral Degree.
Student Outcomes
Graduates of the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering will be able to:
a. Reinforce skills developed in the undergraduate program.
b. Use advanced analytical, computational, and/or experimental aspects of civil engineering.
c. Make critical judgments based on a sound knowledge base.
d. Conduct research and appreciate its importance in the evolution of civil engineering.1
1Applies to students who select the Thesis option
Admission Requirements
Applicants for admission to this program must have a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, or a Bachelor of Engineering Degree, from a recognized university, with a minimum general Grade Point Average (GPA) equivalent to 2.75, on a 4-point scale, or 2.75 in the major. If the Bachelor’s Degree is not in the field to be pursued, and/or if the GPA is less than 2.75, the applicant may be admitted as “special”.
The GRE general exam is required of all applicants (GRE subject exams are not required). All applicants must submit scores for the GRE general exam (quantitative reasoning and analytical writing scores). Applicants for admissions to this program must have minimum GRE Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing scores of 75% below or more. GRE test scores that are more than 5 years old will not be accepted.
The admissions committee considers several factors when making admission decisions: your academic performance at prior institutions (grades, rankings, and GPAs) and your GRE test score. The rate of graduate assistantship (GA), when requested, is directly related to your GPA and GRE scores. Letters of recommendation are optional; however, three letters are recommended, two of which to be completed by faculty who are familiar with your academic performance.
Graduation Requirements
Students are required to complete 30 credits for graduation. A student in the program can choose to pursue either a thesis or a non-thesis option. Students who take the thesis option are required to complete a six-credit thesis. The remaining credits can be completed according to the course requirements in each concentration or emphasis area, as specified below. The breadth requirements consist of six courses (18 credit hours) for all of the emphasis areas. The student should take at least the equivalent of 18 credits in engineering courses.
Students with a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree who are pursuing a M.S. degree may transfer up to six credits from their B.E. Degree, provided that the transferred credits correspond to graduate courses and the student has scored, at least, a grade of “B” on each of these courses. The transfer of credits is governed by the Rules and Regulations for Graduate Programs.
In order to satisfy the requirements for the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a specific concentration or emphasis, the student is required to complete either one of the following options:
- Infrastructure and Construction Management
- Environmental Science, Engineering and Management
- Engineering Mechanics
Infrastructure and Construction Management
The student is required to complete at least four courses from Infrastructure and Construction Management, one course from Optimization (please refer to the Master of Science in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering for courses in Optimization), and any course offered by the School of Engineering.
Environmental Science, Engineering and Management
The student is required to complete at least four courses from Environmental Science, Engineering and Management, and any two courses offered by the School of Engineering.
Engineering Mechanics
The student is required to complete, at least, four courses from Engineering Mechanics, and any two courses offered by the School of Engineering.
Remaining courses may be taken from any graduate program of the School of Engineering, or any approved graduate course in the university, including Business, International Affairs, Biology, Toxicology, Chemistry, and Computer Science.
It is recommended that the remaining courses in each program/emphasis area are chosen in the thesis area, if a thesis option is selected, and is done in consultation with the student’s advisor. It is important to note that offering courses in a specific concentration area is contingent on adequate enrollment in that specific course/area.
Emphasis Areas
The M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering coursework can be grouped into the following three concentrations or emphasis areas:
- Infrastructure and Construction Management:
This is designed to prepare the graduates to meet the challenges of planning, financing, designing, building and managing public and private infrastructure under growing technical, financial, social and environmental constraints. - Environmental Science, Engineering and Management:
This is designed to prepare graduates to meet the challenges of sustainable development and natural resources management while protecting the environment. - Engineering Mechanics:
This is designed to prepare graduates to meet the challenges of designing technically efficient, cost-effective, and state-of-the-art facilities that are responsive to natural hazards and economic constraints.
Program Requirements
Infrastructure and Construction Management
- CIE761 Traffic Engineering (3 cr.)
- CIE782 Infrastructure Management (3 cr.)
- CIE784 Quality Management Systems (3 cr.)
- CIE785 Risk and Natural Hazard Management (3 cr.)
- CIE786 Highway Design and Management (3 cr.)
- CIE787 Concrete and Steel Construction (3 cr.)
- CIE788 GIS and Remote Sensing (3 cr.)
- CIE789 Cost Engineering and Control (3 cr.)
- CIE790 Construction Methods (3 cr.)
- CIE791 Project Scheduling (3 cr.)
- CIE792 Project Contracting (3 cr.)
Environmental Science, Engineering and Management
- CIE720 Solid Waste Management (3 cr.)
- CIE721 Hydrology (3 cr.)
- CIE722 Environmental Impact Assessment (3 cr.)
- CIE723 Water Resources: Planning and Management (3 cr.)
- CIE724 Air Quality Management (3 cr.)
- CIE725 Geo-environmental Engineering (3 cr.)
- CIE726 Unit Operations of Water Treatment Systems (3 cr.)
- CIE727 Unit Operations of Wastewater Treatment Systems (3 cr.)
- CIE728 Fate and Transport of Pollutants in the Environment (3 cr.)
- CIE729 Hydrogeology (3 cr.)
- CIE730 Irrigation and Drainage (3 cr.)
- CIE731 Urban Water Resources (3 cr.)
- CIE732 Advanced Environmental Engineering (3 cr.)
- CIE733 Groundwater Engineering (3 cr.)
Engineering Mechanics
- CIE701 Finite Element Methods (3 cr.)
- CIE704 Case Histories in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering (3 cr.)
- CIE705 Computational Hydraulics (3 cr.)
- CIE706 Structural Dynamics (3 cr.)
- CIE707 Earthquake Engineering (3 cr.)
- CIE708 Applied Elasticity (3 cr.)
- CIE709 Advanced Concrete Design (3 cr.)
- CIE710 Pre-stressed Concrete Design (3 cr.)
- CIE711 Pavement Design (3 cr.)
- CIE712 Design of Hydraulic Structures (3 cr.)
- CIE714 Advanced Structural Analysis for Gravity and Lateral Loads (3cr.)
- CIE716 Advanced Steel: Design and Behavior (3cr.)
Other Courses (12 credits)
Recommended Study Plan
First year
Fall (9 credits)
- CIE— Core Course (3 cr.)
- CIE— Core Course (3 cr.)
- Elective Course (3 cr.)
Spring (9 credits)
- CIE— Core Course (3 cr.)
- SoE/CIE Elective Course* (3 cr.)
- Elective Course (3 cr.)
Second year
Fall (6 credits)
- CIE— Core Course (3 cr.)
- Elective Course (3 cr.)
Spring (6 credits)
- Thesis or 2 Elective Courses (6 cr.)
- Or 1 Elective Course and 1 Project (6 cr.)
*For Infrastructure and Construction Management SoE Elective should be selected from the approved Optimization Area.
