Dec 31, 2025

2025-2026 Graduate Catalog

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2025-2026 Graduate Catalog

Civil Engineering, M.S.C.E.

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College of Engineering (EN)
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Major Contacts, Deadlines, and Delivery Information

Concentrations:

Engineering for International Development
Geotechnical
Materials
Structures
Transportation
Water Resources

Also offered as Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathways

The M.S.C.E. degree in Civil Engineering provides a student with the opportunity to earn the advanced degree with either coursework only or research thesis options. Students must have an accredited first degree in engineering or complete a list of prerequisite engineering coursework. The M.S.C.E. with thesis is a research-oriented degree in which the student writes, as a major part of the degree requirements, a thesis that defines, examines, and reports in depth on a subject area relevant to Civil Engineering. Both the thesis and non-thesis options prepare graduates for careers with governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), or private industry and firms involved in Civil Engineering planning, design, or policy.

The field of Civil Engineering has long been known for its breadth and ability to adapt to the new technological needs of society. The traditional areas of public works, such as highways, bridges, water supply, building design, and wastewater treatment, remain very important. Graduates of the major are prepared for careers with public agencies or private industry and with firms involved in planning, design, research and development, or regulation. The Department is well-equipped with structures, soils, pavement and hydraulics laboratories.

Accreditation

The Florida Board of Professional Engineers allows for successful completion of a graduate studies leading to Master’s degree in engineering to provide credit toward one year of engineering experience.

Major Research Areas

Civil Engineering, including Engineering Mechanics, Geotechnical Engineering, Pavement Engineering, Materials Engineering and Science, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Planning, and Water Resources Engineering

Admission Information

Must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below.

Undergraduate degree in an Engineering discipline or completion of pre-requisites.
Undergraduate GPA greater than 3.00 preferred.
GRE with preferred minimum scores of V (25th percentile), Q (60th percentile), AW (15th percentile); or valid Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) or professional engineering (PE) certificate. Verification of FE or PE certification should be obtained from the PE board where the certification was obtained.
Two Letters of Reference provided at the time of application.
Statement of Purpose provided at the time of application.
Resume provided at the time of application.

Exceptions made on a case-by-case basis where warranted

Curriculum Requirements

Total Minimum Hours: 30 credit hours

Core Requirement: 5 credit hours
Other Required Course: 1 credit hour
Concentration: 15 credit hours
Electives: 3 credit hours
Thesis/Non-Thesis: 6 credit hours minimum

Core Requirements (5 Hours)

CGN 6311C Introduction to Data Science for Civil Engineers Credit Hours: 3
CGN 6162 Professional Practice of Civil Engineering Credit Hours: 2

Other Required Course (1 Credit Hour)

At least one of the following:
CES 6935 Graduate Structures/Materials Seminar Credit Hours: 1
ENV 6935 Environmental & Water Resources Engineering (EWRE) Seminar Credit Hours: 1
TTE 6930 Graduate Transportation Seminar Credit Hours: 1

Concentration Requirements (15 Credit Hours Minimum)

The Department supports M.S.C.E. concentration areas in Engineering for International Development, Geotechnical Engineering, Materials Engineering and Science, Structures Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources. Students may select from one of these concentrations, or may select no concentration.

Engineering for International Development (15 Credit Hours Minimum)

Students must engage in full-time global training and service as part of the concentration (e.g., in the U.S. Peace Corps, with a non-governmental organization, or equivalent). This work must be incorporated into the student’s thesis. Students may register for CST 6920 for 0 credit hours while in their country of service. Note that this concentration is available to thesis option students only.

Required (3 Credit Hours):
ENV 6510 Sustainable Development Engineering Credit Hours: 3
And six (6) additional credit hours of coursework in International Development Engineering or closely related areas.

And a minimum of one course from the following Applied Anthropology courses (3 Credit Hours):

ANG 6766 Research Methods in Applied Anthropology Credit Hours: 3
ANG 6730 Socio Cultural Aspects of HIV/AIDS Credit Hours: 3
ANG 6469 Selected Topics in Medical Anthropology Credit Hours: 3
Selected Topics taken as:
- Health, Illness, and Culture (3 Credit Hours)
And a minimum of one course from the following Global Public Health courses (3 Credit Hours):
PHC 6764 Global Health Principles and Contemporary Issues Credit Hours: 3
PHC 6761 Global Health Assessment Strategies Credit Hours: 3

Geotechnical (15 Credit Hours Minimum)

Required:
CEG 5115 Foundation Engineering Credit Hours: 3
CES 6118 Applied Finite Elements Credit Hours: 3
nine (9) additional credit hours of coursework in Geotechnical engineering or closely related areas.

Materials (15 Credit Hours Minimum)

Complete at least two (2) courses from the following list (6 Credit Hours):
CGN 6933 Special Topics in Civil and Environmental Engineering Credit Hours: 1-4 Taken as Advanced Construction Materials (3 Credit Hours)
CGN 6720 Electrochemical Diagnostic Techniques Credit Hours: 3
EMA 5326 Corrosion Control Credit Hours: 3
EMA 6510 Characterization of Materials Credit Hours: 3
And complete Nine (9) additional credits of coursework in Materials Engineering and Science or closely related areas.

Structures (15 Credit Hours Minimum)

Required:
CES 6144 Advanced Structural Analysis Credit Hours: 3
At least two courses from the following list of courses (6 Credit hours):
CES 6706 Advanced Concrete Design Credit Hours: 3
CES 6609 Advanced Steel Design Credit Hours: 3
CES 6835 Design of Masonry Structures Credit Hours: 3
CES 5715C Prestressed Concrete Credit Hours: 3
CES 5209 Structural Dynamics Credit Hours: 3
Six (6) additional credit hours of coursework in structures engineering or closely related areas.

Transportation (15 Credit Hours Minimum)

Required (6 Credit Hours):
TTE 5205 Traffic Systems Engineering Credit Hours: 3
TTE 6267 Traffic Flow Theory Credit Hours: 3
One of the following (3 Credit Hours):
TTE 6507 Travel Demand Modeling Credit Hours: 3
TTE 6307 Statistical and Econometric Methods I Credit Hours: 3
And complete six (6) additional credit hours of coursework in Transportation Engineering or closely related areas.

Water Resources (15 Credit Hours Minimum)

Complete three courses from the following list (9 Credit Hours):
CWR 6305 Urban Hydrology Credit Hours: 3
CWR 6535 Hydrologic Models Credit Hours: 3
CWR 6625 Ecological Engineering Credit Hours: 3
CWR 6105 Vadose Zone Hydrology Credit Hours: 3
CWR 6820 Coastal Waves and Structures Credit Hours: 3
ENV 6564 Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Design Credit Hours: 3
CGN 6933 Special Topics in Civil and Environmental Engineering Credit Hours: 1-4
Selected topics taken as:
- Advanced Numerical Methods (3 Credit Hours)
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics (3 Credit Hours)
- Water Resources Engineering (3 Credit Hours)
- Water Resources Sustainability (3 Credit Hours)
And complete six additional credits in Water Resources Engineering or closely related areas.

Electives (3 Credit Hours Minimum)

Electives selected in consultation with advisor.

Comprehensive Exam

For Thesis Option: The thesis and defense are used in lieu of a comprehensive exam.

For Non-Thesis Option: Portfolio and oral interview are used in lieu of a comprehensive exam. The purpose of the portfolio and interview is for students to demonstrate that they have achieved a minimum level of proficiency in stipulated competencies. Specifically, by the time they graduate, students will demonstrate:

an ability to plan, compose and integrate verbal, written, virtual, and graphical communication of a project to technical and non-technical audiences, and
an ability to formulate and solve complex problems in Civil Engineering using relevant data and techniques.

Additional details regarding portfolio requirements will be provided to students by the Department.

Other Requirements

A maximum of 12 graduate level credits taken outside the CEE department may be applied to meet the degree requirements.
A maximum of 6 credits of independent study may be applied to meet the degree requirements.

Thesis (6 Credit Hours Minimum)

Students must conduct a suitable research project under the guidance of their thesis advisor, write an original thesis based upon the results of the research project, and defend the thesis to a committee that must subsequently approve the completed thesis. For students in the EFD concentration, the thesis must be associated with research in a developing-world context.

CGN 6971 Thesis: Master’s Credit Hours: 2-19
6 hours minimum

Non-Thesis Option (6 Credit Hours Minimum)

Six (6) additional credit hours of elective courses.

University of South Florida

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