General Regulations for All Advanced Degrees

 

• General Information
• M.S. Requirements
• Ph.D. Requirements
• Examinations

Graduate School Requirements and Bulletin

This document is published to provide information specifically about civil and environmental engineering and thus supplements the Graduate and Professional Bulletin published by the Graduate School at Colorado State University. Civil engineering graduate students should view that bulletin on the Graduate School web page and become familiar with its contents. The Graduate and Professional Bulletin is also supplemented by Colorado State's biennial General Catalog which contains a description of the courses of instruction, faculty listings, description of University services, and other general information not in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin. Additional Graduate School publications include a Handbook on Graduate Studies and the Thesis Manual.

 

Application for Graduate Studies

Persons who desire to work toward advanced degrees in civil and environmental engineering may find the application online at http://graduateschool.colostate.edu/.

Required Enclosures with Application

U.S. Applications: Two official transcripts from all institutions attended, three letters of recommendation, a short Statement of Purpose, a current resume, and any other required information (see below for other requirements which may apply) should be sent to Graduate Admissions, Department of Civil Engineering, Attn: Kathy Stencel, 1372 Campus Delivery, no later than six months before the start of the semester in which study is to begin. The CEE Department requires GRE scores.

International Applications: Must include all the information listed above, however, all materials should be sent directly to the Graduate Admissions Office so that all application materials are received no later than six months before the start of the semester in which study is to begin. TOEFL or IELT scores are required of all non-U.S. citizens.

Supplemental Information for Application

Application Fee

A check or money order for the application fee must accompany each application for admission. The fee is nonrefundable. Applications will not be reviewed until the fee has been paid.

 

Admission

Those seeking advanced degrees may be recommended for admission to the Graduate School by the department to which the application is submitted if faculty and facilities are available and if all the applicant's undergraduate grades average 3.0 or higher (A = 4.0). International applicants must rank among the top students in their classes.

The department may consider recommending admission of applicants with averages slightly lower than 3.0 if the applicants are highly motivated to undertake graduate study and if they present acceptable evidence of ability to complete advanced degree requirements within a reasonable time. For applicants with average grades below 3.0, the department will consider the following examples as evidence of qualification: excellent performance on the GRE, excellent letters of recommendation, relevant work experience, and a steadily improving academic record.

In most cases, students are required to obtain an M.S. degree before entering the Ph.D. program. On rare occasions, students with only a B.S. degree, who are seeking entrance into the Ph.D. degree, are admitted. Such students need to have communicated their degree objectives to the department and discuss their goals with their proposed adviser. Procedurally, such students first enter the M.S. program, then apply for the Ph.D. program and take the Ph.D. preliminary examinations only after the M.S. requirements have been completed.

Graduate students in the department's master's-level program seeking to continue in the Ph.D. program need to complete and submit GS Form 7, Change of Degree or Department Program. The Graduate School should be consulted regarding details on filing dates and procedures.

As space permits, the department may recommend admission of students wanting to take graduate work but seeking no advanced degree if they meet the usual academic admission requirements. The objectives of non-degree students may include advanced course work, research experience, and specialized training. Non-degree students in civil engineering are generally associated with the International School for Water Resources and Associated Programs.

 

Graduate Record Examination Requirement

The general test section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of all M.S. and Ph.D. applicants to Civil Engineering. Normally, official GRE general test scores should be submitted with the application.  

 

Students Who Lack an Undergraduate Engineering Degree

Students who are admitted into the graduate program but who do not have an undergraduate degree in engineering must take undergraduate civil engineering course work to bring their engineering background to an acceptable level. Specific courses to meet this objective are to be identified by the student's academic adviser or program coordinator at the beginning of the graduate program. These courses must be taken as early as possible in the student's program of graduate study and are to be taken for a letter grade.

The Department of Civil Engineering requires, as a minimum, the following courses or their equivalent in addition to those normally required for a graduate program:

• Calculus through M 261, Calculus for Physical Scientists III (4 credits)
• PH 141, 142, Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (5) and II (5)
• C 111, 112, General Chemistry I (4), General Chemistry Lab I (1)
• CE 260, 261, Engineering Mechanics-Statics (3), Dynamics (3)
• CE 300, Fluid Mechanics (4)
• CE 360, Mechanics of Solids (3)
• M 340, Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations (4)
• Six or more credits in upper-division CE 3xx or CE 4xx courses; generally the required undergraduate courses most related to the intended graduate program and/or used as prerequisites for the student's graduate classes. The number of upper-division credits required varies with the graduate program area.
• In addition, Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering graduate students are required to take one course in computer programming (CB104) and CB 464, Soil and Water Engineering.
• Completion of courses listed as prerequisites for the courses listed above is also generally required.
• Courses required of our undergraduates (including CE 301, 466 and 467) may not be used for graduate credit according to Department of Civil Engineering policy.

A plan for completing the background courses is to be prepared by the student and their adviser, then submitted to the department for approval by the start of the registration period for the student's second semester. Courses taken to fulfill these requirements must be taken for credit and listed on the student's program of study (GS-6) as background courses. An overall GPA of 3.0, considering all grades for repeated courses, must be maintained in these courses.

The above requirements are in addition to those normally required for a graduate degree. Students with a degree in engineering technology are encouraged to obtain a B.S. in civil engineering before entering the graduate program.

 

Credit Load

The maximum academic load for graduate students is 15 credits per semester, regardless of course level or basis of admission. Graduate students supported by a graduate assistantship must register for at least 1 credit during each term the assistantship is held.  

 

Audit and Pass/Fail Courses

A student desiring to attend a class without earning credits may register for audit. When computing course loads and assessing fees, audited courses are counted as if taken for credit. Pass/fail courses are graded as S = satisfactory, U = unsatisfactory. The graduate student's committee may impose limitations on pass/fail courses. Courses on the student's Program of Study (GS Form 6) may not be audited and may not be taken pass/fail if traditional A through F letter grading is available and is the instructor's choice.

 

Quality of Work

In order to remain in good academic standing, a graduate student must demonstrate acceptable performance in course work after being admitted to the graduate program. By Graduate School regulations, this requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 be maintained for each of the following three groups of courses: (1) regular courses taken for a traditional grade and numbered 300 or above (regular courses have numbers ending with 00 through 79), (2) all regular and non-regular courses graded traditionally, and (3) all traditionally graded courses contained on the graduate program of study (see the Program of Study section).

Any student progressing unsatisfactorily or whose cumulative average in any one of the above three groups of courses is less than 3.0 at the end of 12 credits or after two semesters of graduate work, whichever comes first, will be placed on academic probation and will be subject to dismissal by the department or the Dean of the Graduate School. Students must earn an S (satisfactory) in special studies, departmental seminars, and research when such classes are not traditionally graded.

The Department of Civil Engineering further requires that students lacking an undergraduate engineering degree maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in all required background courses, including those numbered below 300.

Grades of C or higher must be earned in all required courses on a Program of Study. Although a grade of D is accepted for individual background courses, the department requires that an overall GPA of 3.0 be maintained in the group of all such courses.

 

Work at Other Institutions and Transfer of Graduate Credit

Official transcripts must accompany requests to transfer graduate credit earned at another university. Arrangements for transfer of credits earned at an accredited U.S. university are made when the student submits a program of study and must be approved by the student's committee and the Graduate School. The number of credits that may be accepted in transfer are limited.

Full-time graduate students may arrange through the Graduate School Office to take courses at the Colorado School of Mines, the University of Colorado, and University of Northern Colorado under the Colorado Exchange Program. Several conditions, including nonavailability of the course on the Colorado State University campus, must be met, and approval must be obtained before the courses begin. Tuition and fee assessments for such courses will be charged as though the courses were a part of the student's course schedule on the Colorado State University campus. Credit so earned may count toward fulfillment of degree requirements within the limits set by the student's department, the graduate committee, and the Graduate School. These can be considered as credits earned at Colorado State University for purposes of meeting minimum Colorado State University course requirements. However, credits earned at these other Colorado institutions through the Colorado Exchange Program may not exceed 49% of the total credits presented for an advanced degree.

 

Credit Requirements  

Exclusion of Courses from the B.S. Students may request that any 500-level courses not applied toward the B.S. degree be excluded from their undergraduate record and thus be identified as courses for possible use in a graduate program. A request to the Registrar's Office for the use of extra courses for the graduate level or exclusion of the courses from the student's undergraduate record is required early in the term during which the excluded class or classes are taken.  

 

The Student's Graduate Committee

Unless an adviser has been selected before the graduate program begins, the beginning graduate student is usually initially assigned a temporary adviser, often the division coordinator. In this case, the student should select an adviser during the first semester of graduate work and with input from the program faculty. In all cases, the student and the adviser should select a graduate committee early in the graduate program. This committee must consist of at least three members of the academic faculty for a master's committee and four members for a doctoral committee. The committee shall include the student's adviser, who chairs the committee, one or two members in the field of specialization, and at least one member from another department. The outside committee member represents the Graduate School and is appointed by the Graduate Dean, who considers the faculty member nominated by the adviser. Individuals not on the academic faculty but who have special expertise may serve as nonvoting committee members and are in addition to the prescribed academic committee members.

The committee will advise the student, assist in preparing the program of study, generally supervise the research and thesis, and administer all required examinations.

 

Program of Study

The graduate committee will help the student develop a program of study, which is the specific course work selected for the student to fulfill the advanced degree course work requirements. The program of study, along with the academic committee membership and any required background courses, are reported to the Graduate School using GS Form 6. This form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of the fourth semester of study. Registration for subsequent semesters is denied by the Graduate School to students not complying with this requirement.  

 

Master's Thesis (Plan A) and Ph.D. Dissertation

The candidate must submit a completed thesis or dissertation to the committee. The M.S. thesis must be submitted at least two weeks before the final examination and the Ph.D. dissertation must be submitted at least four weeks before the final defense. Required corrections or modifications of the thesis/dissertation may result from the final exam/defense. The candidate must submit two unbound copies of the final version of the thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School prior to the end of the twelfth week of the graduation term for fall or spring semester, and prior to the end of the fifth week of the eight week summer term. The Graduate School collects a fee for microfilming upon deposit of the Ph.D. dissertation. Courtesy copies of the final thesis or dissertation to the student's graduate committee members are appropriate.

The candidate may find guidance for thesis and dissertation preparation in the Graduate School Thesis Manual.

 

Research Publication Policy

Because the primary purpose of the academic research programs within the Department of Civil Engineering, i.e. the M.S. (Plan A) and Ph.D. degree programs, is the instruction for conducting original research, and because the purpose of all such research is to increase the state of knowledge and understanding within the engineering and scientific communities, it is essential that such knowledge and understanding be disseminated for the benefit of all. For this reason, methods for such dissemination is an integral part of the instruction in these degree programs. Thus, the Department of Civil Engineering has the following policy:

• Candidates for the Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, (Plan A), before scheduling their final defense, must have had the results of their research submitted for publication to a refereed journal or submitted for presentation at a national or international technical or scientific meeting. It is understood that the candidate's research may be only part of such a publication or presentation, but the candidate must be a co-author in such cases.
• Candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Civil Engineering, before scheduling their final defense, must have had the results of their research submitted for publication to refereed journal of international prominence. The paper(s) may be co-authored, but the candidate must be first (principal or senior) author of at least one paper.

 

Time Limitations

Only courses completed within the ten-year period immediately preceding the completion date of the master's degree requirements may be applied to the M.S. degree by Graduate School requirements. Similarly, only courses completed within the ten-year period immediately preceding the completion date of doctoral degree requirements may be applied for the Ph.D. degree. Students may request an extension of these limitations in documented extenuating circumstances; Graduate School approval is necessary to obtain such an extension. The content of courses older than ten years has to be accepted by the Graduate School as still substantially current in order for the use of such classes to be permitted.

Requirements for the Master of Science Degree

Courses that are required for an undergraduate degree in civil engineering may not be used by civil engineering graduate students to satisfy graduate requirements. No lower-division (100-200 level) courses may be used to satisfy graduate program requirements, although they may be included as background courses. See Table I (following the description of Ph.D. examinations and requirements) for a summary of procedures.  

 

Plan A - With a Thesis

1. A minimum of 30 semester credits of approved graduate work must be taken, 12 credit hours of which must be regular graduate-level civil engineering courses. (Regular graduate-level civil engineering courses include courses with a CE prefix which are numbered 500 and above and with the last two digits from 00 through 82).
2. A thesis must be written. Up to 6 credits may be applied to a combination of thesis research, supervised college teaching (CE 584 or 684), and seminar (CE 592).
3. A minimum of 24 semester credits must be earned at Colorado State University, 21 of which must be earned after admission to the Graduate School (see Work at Other Institutions and Transfer of Graduate Credit). Credits used for one master's degree may not be used for a second master's degree.
4. A minimum of 16 semester credits in graduate-level courses (500 and above) must be earned at Colorado State University. Of these 16 credits, at least 12 credits must be in regular graduate-level courses.
5. A final examination will cover the thesis research and course work.
6. Refer to the Research Publication Policy above.

 

Plan B - Without a Thesis

1. A minimum of 32 semester credits of approved graduate work are required, at least half of which must be in regular graduate-level civil engineering courses. The combination of CE695 Independent Study focusing on the development of the engineering report, supervised college teaching (CE584 or CE684) and graduate-level seminars may account for up to 3 of the 32 credits.
2. A minimum of 24 semester credits must be earned at Colorado State University, 21 of which must be earned after admission to the Graduate School (see Work at Other Institutions and Transfer of Graduate Credit). Credits used for one master's degree may not be used for a second master's degree.
3. A minimum of 16 semester credits in graduate-level courses (500 and above) must be earned at Colorado State University. Of these 16 credits, at least 12 credits must be in regular graduate-level courses.
4. A final examination will cover the engineering report and course work.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree

The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program has two components: (1) the course work component, and (2) the research component. The course work component requires a qualifying examination early in the Ph.D. program and not less than 60 semester credits of course work (beyond the bachelor's degree) approved by the student's committee. After successfully completing the qualifying exam, the student may concentrate on the remaining course work and the research planning leading to the preliminary examination, the doctoral research, dissertation preparation, and the final defense. Specific requirements are as follows:

• A minimum of 72 semester credits of approved course work and research beyond the B.S. degree is required, at least 24 of which must be in regular graduate-level civil engineering courses. (Regular graduate-level civil engineering courses are those with a CE prefix which are numbered 500 and above with the last two digits from 00 through 82). A master's degree from an approved university may he accepted for 30 credits.
• A minimum of 32 credits must be earned at Colorado State University after admission to the doctoral program.
• A minimum of 21 semester credits beyond the M.S. degree or 37 semester credits beyond the B.S. degree must be earned in graduate level courses (500 and above).
• A qualifying examination (oral and/or written at the discretion of the student's committee) must be passed (department requirement).
• A preliminary examination must be passed.
• A dissertation must be written. Up to 12 credits may be applied to a combination of dissertation research (CE799), supervised college teaching (CE584 or 684), and seminar (CE592).
• A final defense must be successfully conducted.
• Refer to the Research Publication Policy above.

Examinations for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree

 

Qualifying Examination

Purpose

The purpose of the department-required qualifying examination is to determine the student's overall background and qualifications to continue in the graduate program towards the doctor of philosophy degree in the Department of Civil Engineering. At the time of the examination, the committee may review the student's study program and any changes deemed advisable are entered on the GS Form 6.  

Scheduling

The qualifying examination is to be taken early in the Ph.D. program so that academic committee or graduate program input regarding needed background and basic courses judged necessary can be included on the GS Form 6. An early scheduling also allows a timely determination to be made of the adequacy of the student's understanding of basic principles, synthesis of knowledge, and general academic preparation to successfully pursue the Ph.D. program.

New students enrolled in the Ph.D. program, with or without an M.S. degree, must take the qualifying examination no later than the end of their third semester at Colorado State University. Students who completed their M.S. at Colorado State University may be required by their division or committee to take the exam no later than the end of the first semester of the Ph.D.-level study. The qualifying exam must always be scheduled no later than one term prior to the expected date of the preliminary examination.

If the required date of the qualifying examination passes without the examination being attempted, the student must obtain written permission from the department head to continue attending civil engineering courses. Depending upon the graduate program, the student shall either have an adviser and a graduate committee at the time of the qualifying examination, or have a proposed adviser and committee identified.

In this and other scheduling information, the word term designates any of the fall semester, spring semester, or summer session academic periods. The summer session is not considered to be a semester.

Procedure

At the time of this Bulletin's preparation, some details of the qualifying examination procedures vary among the graduate divisions and may differ from those described herein. Entering Ph.D.-level students should obtain current information on qualifying examination procedures from their division coordinator.

The examination may be written and/or oral. The student will be told which format will be used and the general topics to be covered well before the exam date. In an oral exam, the division coordinator or adviser moderates, with the committee or division faculty, as well as other faculty who desire, in attendance. Written examinations may be given to a group of several students with the same division by the faculty in that division.

The examination covers prior course work related to each student's major. In many programs, written and primary oral questions will concern material from texts and/or notes which the students have had available for study. Primary questions for an oral exam will be written and given to the student's adviser or division coordinator prior to the examination. Secondary (follow-up) questions are permissible in an oral examination.

Results

The committee shall (1) pass the student and recommend a program of study for completing the course work and for beginning preparations for the preliminary examination; (2) recommend a strengthening of the fundamentals in the student's chosen field and outline a course of study for this purpose in which case the examination must be retaken at a later date as determined by the committee: or (3) terminate the student from the Ph.D. program.

The results of the examination will be recorded in memo format from the adviser, reported to the department head, and placed in the student's departmental file. Students who hold a research or teaching assistantship remain at the Ph.D. I salary level upon successful completion of the qualifying examination. A student is considered to be a Ph.D. candidate upon passing the qualifying examination.

 

Preliminary Examination

Purpose

The purpose of the preliminary examination is to determine the student's ability to conduct original and independent research. The student presents a proposal for doctoral research to his or her graduate committee for their consideration and approval. If this examination is passed, the student is advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree and may continue the research component of the doctorate program.   Scheduling

The preliminary examination can be taken only by students who have successfully completed their qualifying exam. The student must schedule the exam no earlier than one term after the qualifying examination date and no later than two terms prior to the expected final examination date.

The intent to take the preliminary examination must be filed with the Graduate School using a GS Form 15. This form must be at the Graduate School at least one week prior to the target date of the examination, and the examination must be held within six days prior to or six days after the target date.

Procedure

The student shall present a written research proposal to each committee member at least two weeks prior to the exam. This document shall be written in a scholarly manner and include a history of the problem, the proposed scope of the investigation, and a statement as to the original contributions to be made.

The exam consists of a formal presentation by the student followed by questions from the committee. The committee determines if the candidate (1) has sufficient ability and comprehensive knowledge to conduct the research, (2) has sufficiently reviewed the literature, (3) has proposed research which has a reasonable scope and which should produce an original and acceptable research contribution.

All members of the student's graduate committee, or in the case of necessary absences, substitutes pre-approved by the Graduate School, shall participate in the preliminary examination.

Results

The committee shall (1) unconditionally approve the proposed research, (2) approve the proposed research with revisions, (3) reject the proposed research with specific reasons given and recommendations made, or (4) terminate the student from the Ph.D. program. Results 1 and 2 constitute passage; results 3 and 4 constitute failure. The student shall obtain the Report of Preliminary Examination (GS Form 16) from the Student Information Office, the Graduate School Office, or from the Graduate School's web page. Bring this form to the examination, and return the signed form, including departmental signatures, to Graduate School within two working days after the examination. Following outcome 3, a reexamination may be held in accordance with Graduate School provisions. Students holding a research or teaching assistantship advance to the Ph.D. II salary level upon result 1 or 2.  

 

Final Defense of Dissertation

Purpose

At the final dissertation defense, the candidate formally presents the research in a form open to all members of the University community and the public at large and defends the research and conclusions against any challenge.  

Scheduling

After completing the research, the candidate must furnish each committee member with a copy of the complete dissertation draft at least four weeks prior to the date desired for the final defense. The committee will then meet formally with the candidate. Upon majority committee approval, the candidate, through the adviser, may schedule the dissertation defense. If the committee does not approve scheduling a defense, it must direct its desires to the candidate at this committee meeting. In any case, the members of the graduate committee may submit suggested or required editorial and technical changes to the dissertation draft for consideration of the candidate and adviser. Any committee member not commenting upon a Ph.D. dissertation within two weeks after receiving it will be assumed to have approved the scheduling of the final defense. The adviser must notify the Graduate School about the date, time, and location of the defense using the GS Form 23. This form is to be forwarded to the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the date of the dissertation defense.

Some programs and graduate committees choose to modify the schedule presented here for the committee's detailed critique of the research project results and dissertation draft, usually with some or all of this moved to the time of the final defense. The graduate committee adviser will inform the candidate on the specific procedures for the final defense and committee input well before the final defense date.

Procedure

The final defense shall be open to the public through formal announcements. The defense will be conducted in a formal and professional manner. The chair of the student's graduate committee shall introduce the candidate and outline the defense procedure. The candidate shall then present the doctoral research findings to the committee and public. After the presentation, questions will be invited from all present.

As with the preliminary examination, all graduate committee members, or in cases of necessary absences, pre-approved substitute members, shall participate in the final examination.

Results

After the open question-and-answer period, unless a committee member has requested that the committee reconvene in a closed session, the chair declares that the candidate has successfully defended the doctoral research and declares the defense complete.

If any committee member requests a closed session prior to the end of the question and answer period, the chairman shall dismiss the public audience and immediately convene the committee to decide the next course of action. The committee may recommend further examination, acceptance of the research, rejection of the research, or any other course of action. In the event of failure, a second examination may be permitted. A second failure results in dismissal. The student is to bring GS Form 24 to the final defense for completion and signing by the committee.

Completion of the edited dissertation and its approval by the student's graduate committee in accordance with Graduate School requirements and its submission to the department and to the Graduate School are the final major steps before graduation.