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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering

The Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering is designed to provide civil engineering professionals with the opportunity to prepare for careers concerned with the critical problems of a multifaceted society. Civil engineering education and research activities focus on projects that are typically large and costly, with potentially profound environmental, social, and financial impacts.

Both a thesis option and a nonthesis option are available. The thesis option is intended to be a research-oriented option for students looking to gain research experience in their field of specialization and possibly go on to a doctoral program. The nonthesis option is intended to be a professionally oriented option for students looking to practice the engineering profession at an advanced level. Areas of study or specialization could include environmental engineering, geo-environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, and water resources engineering.

Program Admission Requirements. In addition to the University-wide graduate admission requirements for unconditional admission, applicants must satisfy the following, and admission decisions will be based on the following criteria:

  • a satisfactory score, as specified by the Graduate Program Committee for Civil Engineering, on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE),
  • an undergraduate degree in civil engineering or a closely related field from an accredited institution of higher education, or proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution,
  • a statement of research/specialization interest, and
  • a favorable recommendation by the Master of Science in Civil Engineering Admissions Committee.

A student who does not qualify for unconditional admission may be admitted on a conditional basis as determined by the Master of Science in Civil Engineering Admissions Committee.

Degree Requirements. The minimum number of semester credit hours required for the degree, in addition to any conditional course requirements, is 34 semester credit hours for the nonthesis option and 30 semester credit hours for the thesis option. At least 24 semester credit hours must be taken at UTSA. Each candidate is required to pass either a comprehensive examination and/or a thesis defense administered by his or her advisory committee, which is chaired by a full-time graduate faculty member.

Thesis Option
Hours
Degree Core Courses (Substitutions must be approved by the student’s advisory committee)
CE 5143 Numerical Methods in Civil Engineering
CE 6813 Applied Statistics and Decision Analysis in Civil Engineering
6

Electives chosen from courses offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering*

18

CE 6983 Thesis and thesis defense (includes a presentation)

6
   
Total semester credit hours required 30

 

Nonthesis Option
Hours

Degree Core Courses (Substitutions must be approved by the student’s advisory committee)

CE 5143 Numerical Methods in Civil Engineering
CE 6813 Applied Statistics and Decision Analysis in Civil Engineering
6
Electives chosen from courses offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering* 24

CE 5973 Special Project

3

CE 6961 Comprehensive Examination

 1
   
Total semester credit hours required 34

*Chosen with the approval of the Civil Engineering Graduate Program Committee.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Environmental Science and Engineering

The Institute for Research in Water and Environmental Resources offers the opportunity for advanced study and research leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Environmental Science and Engineering. The degree program encompasses two colleges, the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering, and two departments, the Department of Earth and Environmental Science and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, which share responsibilities in providing classes, research, and facilities for the program. Areas of research emphasis include water resources, environmental quality, environmental remediation, pollution control, conservation ecology, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and natural hazards. The Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering is awarded to candidates who display an in-depth understanding of the subject matter and demonstrate the ability to make an original contribution to knowledge in their field of specialty.

The regulations for this degree comply with the general University regulations (refer to Chapter 3, General Academic Regulations, and Chapter 6, Doctoral Degree Regulations).

Admission Requirements. In addition to satisfying the University-wide graduate admission requirements, all prospective students must have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree from an accredited university, and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in upper-division and graduate work. The degree should be in biology, ecology, environmental science, chemistry, geology, geography, engineering, or other related scientific discipline. Applicants with only a Bachelor of Science degree may apply to the program and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants whose native language is not English must score at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL; paper version). Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic potential, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, a letter of research interest, and résumé/CV by the applicant are required and should be sent to the Doctoral Studies Committee Chair. Incomplete applications will not be considered until all required items are in an applicant’s file. The Doctoral Studies Committee, comprised of members selected from the graduate faculty from both departments, will be responsible for recommending acceptance into the program and will take the lead in advising students initially. Some teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or research fellowships are available, but require a separate application.

Degree Requirements. The Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering will require students to complete a minimum of 60 semester credit hours beyond the master’s degree. This coursework will include courses that have been designed to provide advanced instruction in areas considered to form the foundation for the disciplines of environmental science and engineering. Enrollment in the Graduate Seminar is required for a minimum of 6 semester credit hours. A minimum of 15 semester credit hours of Doctoral Research and 15 semester credit hours minimum of Doctoral Dissertation must be completed and applied for graduation. Any grade lower than “B” in a graduate course or in remedial coursework at the undergraduate level will not count toward the 60 semester credit hours. Students can apply, with approval from their Chair Advisor, up to 12 semester credit hours of graduate coursework to elective courses (see below), if not applied toward their M.S. degree.

Students with only a baccalaureate degree are required to have a minimum of 75 semester credit hours to graduate with approval of the Doctoral Studies Committee.

Program of Study

  1. Core Curriculum (9 semester credit hours required):

    CE 6113 Global Change
    or
    EES 5043 Global Change

    CE 6273 Analyses of Environmental Problems
    or
    EES 6273 Analyses of Environmental Problems

    Choose a minimum of one of the following:

    CE 5813 Risk and Decision Analysis in Civil Engineering
    EES 5233 Experimental Design and Analysis

    CE 6033 Multivariate Analysis in Environmental Science and Engineering
    or
    EES 6033 Multivariate Analysis in Environmental Science and Engineering

  2. Seminars (minimum 3 semester credit hours):

    CE 6221 Graduate Seminar in Environmental Science and Engineering
    or
    EES 5981 Graduate Seminar in Environmental Science and Engineering

  3. Doctoral Research and Dissertation (minimum 30 semester credit hours):

    CE 7211-3 Doctoral Research (15 hours minimum)
    CE 7311-3 Doctoral Dissertation (15 hours minimum)

    OR

    EES 7211-3 Doctoral Research (15 hours minimum)
    EES 7311-3 Doctoral Dissertation (15 hours minimum)

  4. Electives (18 semester credit hours are required):

    The 18 semester credit hours of electives that are required will be determined by the student in conjunction with their Chair Advisor and must be approved by the student’s Examination Committee. The elective hours may come from classes from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Earth and Environmental Science, Mathematics, Management Science and Statistics, or other appropriate areas.

Approved course offerings and descriptions are listed both in the College of Sciences, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, and in the College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Dissertation Committee. Students must choose a Dissertation Committee that consists of five graduate faculty members, including their Chair Advisor, and a minimum of one graduate faculty member from each department. Students must submit the names of the Dissertation Committee to the Doctoral Studies Committee Chair by the end of the second semester.

Advancement to Candidacy. Students must complete the core curriculum required courses before attempting written qualifying examinations. The student must submit in writing his or her request to take the examination to the Doctoral Studies Committee Chair by the fourth week of the semester the student wants to attempt the written examinations. The written qualifying examinations will cover core coursework and elective coursework taken that emphasize the student’s research focus, and should be designed to provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of environmental science and engineering. The Examination Committee chosen by the student will decide how many written examinations to administer with a minimum of three, with at least one from each of the CE and EES departments, to a maximum of five. The Examination Committee will evaluate the examinations administered to the student and notify the student of the results. Upon successful completion of the written examinations, the oral qualifying examination portion can be scheduled. No more than two attempts to pass the written examinations are permitted.

Students must take the oral qualifying examination within one semester after passing the written qualifying examinations. Students should notify the Doctoral Studies Committee Chair in writing three weeks before the oral examination is scheduled.

The oral qualifying examination is a research proposal defense. The research proposal defense consists of the student’s dissertation topic, the experimental approach, the research novelty, and the potential contribution to his or her scientific field. The student’s Chair Advisor will approve the student’s research proposal before scheduling the oral examination. No more than two attempts to pass the oral examination are permitted.

Results of the written and oral examinations must be reported to the Doctoral Studies Committee Chair and the Dean of the Graduate School. Admission into the Doctoral program does not guarantee advancement to candidacy. After advancement to candidacy, the student may keep their Dissertation Committee as is or may change the members of the Dissertation Committee at this time.

Dissertation. Candidates must demonstrate their ability to conduct independent research by completing and defending an original dissertation. The Dissertation Committee guides and critiques the candidate’s research. The format of the dissertation document will follow the guidelines and rules published by the Graduate School and general University regulations in Chapter 6, Doctoral Degree Regulations.

Final Oral Dissertation Defense. The student must notify the Graduate School in writing two weeks prior to the final scheduled oral defense. The final oral defense consists of public presentation of the dissertation, followed by a closed oral defense. Results of the oral defense must be reported to the Dean of the Graduate School. Awarding of the degree is based on the approval of the Dissertation Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School certifies the completion of all University-wide requirements.

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