Program Overview

Our Master of Science program offers two options:

Coursework for the Master of Science is intended to provide depth of study in a particular academic subdiscipline. Students should work closely with their faculty advisor in selecting appropriate courses for the chosen subdiscipline, as some require specific courses to be completed.

Thesis Option Overview

The thesis option (Plan A) provides opportunities for students to plan, execute, analyze, interpret, and report the results of research within their chosen academic subdiscipline. The completion of a thesis exemplifies the development of skills in both research and technical writing that typically are not available through coursework alone. The thesis option is most appropriate for those who desire to conduct research or eventually continue their education with a doctoral degree.

A total of 30 credits of approved graduate work must be completed, meeting the following requirements:

  • At least 24 credits must be earned at Colorado State University, of which 21 credits must be earned after admission to CSU Graduate School (see transfer requirements)
  • At least 16 regular graduate-level credits (500-level and above) must be earned at Colorado State University
    • Of which, at least 12 credits must be regular graduate-level civil and environmental engineering courses (courses with a CIVE prefix and are 500-level and above with the last two digits 00-82, e.g. CIVE 655)
      • Of which, at most 3 credits of independent study are allowed (CIVE 595 or 695)
  • At most 6 credits of undergraduate 300-400 level coursework may be taken
    • Of which, at most 3 credits of required undergraduate 300-400 level CIVE courses may count toward the master’s degree if not required to satisfy background coursework
  • No lower-division credits (100-200 level) may be used to satisfy the graduate program requirements, but may be required as background courses
  • No credits used for one master’s degree may be used toward a second master’s degree
  • The final examination consists of a presentation (defense) describing the thesis research.
  • At least two M.S. Committee members must be tenured or tenure-track faculty within the CSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The M.S. Committee shall include the student’s M.S. Advisor, who serves as Chair of the Committee, one member in the field of specialization, and one outside member from another department. The outside M.S. Committee member represents the Graduate School.
  • Visit the Graduate School website for more information on committee requirements.

Engineering Report Option Overview

The engineering report option (non-thesis Plan B) provides an opportunity for students to investigate an applied topic within their chosen academic subdiscipline.

The scope and depth of an engineering report is less than that of a thesis. However, the report must be at a professional level with the scope agreed upon between the student, faculty advisor, and student’s graduate committee. The completion of the engineering report exemplifies the development of skills in the synthesis and analysis of data and information beyond what is typically available through coursework. There is no publication requirement for this degree program.

A total of 32 credits of approved graduate work must be completed, meeting the following requirements:

  • At least 24 credits must be earned at Colorado State University, of which 21 credits must be earned after admission to CSU Graduate School (see transfer requirements)
  • At least 16 credits must be regular graduate-level (500-level and above) civil and environmental engineering courses (courses with a CIVE prefix and are 500-level and above with the last two digits 00-82, e.g. CIVE 655)
    • Of which, at most 3 credits of independent study are allowed (CIVE 595 or CIVE 695) in addition to the engineering report
  • At most 6 credit hours of undergraduate 300-400 level coursework may be taken
    • Of which, at most 3 credit hours of required undergraduate 300-400 level CIVE courses may count toward the master’s degree if not required to satisfy background coursework
  • No lower-division credits (100-200 level) may be used to satisfy the graduate program requirements, but may be required as background courses
  • No credits used for one master’s degree may be used toward a second master’s degree
  • The final examination consists of the engineering report presentation.
  • At least two M.S. Committee members must be tenured or tenure-track faculty within the CSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The M.S. Committee shall include the student’s M.S. Advisor, who serves as Chair of the Committee, one member in the field of specialization, and one outside member from another department. The outside M.S. Committee member represents the Graduate School.
  • Visit the Graduate School website for more information on committee requirements.

Graduate Admission and Program Details

Prospective students can learn more about our requirements, objectives, and program details.

Apply Now

Start your graduate application today!

Advising and Graduate Student Resources

Current students can schedule an appointment with the graduate advisor and access tools to help plan their academic journey.

100% Online Options

We offer fully online graduate programs and courses to meet the diverse needs of our students.

Student working on laptop.
Headshot of Julianne Robinson.

Graduate Assistantships

Our department offers Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) and our faculty offer Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) based on availability of funds to M.S. and Ph.D. students.