Civil and Environmental Engineering

Graduate Degree Programs

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers graduate work leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, in Environmental Engineering in Civil Engineering, and in Environmental Science in Civil Engineering. The department also offers two joint degree programs: (1) the Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Civil Engineering (Construction Management); and (2) the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (Construction Management) and Master of Business Administration.

Admission

Students are admitted with full standing if they hold undergraduate degrees substantially equivalent to those of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, provided the applicant’s preparation is appropriate to advanced study in his or her chosen major field. Applications are considered for both spring and fall admissions. For additional information, see the departmental Web site. In general, a 3.0 grade point average (A = 4.0) for the last 60 hours of the undergraduate program and for any previous graduate work is a minimum requirement for admission to the M.S. program. Requirements for admission to the Ph.D. program are variable, but are usually substantially higher. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. In accordance with the rules stated on the international application, a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 on the paper-based test (213 on the computer-based test) is required.

Master of Science

A master’s program may be completed in one full-time academic year of study. Candidates for the master’s degree must complete at least 36 graduate hours without a thesis or 32 graduate hours with a thesis. In the latter case, credit is given for thesis work. Twelve of the graduate hours must be in courses numbered in the 500 series, and 8 of these 12 must be taken for grades in the major field. A total of at least 16 graduate hours must be in the major field. Individual programs are developed by the students in consultation with their academic advisers. At least half of the minimum units required for the degree must be in courses meeting on the Urbana-Champaign campus or in courses meeting in other locations approved by the Graduate College for residence credit for the degree sought. Although under certain conditions students holding a half-time assistantship for an academic year and a summer can obtain a master’s degree in this period of time, usually they require an additional semester. There are no foreign language requirements in the M.S. program. The joint degree program with architecture requires a total of 78 graduate hours (Architecture Track II), 70 graduate hours (Architecture Track III), or 64 graduate hours (Architecture Track I). The joint degree program with business administration requires a total of 92 graduate hours of coursework.

Doctor of Philosophy

The degree of doctor of philosophy, primarily a research degree, requires from three to five years of graduate study beyond the bachelor’s degree. A minimum of 96 graduate hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or 64 graduate hours beyond the master’s degree is required. In accordance with Graduate College regulations, 64 graduate hours must be completed in residence. The major area of specialization encompasses courses and research that are closely related, but the courses need not be offered by a single major department. There is no department-wide foreign language requirement. However, the faculties of some areas of specialization may require foreign language proficiency if essential to the conduct of research in that area. Candidates must demonstrate a capacity for independent research by preparing an original thesis on a topic within the major field of study, must meet the qualifying requirements or examination in the area of specialization, and must pass both preliminary and final examinations.

Research Interests

Areas of study and research include air quality; aquatic biology and ecology; computer-aided engineering systems (artificial intelligence, expert systems, and neural networks); construction engineering and management; earthquake engineering; engineering systems analysis; geotechnical engineering (rock mechanics, soil mechanics, and foundation engineering); hazardous-waste management; hydrosystems engineering (hydrology, water resources, and hydraulic engineering); materials engineering; nondestructive diagnostics; ocean engineering; photogrammetry and computer vision metrology; railway engineering; solid-waste management; stochastic structural dynamics and random vibrations; structures (analysis, design, and behavior; structural and computational mechanics; traffic engineering); transportation (planning, systems design, and operations); and water quality and treatment.

Research Facilities

The Advanced Transportation Research and Engineering Laboratory (ATREL), funded largely by the Illinois Department of Transportation, is located 15 miles north of the main campus. It contains 56,000 square feet of modern classroom, office, and laboratory space on 56 acres, and is home to the Center of Excellence for Airport Pavement Research. Faculty and graduate students conduct research in the mechanics of airport pavement design for the next generation of large commercial aircraft. The Advanced Cements-Based Materials Center (an NSF Science and Technology Center) is dedicated to interdisciplinary research and graduate education in cement-based materials. The PVC Geomembrane Institute Technology Program’s main objectives include conducting research and disseminating technical information about PVC geomembranes and answering technical questions regarding PVC. The Mid-America Earthquake Center’s principal long-term goal is to reduce potential losses resulting from future earthquakes through improved evaluation of seismic hazards and development of cost-effective retrofit strategies.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available in the form of fellowships, research and teaching assistantships, and tuition and partial fee waivers.