The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers graduate programs of study and research leading to three degrees:
- Master of Civil Engineering (M.C.E.)
- Master of Applied Sciences (M.A.S.)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil Engineering
The M.C.E. degree emphasizes civil engineering, while the M.A.S. is for students not having engineering as first degrees. The Ph.D. is aimed at training the graduate student in research within a chosen topic. All three degrees are based on the student completing an individually designed program of courses and writing a thesis. An MCE nonthesis master's degree option is also available, typically for students with professional experience. Students selecting the nonthesis option are not eligible for financial support from the University.
All graduate students work in close cooperation with the faculty, and the department has extensive facilities for research and graduate study in all the areas of concentration. Laboratories specifically devoted to research in environmental engineering include facilities for study of chemical and physical aspects of water and wastewater purification with specialized equipment for analysis of fluid particle suspensions and particle technology, heavy metal and toxic waste removal and biological engineering aspects of water pollution control.
The structures laboratories include an excellent range of equipment for static, dynamic and fatigue testing, and a modern concrete testing facility. The geotechnical laboratory has state-of-the-art equipment for testing soils and geotextiles.
The department's research is extensively funded through many contracts from federal agencies, the state and private engineering sponsors. The department houses the Center for Applied Coastal Research, the Center for Innovative Bridge Engineering, the Center for the Study of Metals in the Environment, and the Delaware Center for Transportation.
Current UD undergraduate students can be considered for admission to 4+1 programs encompassing the bachelor of civil engineering (B.C.E.) or bachelor of environmental engineering (B.Env.), i.e. the 4+1 B.C.E./M.C.E. or the 4+1 B.Env./M.C.E.
A dual degree in the MBA and M.C.E. programs is available to graduate students (M.C.E./MBA).