Master of Engineering (ME) or Master of Science (MS) Degree in Civil Engineering with Specialization in Geosystems Engineering

Introduction

Within the geosystems engineering field, employers often seek out our graduates with master’s degrees. They have high expectations regarding the skills and capabilities that our graduates bring with them into industry. Consequently, we offer a specialization in geosystems engineering within the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering. The following requirements, in addition to the minimum requirements imposed by the UF Graduate School, must be met for graduation.

Course Requirements

Master’s students specializing in Geosystems Engineering (GE) are expected to satisfy the following minimum coursework requirements and procedures. Upon admission, a GE faculty member is assigned as your advisor.

Regardless of whether you are pursuing a Thesis or Non-Thesis degree, you must complete the Master’s Program Plan of Study (PPS), which is posted on the ESSIE website.  You must request the use of transfer credits toward your degree program on the PPS and obtain approval, as indicated by the advisor’s signature on the PPS. You will have an advising hold until your first PPS has been submitted based on these timeframes:  Masters non-thesis submission is required by midterm of the first semester; Master’s thesis by midterm of the second semester.  Before the registration periods of subsequent semesters, contact your advisor for approval of your proposed course selection for the upcoming semester, along with any changes in your PPS. You or your advisor need to  submit your PPS (original or revised) to gradforms@essie.ufl.edu for processing.

Additional requirements may be imposed by the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering or the University of Florida Graduate School; therefore, the student should consult the Civil and Coastal Engineering Graduate Student Handbook for additional information.

Non-thesis Master’s degree

Non-thesis students obtaining a Master’s of Science degree must satisfy the final exam requirements by submitting a completed term project that earned a grade of B or better from any of the GE courses (core or elective) listed in the coursework requirements. Projects from outside the curriculum will not be considered. Projects are to be submitted to the student’s advisor for approval and must be comprehensive in nature. Master of Engineering students are not required to complete the final examination per the Graduate Catalog.

Thesis Master’s degree-seeking students:

A thesis master’s degree-seeking student is required to have a supervisory committee. That committee must consist of a minimum of two members, a chair (usually the advisor) and at least one additional member. The full committee should be formed by the mid-term of the second semester. If a minor is designated, the committee must include a graduate faculty member from the minor department.

Grades & Graduation

Per the University of Florida Graduate School Policy, students must have an overall GPA of 3.00 and an overall 3.00 GPA within the departmental courses to be eligible for graduation.

Coursework Requirements

Courses are selected to ensure students obtain a minimum level of competency in geosystems engineering. After the ESSIE core course requirements are met for geosystems, additional ESSIE core and/or elective courses must be chosen in consultation with advisors.

MS or ME with Thesis

A minimum of 30 credit hours with a minimum of 24 hours of course work and 6 hours Masters Research (CGN 6971) with a written master’s thesis and final oral defense. Enrollment of 3 credit hours (Fall/Spring) or 2 credit hours (Summer) of Masters Research (CGN 6971) is required during the final/graduating semester. Coursework should satisfy the ESSIE core and electives and other electives criteria indicated below.

MS or ME with Coursework Only (non-thesis)

Minimum 30 total semester hours of coursework. Coursework should satisfy the ESSIE core, electives and other electives criteria indicated below.

ESSIE Core Courses (15 credits required)

• CEG6117 Advanced Deep Foundation Design
• CEG5114 Advanced Geotechnical Aspects of Landfill Design
• CEG6015 Advanced Soil Mechanics
• CEG6116 Advanced Shallow Foundation Design
• CGN 6905 Computational Poromechanics
• CGN 6905 Computational Inelasticity
• CEG6515 Earth Retaining Systems and Slope Stability
• CEG5115 Foundation Design
• CEG6405 Seepage in Soils
• CEG5205C In situ Measurement of Soil Properties
• CGN 6905 Nondestructive Testing & Geophysics Methods
• CGN 6905 Unsaturated Soil Mechanics
• CGN 6905 Ground Modification Design

ESSIE Electives

• ENV 6932 Applied Practice in Beneficial Use of Waste Materials
• ENV 5306 Municipal Refuse Disposal
• ENV 6617 Principals of Green Engineering and Sustainability
• ENV 6052 Immiscible Fluids
• ENV 6932 Absorption Phenomenon
• CES 5116 Finite elements in Civil Engineering

Non ESSIE Electives

As geosystems engineering is highly interdisciplinary, the graduate students are encouraged to choose electives from other branches of civil and environmental engineering and a variety of other disciplines including but not limited to: Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Geology, Soil Sciences and Physics. Students must choose non ESSIE electives in consultation with their advisors.

Non availability of courses:

If any of the courses are not available for reasons such as faculty members’ sabbatical the GE faculty will recommend appropriate alternatives on a case-by-case basis.