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Civil Engineering M.S.C.E.

Total Semester Credit Hours = 30

Admission Requirements

Students entering the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE) program are expected to have a background equivalent to that of students graduating from the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) program offered at The University of Texas at Tyler, or have obtained such background through specified prerequisite coursework.

In addition to the general requirements for admission to graduate study at The University of Texas at Tyler, to be admitted to the MSCE program a student must meet the following admission requirements.

  1. Satisfactory score on the General Test (verbal and quantitative) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or three years of U.S. only engineering experience.
  2. Satisfactory grade point average on the student’s last four semesters of academic study and last 60 semester credit hours of upper division undergraduate or graduate courses.
  3. A bachelor’s degree in a Civil Engineering program accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission. Students who have not earned such a degree will be required to complete prerequisite coursework before starting the MSCE program as determined by the MSCE Graduate Coordinator.
  4. A demonstrated proficiency in the use of the English language, both spoken and written.
  5. Approval of the MSCE Graduate Coordinator and the Chair, Department of Civil Engineering.

Consideration for admission to the Master of Science in Civil Engineering program may also be given to one or more of the following: the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to his or her chosen field of study, socioeconomic background, first generation college graduate, multilingual proficiency, geographic region of residence, and level of responsibility in other matters including extracurricular activities, employment, community service, and family responsibilities.

Graduation Requirements

There are four options to earning the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE): (1) research option, (2) professional practice option, (3) technical and management development option, and Bachelors to Masters (Straight through 4+1) BSCE/MSCE.

Regardless of option selected, a student must complete one three credit hour graduate course focused in analytical methods or a graduate level mathematics course.  This course must be approved by the faculty advisor, department graduate coordinator or the department chair. At least 50 percent of the required total credit hours applied to the MSCE, excluding thesis or design project, must be Civil Engineering courses and at least two-thirds of the credit hours applied to the degree must be taught by a department within the College of Engineering. No more than three credit hours of independent study courses may be applied to the degree. The student must attain an average of 3.0 GPA on all course work applied to the MSCE. The program options and additional degree requirements are as follows:

Option 1 – Research (30 SCH)

Students must successfully complete at least 24 semester credit hours of graduate coursework, including at least three courses in a primary area of study within civil engineering, successfully complete at least six credit hours of graduate thesis research, successfully prepare a research thesis, and pass a final oral examination that is primarily focused on the research thesis but may also address coursework. The final examination will be administered by the student's graduate academic committee. This program option is intended primarily for students who wish to conduct research and expand civil engineering knowledge. (This is the only degree option for which graduate assistantships are available.)

Option 2 – Professional Practice (30 SCH)

Students must successfully complete at least 27 semester credit hours of graduate coursework, including at least three courses in a primary area of study within civil engineering, and at least three semester credit hours of graduate capstone design that culminates in the preparation of a design project report. Depending upon the student's previous background, a course in management may be required, because the focus of this degree option is professional practice. Further, each student must pass the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination and must pass a final oral examination that is focused on the graduate design project. The final examination will be administered by the student's graduate academic committee. This degree option is intended primarily for students who intend to practice civil engineering at the professional level.

Option 3 – Technical and Management Development (30 SCH)

Students must successfully complete at least 30 semester credit hours of graduate coursework, including at least three courses in a primary area of study within civil engineering and at least one course (but not more than two) developing business management and engineering management skills. At least two Civil Engineering courses used for the program must be graduate design courses. Further, students must pass a final comprehensive written and/or oral examination that addresses the student's undergraduate and graduate education. The final examination will be coordinated by the student's graduate academic advisor. This degree option is intended primarily for students in practice who want to enhance their technical skills and to develop management skills.

Bachelors to Masters (Straight thru 4+1) BSCE/MSCE (30 SCH)

The path to the MSCE is available only to UT Tyler undergraduate students intending to complete a Master’s of Science in Civil Engineering contiguous with their BSCE degree.  This option is intended as a degree which shares some of the undergraduate courses (6 semester credit hours) in a graduate career enrollment. BSCE students must enter the MSCE program and complete the MSCE portion of the program without interruption.  The completion of this path may use either Option 1 or Option 2 above (Thesis or Project) both are comprised of 30 SCH degree plans. This completion pathway is not available for the Option 3 (Course Work only). Students interested in the 4+1 pathway must apply for consideration through the Civil Engineering program and admission to the graduate school. Students will be provisionally admitted to the 4+1 in the spring of the senior year, and fully admitted once completing the BSCE and meeting all admission requirements for the MSCE program. Students will be eligible to complete 6 SCH of graduate course work during their undergraduate enrollment.  6 of these semester credit hours will count toward both the completion of the BSCE and the MSCE degrees.  Upon awarding of the BSCE the 6 hours will then transfer into the Graduate Career for the MSCE degree. Work completed during the senior year may be counted towards the design or technical elective requirements of the BSCE degree.  Student’s considering the BS (4+1) pathway must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher and must submit a personal statement for review.  Additionally, the student will be required to apply for the 4+1 in the fall of their senior year.  The program requires the completion of a project (CENG 5393) or a Thesis (CENG 5395 & CENG 5396). Students wishing to continue towards the 4+1 completion will be required to enroll in 2 graduate level courses during the spring of their senior year. These will be carried as electives into both the BSCE and MSCE careers.

Transfer of Credit

A student may transfer a maximum of 9 semester hours of graduate credit in which a grade of "B" or better has been earned from approved institutions. Transfer credit is subject to the approval of the student's advisor and departmental chair.

Student Outcomes

Master of Science in Civil Engineering students at the time of graduation are expected to:

  1. Apply fundamental knowledge of specialized mechanical engineering concepts and modern engineering tools in solving engineering problems. 
  2. Demonstrate independent self-learning and research capabilities for solving engineering problems. 
  3. Recognize their professional responsibility with the society, environment, engineering ethics, and lifelong learning. 
  4. Demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate results from engineering problems or other intellectual products.