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Civil Engineering Graduate Degree Program
DEGREES GRANTED:
Master of Engineering (M.Engr.)
Doctorate of Engineering (Civil Engineering Track)
Combined Degree
The Department of Civil Engineering offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Engineering degree and the Master of Science degree. The Master of Engineering degree permits specialization in the following options: soils-structures engineering, environmental engineering, water resources engineering, and general civil engineering. The Master of Engineering degree program is designed to provide an opportunity for engineers to achieve formal education beyond the Baccalaureate level with a strong and directed emphasis toward the practice of engineering. The focus of the program is on the development of competency in the area of engineering design. The goal of the program is development of the student as a practitioner capable of systematically solving complex problems of society within his or her field.
The Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering prepares students for careers in research, practice and further studies toward a Ph.D. degree in a speciality area in civil engineering. The M.S. degree is typically completed in 18-24 months of full-time study for students holding a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from an accredited school. The M.S. degree requires independent research for a thesis in the student's area of interest. The faculty research interests are in the broad areas of environmental, geotechnical, pavements, structural engineeirng and mechanics, and water resources engineering. Graduate students are encouraged to explore various topics for their M.S. theses depending on the mutual interest between them and the faculty.
The Department offers a combined Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering/Master of Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering/Master of Science degree programs. The intention of the combined program is to allow qualified students to complete requirements for both a baccalaureate degree and a master’s degree in 12-18 months beyond the time required to complete the baccalaureate degree. See Combined Degree Program under the School of Engineering and Mines section for additional details.
The Department of Civil Engineering also participates in an interdisciplinary Ph.D. Engineering Program. See Ph.D. Program under the School of Engineering and Mines section or contact the Civil Engineering Department.
Details pertaining to admission requirements, degree requirements and courses offered can be found on pages 335-336 of the 2011-2013 UND Academic Catalog.
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Mission Statement and Program Goals
The mission of the Master of Science program in Civil Engineering is to prepare students for careers in private and public practice of civil engineering and for advanced study in the field of civil engineering. The major emphasis of the program is to foster a deeper understanding of the engineering research process. Students in the program usually specialize in environmental engineering, structural engineering, water resources engineering, or pavement materials engineering.
Goal 1: Students will build on knowledge gained in their undergraduate program of study to achieve a fuller understanding of civil engineering and the engineering research process.
Goal 2: Students will perform a detailed research project in a specific focus area related to civil engineering.
Goal 3: Graduates will be prepared for a career in private or public practice in civil engineering and related fields and for further advanced study in the field of civil engineering.
Admission Requirements
1. Minimum general admission requirements in the Admission section of the Graduate catalog.
2. A baccalaureate degree in engineering or science from a recognized college or university.
3. Graduate Record Examination scores on the General Test will be required for those holding undergraduate degrees from other than ABET-accredited programs.
4. A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.75 for all undergraduate work or a GPA of at least 3.0 for the junior and senior years of undergraduate work (based on A = 4.00).
5. A minimum TOEFL Score of 550 on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based test, or for the Internetbased TOEFL, a composite score of 79, with minimum scores of 21/30 (Speaking*); 19/30 (Listening); 19/30 (Reading); and 17/30 (Writing) for applicants whose native language is not English. Applicants may also meet language requirements by presenting IETLS scores of 6.5. *Applicants being considered for Graduate Teaching Assistantships must achieve these minimum TOEFL scores, but have a minimum score of 26/30 on the Speaking subtest.
6. Students who have received a bachelor’s degree or higher from the United States or English-speaking Canada are not required to submit the TOEFL.
Degree Requirements
Students seeking the Master of Science degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the Graduate School as well as particular requirements set forth by the Civil Engineering Department. Degree requirements will be those listed by the Graduate School for the M.S. degree, both for the thesis option and the non-thesis option. There are no specific departmental degree requirements beyond those listed in the graduate catalog for the M.S. degree.
Thesis Option:
1. A minimum of 30 semester credits in a major field, including the credits granted for the thesis and the research leading to the thesis.
2. At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500- level.
3. A maximum of one-fourth (usually 8-9 semester credits) of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
4. The program may include just the major, the major and a minor, or the major and a cognate area. The major must include 20 credits from the major department, and a minor or cognate area must include at least nine credits.
5. Preparation of a written thesis approved by the faculty advisor committee (998 Thesis, 4-9 credits).
6. Comprehensive final examination.
Non-Thesis Option:
1. Thirty-two (32) credits including credits required for the major.
2. A minimum of two credits of Independent Study 3. At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500- level.
4. A maximum of one-fourth (usually 8-9 semester credits) of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
5. Preparation of a written independent study report approved by the faculty advisor (997, 2 credits).
6. Comprehensive final examination.
MASTER OF ENGINEERING
Mission Statement and Program Goals
The mission of the Master of Engineering program in Civil Engineering is to prepare students for careers in private and public practice of civil engineering and related fields. The major emphasis of the program is to foster a deeper understanding of the engineering design process. The program has four main options. These are soils-structures engineering, environmental engineering, water resources engineering, and general civil engineering.
Goal 1: Students will build on knowledge gained in their undergraduate program of study to achieve a fuller understanding of civil engineering and the engineering design process.
Goal 2: Students will perform a detailed design project in a specific focus area related to civil engineering.
Goal 3: Graduates will be prepared for a career in private or public practice in civil engineering and related fields.
Admission Requirements
The applicant must meet the Graduate School's current minimum general admission requirements as published in the Graduate Catalog.
1. Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from an ABET accredited or equivalent program.
2. Graduate Record Examination General Test for applicants from non-ABET accredited programs.
3. A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.5 for all undergraduate work or a GPA of at least 3.0 for the junior and senior years of undergraduate work (based on A = 4.00).
4. Satisfy the Graduate School's English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the Graduate Catalog.
Degree Requirements
Students seeking the Master of Engineering degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the Graduate School as well as particular requirements set forth by the Civil Engineering Department.
1. A minimum of 30 semester credits in a major option, including the credits granted for the design project and the research leading to the design project..
2. At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500-level.
3. A maximum of one-fourth of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
4. Preparation of a written design project approved by the faculty advisor.
5. Comprehensive final examination.
6. Required Courses:
Soils-Structures Option:
Course Number Course Title Credits
CE 501 ............. Mechanics of Materials II ....................................... 3
CE 502 ............. Structural Stability ............................................... 3
ME 529 ............. Advanced Finite Elements Methods .......................... 3
CE 595 ............. Design Project ..................................................... 6
Electives .................................................................................... 15
Environmental Option:
Course Number Course Title Credits
CE 531 ............. Environmental Engineering III ................................. 3
CE 532 ............. Environmental Engineering IV ................................. 3
CE 533 ............. Industrial Wastes ................................................ 3
OR
CE 535 ............. Hazardous Waste Management .............................. 3
CE 595 ............. Design Project .................................................... 6
Electives ................................................................................... 15
Water Resources Option:
Course Number Course Title Credits
CE 523 ............. Applied Hydraulics .............................................. 3
CE 524 ............. Open Channel Hydraulics ...................................... 3
CE 525 ............. Surface Hydrology .............................................. 3
OR
GEOL 417 ......... Hydrogeology ...................................................... 3
CE 595 ............. Design Project .................................................... 6
Electives ................................................................................... 15
General Civil Engineering Option:
Course Number Course Title Credits
CE 501 ............ Mechanics of Materials II ...................................... 3
CE 523 ............ Applied Hydraulics ............................................... 3
CE 531 ............ Environmental Engineering III ................................. 3
CE 595 ............ Design Project ..................................................... 6
Electives ................................................................................... 15
Combined Degree
To encourage undergraduate engineering students to extend their studies to include a graduate degree,the School of Engineering and Mines has a combined program that permits students to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree in an engineering discipline. This program allows students to designate two three-credit graduate coursese to count for both degrees. The selected courses must have a graduate course standing and be designated when a student requests admission to the program.
Students may be admitted to the Civil Engineering Combined Degree program after the completion of
95 credit hours toward the bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 and before completition of the bachelor's degree. The student is admitted to the Graduate School on completion of 125 credit hours for the bachelor's degree.
Course offerings vary, by semester, based on student demand and instructor loads.
Civil Engineering (CE) Courses
CE 501. Mechanics of Materials II. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Engr 203. Analysis of stress and strain, theories of failure, inelastic material behavior, energy methods, torsion of noncircular and thin-walled sections, unsymmetrical bending, shear center, curved beams.
CE 502. Structural Stability. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Engr 203. Stability of columns, beam-columns and frames, inelastic buckling, critical loads by the energy method, torsional buckling.
CE 503. Structural Dynamics. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Engr 202 and Engr 203. Single degree and multi-degree of freedom structures, continuous systems, earthquake response of linear elastic buildings, structural dynamics in building codes, base isolation.
CE 523. Applied Hydraulics. 3 credits repeatable to 9 (when topics vary). Prerequisite: CE 423. Study of advanced topics in hydraulics. Computer applications. Content will vary.
CE 524. Open Channel Hydraulics. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CE 423. Study of advanced topics in open channel hydraulics. Computer applications.
CE 525. Surface Hydrology. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CE 421. Extreme rainfalls and flood frequency analysis, regionalization; runoff generations, routings, and basin modeling; urban storm water design; GIS and remote sensing applications in hydrology; recent techniques and development in surface hydrology.
CE 531. Environmental Engineering III. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CE 431. Unit Operation and process design for water and wastewater treatment; physical, chemical, and biological systems; plant design project, computer-assigned design analysis. Content emphasis will vary.
CE 532. Environmental Engineering IV. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CE 431. Advanced theory and special methods in municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment including treatment plant control, equipment studies, nutrient removal, tertiary treatment and toxic pollutants control. Content emphasis will vary.
CE 533. Industrial Wastes. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CE 431. Industrial processes and waste characterization, regulatory law, specialized treatment systems, hazardous wastes, economic analysis; plant tours of potato, sugar, meat, dairy, paper and pulp products and metal plating industries.
CE 535. Hazardous Waste Management. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CE 306 and Chem 121. Regulations, generation, storage, transportation, disposal, classification, fate and transport of contaminants, environmental audits, pollution prevention and management facilities, remediation alternatives, physical-chemical treatment, bioremediation, stabilization/solidification, thermal processes.
CE 551. Plate and Slab Structures. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Engr 203 and CE 351. Classical plate bending theory, rectangular and circular plates, slab analysis by energy and numerical methods, anisotropic plates, large deflection theory, buckling of thin plates.
CE 552. Thin Shell Structures. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Engr 203 and CE 351. Differential geometry of shell theory, membrane and bending theories of shells, shells of revolution, stress analysis of domes, pressure vessels, and storage tanks, numerical methods, buckling of shells.
CE 555. Prestressed Concrete-Analysis and Design. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CE 453. Materials and methods of prestressing, loss of prestress, flexural design by serviceload and ultimate-strength methods, anchorage zone stresses, shear and torsion design.
CE 556. Numerical and Matrix Methods of Structural Analysis. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CE 351. Methods of successive approximations and numerical procedures for solution of complex structural problems, matrix formulation of structural problems, flexibility and stiffness methods of analysis.
CE 590. Special Topics. Credit arranged. Prerequisite: Department approval. Investigation of special topics dictated by student and faculty interests. May be repeated up to a total of 6 credits.
CE 591. Civil Engineering Research. Credit arranged. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 credits.
CE 595. Design Project. 3 to 6 credits. Prerequisite: Restricted to the Master of Engineering student candidate and subject to approval by the student’s advisor. A three to six credit course of engineering design experience involving individual effort and formal written report. S/U grading only.
CE 997. Independent Study. 2 credits.
ENGR 998. Thesis. 1 to 9 credits. Development and documentation of scholarly activity demonstrating proficiency in Civil Engineering at the master’s level. S/U grading only.
CE 434. Environmental Engineering Lab. 4 credits.
