CIVLEG:MS - Master of Science in Civil Engineering
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Admissions Policies for Master of Science Programs
A student seeking admission into the Civil Engineering or the Environmental Engineering graduate program must have a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or related engineering or equivalent from an accredited institution or, in the case of foreign students, an institution recognized in its own country as preparing students for further study at the graduate level. The minimum requirements for admission to the Master programs are:
(1) GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 in either the last 60 credit hours or the overall undergraduate degree, and
(2) A bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or a closely related field from an accredited institution, and
(3) International graduate student applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  A total score of 80 on the iBT TOEFL or 6.5 overall on the IELTS is required, and
(4) Three letters of recommendation or the forms provided by the department, and
(5) A statement of objectives in which, in addition to other information, the intended concentration must be clearly stated, and
(6) A resume including contact information, education and employment history, practical and research experiences (such as projects and publications), skills and other pertinent information.
Students who meet all criteria, except for requirements 1 and 2 above, may be evaluated for conditional admission. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the programs.
Grades earned at an institution with non-traditional grading systems will be given every consideration and applicants will be treated equally as are students from institutions with traditional grading systems.
Application Procedures for Master of Science Programs
A student planning to enroll in the graduate program must complete the following:
(1) Submit an online Graduate Application for Admission to the Graduate Admissions Office.
(2) Have a copy of the official transcripts of all previously earned college or university credits sent from the applicant’s former institution(s) to the Graduate Admissions Office.
(3) Submit three letters of recommendation, statement of objectives, and resume as part of the online Graduate Application for Graduate Admissions Office.
(4) International graduate student applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  A total score of 80 on the iBT TOEFL or 6.5 overall on the IELTS is required.
It should be emphasized that the admission cannot be acted upon until all of the documents and credentials have been received.
Students seeking a waiver to normal admissions standards must contact the departmental main office for filing instructions and deadlines.
Degree Requirements for Master of Science Programs
To be eligible for a Master’s degree a student must:
(1) Satisfy all University requirements for a Master’s degree.
(2) Meet all undergraduate deficiencies, and requirements as specified by the students’ advisory committee.
(3) Complete 30 semester hours of acceptable graduate level courses, including up to 3 credits of an Independent Study course. Supervised Research credits are not counted toward the 30 credit degree requirement.
(4) Optionally, complete an acceptable thesis (minimum six credits) or engineering project (minimum three credits).
(5) Successfully complete the 15 credit core courses defined for the student’s chosen specialty area.
(6) Earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all approved courses in the student’s program of study.
(7) Complete course.
(8) For students who chose the thesis option, they must get approval and written evaluation of the oral defense and written thesis by their thesis committee. The committee should have, at a minimum, three graduate faculty members, and each member must complete and sign the student evaluation.
(9) For students who chose the engineering project option, they must get approval and written evaluation of the oral defense and written engineering project by their project committee. The committee should have, at a minimum, three graduate faculty members, and each member must complete and sign the student evaluation.
(10) For students who chose the non-thesis and non-engineering project (all-course) option, they must present a 5-page written report (in the format of a journal article) and an oral presentation (in course) of a selected topic that demonstrates substantial professional engineering knowledge and experience. The written report and oral presentation must be evaluated and the student evaluation forms must be completed and signed by two departmental graduate faculty members, at a minimum, and then used by the course instructor to issue a P/F grade. The seminar will be scheduled and will be announced to students and faculty at least one week in advance in the last semester of the student’s program.
Core Courses
In order to master real-life engineering problems, engineers need to have an education with core knowledge and related skills in their selected concentration. Upon enrollment, students must choose a degree program and concentration (for MS in Civil Engineering students) and satisfy the 15 credits of core course requirements as defined below in each concentration.  A proposed program of study shall be developed by a student’s academic advisor together with the student and approved by the Graduate Program Director. All MS in Civil Engineering students are strongly encouraged to take the Research Methods for Civil Engineers course - especially those who are pursuing the thesis option. Students are also required to register for course at least once and are encouraged to take it each Fall and Spring.
Independent Study Course
A student may take up to a total of three credits of independent study, which will be letter graded. If a student needs a course that will not be offered during the student's course of study, special topics courses should be set up to meet the student's needs. There will be no limit on the number of special topics courses provided that the core course requirements are satisfied.
Grades and Credits
No course in which a grade below a ‘C’ is earned may be counted toward a Master of Science degree.
Transfer Credit
The student may receive permission to transfer up to a maximum of six credit hours of graduate credit earned from another institution or up to 12 credit hours of graduate credit earned as a non-degree seeking students at FIU after admitted into one of the graduate programs in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Such credits are transferable provided that: (1) the course(s) were taken at the graduate level at an accredited college or university; (2) grade(s) of ‘B’ or higher were earned for the courses; (3) the course(s) are judged relevant by the student’s advisory committee; (4) the credits were not used toward another degree; and (5) the credit(s) were completed within six years immediately preceding the awarding of the degree.
Credits are not transferable until the student has earned 12 credit hours in the graduate programs in the Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering.
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Students pursuing a M.S. in Civil Engineering must choose one of the following five concentrations and complete a minimum of 15 core course credits, which focus on the knowledge and applications within the selected concentration:
--Water Resources Engineering
--Structural Engineering
--Construction Engineering
--Geotechnical Engineering
--Transportation Engineering
Water Resources Engineering
This field involves the analysis of qualitative and quantitative water issues and the search for integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to problems in the surface, groundwater, and atmospheric water environments.
Students pursuing a M.S. in Civil Engineering with concentration in Water Resources Engineering will follow a program of study that includes 15 credit hours of core civil engineering coursework emphasizing advanced knowledge and applications in either hydrology, hydraulics or hydrosystems or their combination thereof. The students will also complete a three credit-hour independent study to enrich the area of sought expertise.
Take one course (3 credits) among the following background courses:
Take one among the following applied courses:
Students are required to take course once and are strongly encouraged to attend it while registering in the program. Students may also include up to six credit hours from other civil engineering areas or related disciplines, as long as the subjects relevantly add to the student’s water resources engineering knowledge.
Structural Engineering
Students pursuing a M.S. in Civil Engineering with concentration in Structural Engineering will take at least twelve (12) credit hours of elective courses in structural engineering relevant to their track. A maximum of six (6) credits taken outside of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department to enhance knowledge from related disciplines can be applied, upon approval of the academic advisor (or major professor), to graduation requirements. Furthermore, it is advisable that students gain some expertise in numerical methods.
Students in the Structural Engineering track are required to take at least six (6) credit hours of core course work as follows:
Construction Engineering
Students pursuing a M.S. in Civil Engineering with concentration in Construction Engineering will follow a program of study that includes at least fifteen (15) credit hours of civil engineering coursework that focuses on knowledge and applications within Construction Engineering of civil and environmental engineering infrastructure. The students will also complete a three (3) credit hour independent study to enrich their graduate experience. Furthermore, it is advisable that students gain expertise in state-of-the-art computational methods in construction engineering.
Students in the Construction Engineering concentration are required to take at least six (6) credit hours of the required 15 credit core course work from the following:
Geotechnical Engineering
Students pursuing a M.S. in Civil Engineering with concentration in Geotechnical Engineering will follow a program of study that includes at least fifteen (15) credit hours of civil engineering coursework that focuses on knowledge and applications to the Geotechnical Engineering of civil and environmental engineering infrastructure. The students will also complete a three (3) credit hour independent study to enrich their graduate experience. Furthermore, it is advisable that students gain expertise in state-of-the-art computational methods in construction engineering.
Students in the Geotechnical Engineering track are required to take at least six (6) credit hours of core course work from the following:
Transportation Engineering
Transportation engineering is concerned with the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of the transportation infrastructure and systems.
A student who chooses to specialize in transportation engineering must complete a minimum of 15 credits in the core courses from the list below:
Students are also required to register for the zero-credit course and are encouraged to participate in it each semester.
There are no majors associated with this program.
Admissions Requirements for the Combined Bachelor of Science (BS) in Civil Engineering to Master of Science (MS) in Civil Engineering Accelerated Degree Pathway
Students who pursue a BS degree in Civil Engineering and have completed 75 credits and have at least a 3.3 GPA in either the last 60 credit hours or the overall courses may apply to enroll in the combined BS/MS pathway in Civil Engineering upon recommendation from three CEE faculty members. In addition to the admission requirements of the combined BS/MS pathway, students must meet all the admission requirements of both the department and the University Graduate School. Students need only apply once to the combined degree pathway; the application is submitted to Graduate Admissions typically before the student starts the last 30 credits of the bachelor’s degree program.
Students interested in the pathway should consult with the Undergraduate Advisor on their eligibility for the pathway. The students should also meet the Graduate Program Director to learn about the graduate program and available courses before completing the application form and submitting it to the Undergraduate Advisor. Applicants will be notified by the department and the University Graduate School of the decision on their applications.
Other Curricular Offering: Combined BS in Civil Engineering to MS in Civil Engineering Accelerated Degree Pathway
A student admitted to the combined degree pathway will be considered to have undergraduate status until the student applies for graduation from their bachelor’s degree program. Upon conferral of the bachelor’s degree, the student will be granted graduate status and be eligible for graduate assistantships.
Students enrolled in the pathway may count up to nine credit hours of CEE graduate courses as credits for both the BS and MS degrees. The combined BS/MS pathway has been designed to be a continuous enrollment pathway. However, upon completion of all the requirements of the undergraduate program, students will receive their BS degrees. Students in this pathway have up to one year to complete the master’s degree after receipt of the bachelor’s degree. Students who fail to meet this one year post BS requirement or who elect to leave the combined pathway at any time and earn only the BS degree will have the same access requirements to regular graduate programs as any other student, but will not be able to use the nine credits in both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
For each of the graduate courses counted as credits for both BS and MS degree, a minimum grade of B is required. All double counted courses must be at 5000 level or higher. Students enrolled in the pathway may count up to nine credit hours of CEE graduate courses toward the elective engineering BS requirements as well as toward the MS degree. Only graduate courses with formal lectures can be counted for both degrees. The students are responsible for confirming the eligibility of each course with the Undergraduate Advisor.
Undergraduate students enrolled in the pathway are encouraged to seek employment with a department faculty to work as student assistants on sponsored research projects. The students will be eligible for graduate assistantships upon full admission into the graduate school.