Course Requirements
A minimum of 31 graduate credits is required for the M.S. degree. Of these credits no more than nine can be outside of the department, no more than six may be transferred from outside of the university, no more than six credits of Independent Study (CE-ENGIN 696) may be counted toward the degree, and at least 12 credits must be earned in 600- to 800-level courses (six credits of project or thesis may be applied to this requirement). Requirements for specific courses vary among programs. The Transportation Engineering Program requires CE-ENGIN 509, 511, 516, and 695. The Geotechnical Engineering Program typically requires CE-ENGIN 620, 622, 623 and a geosciences elective. The Structures Program requires CE-ENGIN 536, 541, 542, 549, 605, and 630. Course requirements for the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Program are the same as those for the M.S. in Environmental Engineering and are detailed elsewhere in this Bulletin under the corresponding heading. EWRE, Structural, Transportation, and Geotechnical Engineering programs also require one credit of seminar.

Thesis/Project Option
Students electing the Thesis/Project option do either a thesis or a project under the guidance of a thesis/project committee chaired by the adviser. The thesis or project committee administers the student’s General Examination which consists of material presented in the thesis or project report and general knowledge in the student’s area of specialization.

Course Work-Only Option
All programs in the department (EWRE, Geotechnical, Structural, and Transportation) offer a Course Work-Only option for the M.S. degree. The Course Work-Only option stresses advanced coursework and is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree in engineering who are interested in careers in practice, including consulting engineering firms, government agencies, industries, and water or wastewater utilities or authorities. The Course Work-Only option is a fast-paced program that allows students to complete their degree requirements in nine months, but must be initiated in the Fall semester, and is limited to those students who are providing their own financial support. The requirements of the EWRE Program are the same as those for the M.S. in Environmental Engineering and are listed elsewhere in this Bulletin under the corresponding heading. For the Geotechnical Engineering Program, students must take a minimum of four Geotechnical Engineering graduate-level courses, 694 (seminar), a geosciences elective, plus four approved graduate-level elective courses. For the Structural Engineering Program, students must take: CE-ENGIN 536, 541, 542, 549, 605, and 630 in addition to four elective courses. Equivalent graduate courses may be substituted upon approval of adviser. For the Transportation Engineering Program, students must take: CE-ENGIN 509, 511, 516, 695 (seminar) along with four approved elective courses chosen among graduate-level transportation courses.

More information on the requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering is available from the website: cee.umass.edu/cee/graduate/, email address: ozdarski@ecs.umass.edu.