Master of Science (MS) Degree in the field of Civil Engineering

MS Degree in the field of Civil Engineering

Upon completing the MS degree in the field of Civil Engineering, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a solid foundation in civil and environmental engineering at the graduate level. 
2. Acquire advanced knowledge of the principles of civil and environmental engineering and apply them to advanced technical problems. 
3. Conduct an independent research program. 
4. Demonstrate professional written and oral communication skills. 

MS Degree in field of Civil Engineering

MS degree is a thesis master's degree. For general university requirements, please see Thesis Master’s Degrees. Students pursuing MS degree in field of Civil Engineering must:

• Complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at 500-level or above) to satisfy degree requirements. 
• Complete a minimum of 24 credit hours at Rice University from approved graduate-level courses and 6 credit hours of thesis research.
  • Core courses contribute to breadth, depth, and minimum competency as civil and environmental engineers. For students focusing on civil, structural engineering and mechanics, coursework must include at least one course in each of following areas: structural mechanics and FEM, structural dynamic systems, earthquake engineering, probabilistic mechanics, and applied mathematics. Comparable coursework completed previously may be substituted for these core courses. Students must obtain  a minimum GPA of 3.00 with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each core course.
• Select a thesis committee according to departmental requirements and conduct original research in consultation with committee.
• Present and defend in oral examination an approved research thesis.

Students take oral exam only after committee determines thesis to be in a written format acceptable for public defense. Normally, students take two academic years and intervening summer to complete degree.

Students intending to extend their studies into PhD degree program should note that department does not grant an automatic (candidacy) MS degree to candidates who have not written a satisfactory master’s thesis.

The English Language Proficiency Requirement may be waived for an international student who received a degree from an institution in which English is the official language of communication. Contact the admitting program for more information.

The following language proficiency tests are accepted by Rice graduate programs and will be used to assess English language proficiency. Please note the below scores are the minimum requirement, though some program requirements will be higher.

• The TOEFL IBT Home. A minimum score of 90 is required
• IELTS Indicator. A minimum score of 7 is required.
• Duolingo. A minimum score of 115 is required.

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