Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Overview

The M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering program imparts sound professional and academic training in civil engineering, giving students access to a variety of courses in their area of emphasis as well as the opportunity to conduct research, thus combining the theoretical and 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 in order to solve practical engineering problems. The program provides in-depth experience within one or more particular fields of civil engineering while exposing student to cross-disciplinary issues and topics that affect the engineering and management of systems.

The student completes the program with a thesis based on a research topic selected from one of the following emphasis areas:

Construction Engineering and Management
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Structural Engineering
Transportation Engineering

Mission

The mission of the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering program at LAU is to provide students with a well-rounded set of career skills, empowering 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 present-day professional practice in their chosen field of study, and prepare them to adapt to a changing profession, and
train students in an active research environment, equip them with the latest tools of research, and 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:

reinforce skills developed in the undergraduate program,
use advanced analytical, computational, and/or experimental aspects of civil engineering,
make critical judgments based on a sound knowledge base, and
conduct research and appreciate its importance in the evolution of civil engineering.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for admissions to the program must hold a degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering or Bachelor of Engineering, from a recognized university. A minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA), on a 4.0 scale, of 2.75 and a minimum Major GPA of 2.75, or their equivalent, is required.

Bachelor of Science in Engineering holders, from a 120-credit program, must complete an additional 12 credits of engineering courses prior to their enrollment in the Masters program. No credit toward the graduate degree is given for these courses.

Non-LAU applicants must submit, as part of their application package, the quantitative reasoning and analytical writing scores for the GRE general exam. GRE subject exams are not required for all applicants. GRE test scores must be recent, less than 5 years old.

Two letters of recommendation are required, with at least one letter completed by a full-time faculty who is familiar with the applicant’s academic performance in coursework and research.

Curriculum

Graduation requires the completion of 30 credits, divided into 24 credits of coursework and a 6-credit thesis. The coursework is distributed as follows:

a minimum of 12 credits of coursework in the emphasis area
a maximum of 6 credits of elective coursework from the list of graduate courses offered in Civil Engineering or in the School of Engineering
a required 3-credit course GNE798 Research Methods for Engineers

Two core courses are required in every emphasis area. Only one elective course can be selected from outside the School of Engineering based on the specific need for the student to take a course in a relevant field to the thesis work.

All courses in the student study plan must be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor and approved by the Chairperson of the Department. Availability of courses in a specific emphasis area is contingent on adequate enrollment in that specific course/area.

Students must complete a minimum of one academic year of full-time graduate level study, or its equivalent in part-time study.

Transfer of Credits

Students with a Bachelor of Engineering may transfer up to 18 credits from their undergraduate program, provided that the transferred credits correspond to graduate courses in the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and the student has attained a minimum grade of “B” in each of the courses to be transferred. Credit transfer is governed by the Academic Rules and Procedures for graduate programs.