Civil and Environmental Engineering

(Including Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering in Civil Engineering, and Environmental Science in Civil Engineering)

Head of the Department: Robert H. Dodds, Jr.
Director of Graduate Studies: Albert J. Valocchi
Graduate Programs, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
1110 Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory, MC-250
205 North Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-8038
Fax (217) 333-9464
ceega@cee.uiuc.edu

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 or Structures); and (2) the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (Construction Management) and Master of Business Administration.

Admission

Admission to the Graduate College with full status in civil engineering or in environmental engineering or science in civil engineering is granted to graduates of accredited institutions whose requirements for the bachelor's degree are substantially equivalent to those of the University of Illinois, provided the applicant's preparation is appropriate for advanced study in his or her chosen major field and his or her scholastic average is at least 3.0 (A= 4.0). 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 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. All applicants whose native language is not English must submit a TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) , or 80 (iBT). Applicants may be exempt from the TOEFL if certain criteria are met. TOEFL scores below 610 ( paper-based), 253 (computer-based) , or 102 (iBT) indicate the need for further English study. This consists of enrollment in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses based on an ESL Placement Test (EPT) taken upon arrival at the University.

Master of Science

Candidates for the MSCE degree must complete at least 36 graduate hours without a thesis or 32 graduate hours including a thesis. Twelve of the graduate hours must be in courses at the 500 level and 8 of these 12 hours 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 advisors. At least half of the minimum hours 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. There are no foreign language requirements in the MSCE program.

The MArch/MSCE joint degree program with the School of 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 MSCE/MBA joint degree program with the College of Business requires a total of 92 graduate hours of coursework. The MSCE degree requirements of this program consist of 32 hours of coursework including three 500-level CEE courses. The thesis option is not available for either joint degree program.

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; construction materials; earthquake engineering; environmental chemistry; environmental fluid mechanics; geotechnical engineering (rock mechanics, soil mechanics, and foundation engineering); hazardous-waste management; hydrology and hydraulic engineering; information technology; materials engineering; nondestructive diagnostics; railway engineering; stochastic structural dynamics and random vibrations; structures (analysis, design, and behavior); structural and computational mechanics; traffic engineering; transportation (facilities, planning, systems design, and operations); water quality process engineering; and water resources and environmental systems analysis.

Research Facilities

The Newmark Structural Engineering Laboratory (NSEL) features a nearly 6,000 square foot structural testing floor (strong floor), a three-story clear height, and a multiplicity of testing equipment (including a shake table, stand-alone universal testing machines, reaction frames, actuators, controllers, transducers, and a data acquisition) that can be used for conducting large-scale experimental structural, materials, and earthquake engineering research. The Environmental Engineering and Science Laboratories contain over 11,000 square feet with state-of-the-art analytical equipment. The Hydrosystems Laboratory covers an area of more than 11,000 square feet and includes several flumes, a rainfall generator, a stratified flow tank, and a water tunnel. The Advanced Transportation Research and Engineering Laboratory (ATREL) is a unique and comprehensive transportation research, educational, and testing laboratory. It is located on 47 acres, 15 miles north of the main campus, and it contains 60,000 square feet of laboratories, continuing education classrooms, office space, and a technical library. It is home to the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT), funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the State of Illinois. The Center of Excellence for Airport Technology (CEAT), founded in 1995 as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Center of Excellence, aims to develop new scientific knowledge and technology for the development, maintenance, and operation of airports. The Multi-Axial Full-Scale Sub-Structured Testing and Simulation (MUST-SIM) Facility is one of 15 networked national facilities conducting research that will lead to significant advances in seismic design and analysis. It provides a new experimental environment for conducting integrated distributed hybrid tests on components of large bridge and building structures. The Smart Structures Technology Laboratory seeks to implement advanced sensing and control technologies to more effectively monitor and protect our nation's civil infrastructure. The Laboratory houses a new medium-scale 6 Degree-of-Freedom seismic simulator, as well as extensive instrumentation and telepresence capabilities. 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 (MAE) Center, funded by the National Science Foundation, is working to develop an integrated framework and application tools for loss assessment due to earthquake and other disruptive events, disaster planning, response and mitigation strategies, and decision-making engines that enable policy makers to effectively manage risk.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available in the form of fellowships and research and teaching assistantships. All applicants, regardless of U.S. citizenship, whose native language is not English and who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships must take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and achieve a score of 50.