Degree Requirements

The program leading to the Master of Science in Civil Engineering focuses on civil engineering in the coastal environment and allows for specialization in several possible civil engineering sub-disciplines: Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, or Water Resources/Coastal Engineering. Program admission and MS Degree requirements, as well as plan of study options (thesis or coursework options), are described under the College of Engineering section of this Bulletin. Many graduate courses in Civil Engineering are offered in late afternoon, early evening, or online to accommodate practicing engineers – see the detailed degree requirements.

Admission to The MSCE Program

1. Regular Admission requirements:
   1. A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in a relevant field.
   2. A grade-point average of 3.0 or greater (A=4.0) on all undergraduate work.
   3. Verification of registration by examination as a Professional Engineer (P.E.) can be substituted for the GPA requirement.
   4. For international students whose native language is not English, at least one of the following minimum scores:
      • Internet-based TOEFL score 71 or higher, or
      • IELTS band 6.5 or higher, or
      • Duolingo minimum score 100, or
      • ITEP minimum score 3.7, or
      • Pearson Academic minimum score 48.
2. Provisional Admission requirements
   1. A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or in a field acceptable to the department is required. Depending on the student’s background, additional undergraduate preparatory courses may be required. These courses will not count toward the Master’s degree.
   2. A minimum grade-point average of 2.5 (A=4.0) on all undergraduate work.
   3. For international students whose native language is not English, at least one of the following minimum scores:
      • Internet-based TOEFL score 71 or higher, or
      • IELTS band 6.5 or higher, or
      • Duolingo minimum score 100, or
      • ITEP minimum score 3.7, or
      • Pearson Academic minimum score 48.

Although official scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) are not required, students are often required to present GRE scores to be eligible for assistantships or fellowships.

Admission may be granted in special cases where a holistic evaluation of the applicant’s credentials is appropriate.

The minimum credit hour requirements for the different options for the MSCE degree are:

• Thesis Option: 30 credit hours
• Course Option: 30 credit hours

Graduation Plan

(30 Total Hours)

Thesis Option

Course Option