Civil Engineering, MS

Department Chair/Program Director:

Dr. Ossama “Sam” Salem, 151 Link Hall, omsalem@syr.edu, 315-443-2311

Civil Engineering Faculty

Riyad S. Aboutaha, Hossein Ataei, Shobha K. Bhatia, Eric M. Lui, Dawit Negussey, Ossama “Sam” Salem, Baris Salman

Program Description

The graduate programs in civil engineering at Syracuse University have earned a reputation for superior quality and placing students at the center of attention. Degree recipients working in the public sector, private industry, and academic institutions have made important contributions to the profession. The Civil Engineering program provides coursework and research opportunities in structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, infrastructure management, sustainable development, and construction engineering and management.

In addition to these core areas, the students and faculty in the Civil Engineering program engage in interdisciplinary teaching and research, expanding the opportunities available to graduate students. The department is home to the Center for Environmental Systems Engineering, which serves faculty in environmental, chemical, and mechanical engineering with a shared interest in environmental systems. The Geofoam Research Center is also administered in the department. We also have a collaborative degree program with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and we engage in joint teaching with faculty in the School of Architecture, the Whitman School of Management, and at SUNY-ESF.

The M.S. degree in Civil Engineering is a flexible and individually structured program with either a thesis or non-thesis option. Students anticipating further graduate study at the doctoral level should pursue the thesis option. Applicants will also have the option of selecting one of three available tracks; Construction Engineering and Management, Geotechnical Engineering, or Structural Engineering. Students usually complete the M.S. degree within one to two years.

Admission Requirements

B.S. in Civil Engineering or the equivalent from an accredited institution. Candidates with undergraduate degrees in another field must have their programs evaluated to determine if additional undergraduate courses are to be included in their program of study.
At least a 3.0 in a 4.0 rating system or equivalent in the B.S. program coursework.
Satisfactory scores on all required graduate entrance examinations. A TOEFL score of 80 or higher is required for international students.
Departmental approval.

Program Requirements

Programs are planned by the students in consultation with their advisors. At least half of the coursework must be at or above the 600 level. Students who have taken the lower level of a double-numbered course (e.g., a course offered at the 400 and 600 levels) may not take the higher level of the same course for credit.

M.S. candidates may transfer a maximum of 6 credits from other institutions. They are expected to complete their entire program within five calendar years of their admission.

Thesis and non-thesis options are available. Students anticipating further graduate study at the doctoral level should pursue the thesis option.

Requirements with Thesis (30 credits)

Completion of 9 credits of core courses in either structural, geotechnical or construction engineering. These required courses are specified in the Graduate Program Profile, available in the department office.
Elective coursework satisfying distributional requirements, as specified in the Graduate Program Profile.
CIE 997 - Masters Thesis for 6 credits.
Defense of thesis.
Participation in the faculty/student seminar program (CIE 660 ).

Requirements without Thesis (30 credits)

Completion of 9 credits of core courses in either structural, geotechnical or construction engineering. These required courses are specified in the Graduate Program Profile, available in the department office.
Elective coursework satisfying distributional requirements, as specified in the Graduate Program Profile.
Complete one of the following:
CIE 996 - Master’s Project (3 credits)
CIE 995 - Master’s Exit Paper (0 credits) and one additional elective course (3 credits).
Participation in the faculty/student seminar program (CIE 660 ).

Additional Information:

The Master’s project must address a topic in civil engineering approved by the advisor and at least one additional reader.

The exit paper must address a topic related to their specialty. The paper can be original research work or it can be a critical review of a published journal article. The paper has a minimum length of 2000 words and requires approval of the student’s advisor.