Requirements
Professional Option: 30 course credits (e.g., ten, 3-credit lecture courses) minimum
Thesis Option: 24 course credits (e.g., eight, 3-credit course equivalents) minimum and 6 thesis research (CEE 2999 ) credits
All M.S. students enter the professional MS program. Students interested in the thesis option should meet with program faculty to explore project options and can transition to the thesis option if they find a thesis advisor and project.
Students pursing the thesis option must complete novel research that advances the current state of knowledge in their field, is composed in a written dissertation, and presented to their faculty committee during a thesis defense. Their committee will consist of their primary research advisor and at least two faculty members from the student’s program area within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The professional option is not available to students supported as graduate research or teaching assistants. Students supported as graduate research assistants and all students intending to continue for a PhD degree are required to pursue the thesis option.
The detailed course requirements for these two degree options are as follows:
Professional MS Degree Requirements
a) 3 credits - CEE 2800 - ENGINEERING GEOLOGY or Equivalent
b) 3 credits - CEE 2801 - ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS or Equivalent
c) 3 credits - CEE 2802 - GEOTECHNICAL ANALYSIS or Equivalent
d) 3 credits - CEE 2814 - SLOPES & EARTH RETAINING STRUCT or Equivalent
e) 18 credits - Graduate Technical Electives
Graduate Technical Electives may include any advisor-approved program-related graduate course (i.e., course numbers 2XXX or 3XXX), including guided special investigations (CEE 2996 ). No more than six credits of CEE 2996 may count towards the degree program coursework requirements).
MS Thesis Degree Requirements
a) 3 credits - CEE 2800 - ENGINEERING GEOLOGY or Equivalent
b) 3 credits - CEE 2801 - ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS or Equivalent
c) 3 credits - CEE 2802 - GEOTECHNICAL ANALYSIS or Equivalent
d) 3 credits -CEE 2814 - SLOPES & EARTH RETAINING STRUCT or Equivalent
e) 12 credits - Graduate Technical Electives
Graduate Technical Electives may include any advisor-approved program-related graduate course (i.e., course numbers 2XXX or 3XXX), including guided special investigations (CEE 2996 ) No more than six credits of CEE 2996 may count towards the degree program coursework requirements.
f) 6 credits - CEE 2999 - M.S. THESIS
Thesis Defense
Students pursuing the MS Thesis Option must pass an oral presentation and defense of their completed thesis, administered by the student’s thesis committee. The committee shall be comprised of 3 or more members (including the student’s graduate advisor). The chair of the committee and at least one other committee member must be appointed to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate Faculty.
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