Graduate Degree Programs

We offer programs of study leading to the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE), Master of Science in Environmental Engineering (MSENE), Master of Civil Engineering (MCE), Master of Environmental Engineering (MENE), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.

• The MS degrees require a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework that includes six hours of thesis credit, and a one credit seminar course.  It is suggested that at least 15 credit hours should be fulfilled through environmental engineering courses, as listed below. Exceptions are allowed with the consent of your advisor and thesis committee.
• The MCE and MENE degrees require 30 hours of graduate coursework, and a one credit seminar course; an independent study project may be substituted for up to three hours of course work with the agreement of a faculty adviser. It is suggested that at least 18 credit hours should be fulfilled through environmental engineering courses, as listed below. Exceptions are allowed with the consent of your advisor.
• The MCE and MENE degrees are also available by distance education through Engineering Online.
• For the PhD program, there are no definite credit hour requirements, although 54 credit hours (~ 3-4 years) beyond the master’s degree is typical. The major element of the doctoral program is the dissertation, which reports an original investigation leading to a significant contribution to knowledge. For the PhD degree, consult with your advisor for appropriate courses.
• Final oral examinations are required for the MS and PhD degrees.

Doctoral students have access to several professional development opportunities, offered by the CCEE Office of Graduate Professional Development and the NC State Graduate School (e.g., Preparing the Professoriate (PTP)) to help them prepare to succeed in research and academic careers.

Graduate Courses

We offer over twenty-five graduate courses that support education and research in the six focus areas. All of these courses are available to on-campus students and many are available to distance education students via the Engineering Online (EOL) program.

New Masters-level courses are offered as CE596 and new PhD-level courses are offered as CE796. Both sets of courses are considered “special topics” until they become permanent courses, at which point they will receive different course numbers. Students may register by selecting the appropriate section of CE596 or CE796 noted in the course schedule.

In addition to these courses in Civil Engineering, students may take related elective courses offered by other departments. Representative lists of courses are shown in the description of each area of specialization.