Civil Engineering, MEng

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The CEE department admissions requirements for the Master of Engineering (MEng) degree program are as follows:

Have a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or closely related engineering science discipline from an accredited college or university.

Good academic standing in the academic institution last attended.
A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, on all work attempted as an upper division student (beyond 60 semester credit hours).
Satisfy at least one of the following: 1) Graduate record examination (GRE) minimum percentile ranks of 25% (score of 144) on the verbal reasoning section and 65% (score of
153) on the quantitative section; for valid GRE tests taken prior to August 2011, minimum of 370 on the verbal reasoning section and 680 on the quantitative reasoning section; 2) evidence of passing the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) or Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam; or 3) hold PE licensure in any state.
Three letters of recommendation from academics or professionals attesting to the M.Eng. studies potential of the applicant.
Statement of purpose describing reasons for pursuing the Master of Engineering degree and career goals.
International students whose native language is not English will be required to pass TOEFL examination and demonstrate proficiency in English prior to admission per university guidelines. The minimum score is 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 80 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This requirement may be waived for students who have obtained a prior degree from a U.S. institution.

The Master of Engineering (MEng) in Civil Engineering provides students with additional training in advanced civil engineering topics, management, and professional issues. The MEng degree option is ideal for students who will pursue a master’s degree part-time or for full-time students who desire an option for accelerated completion within one year.

Curriculum

The MEng curriculum includes a total of 30 semester hours of coursework. For all courses in the curriculum, students must satisfy prerequisites to enroll in a course. Students entering the major without a civil or environmental engineering degree also must satisfy a set of articulation courses.

The specialty (depth) area courses provide students advanced training beyond the bachelor’s degree in a specific civil engineering sub-discipline. The majority of the specialty area courses should be taken from the CEE department. A minimum of 15 credit hours of specialty (depth) is required in the MEng curriculum.

The supplementary electives are intended to assist the student with developing complementary multidisciplinary and professional skills required in the civil engineering profession. Supplementary electives may include courses from other civil and environmental engineering areas outside of the chosen specialty, as well as courses from other disciplines that support the professional development focus of the MEng Example supplementary electives outside of engineering include courses in the sciences, mathematics, statistics, computer/computational science, social sciences, public policy, urban and regional planning, business, and law. A minimum of 12 credit hours of supplementary electives is required in the MEng curriculum.

Mathematics and quantitative skills are critical in civil engineering work. Therefore, a student is required to take at least one course (a minimum of three (3) credit hours) in mathematics, statistics, or computational science in the MEng curriculum.

Major Professor

The MEng student selects a major professor, who agrees to serve as the advisor for the Master of Engineering study, by the end of the first semester. The major professor must be a full-time CEE faculty with Graduate Directive status. The major professor oversees and guides the student in the Master of Engineering study and recommends granting of the degree.

Plan of Study

The MEng student, in consultation with his/her major professor, is required to submit an approved Plan of Study to the departmental Graduate Committee by the end of the first semester. The Plan of Study includes a list of proposed courses and a time schedule for completion of these courses. Upon recommendation of the Graduate Committee, the Department Chair will approve the proposed Plan of Study. The Plan of Study is used by the student and major professor as a guideline throughout the student’s M.Eng. study and must be updated and approved if changes occur.

Degree requirement Certification

The MEng degree candidate must submit an approved Degree Requirement Certification form to the CEE department by the beginning of the final semester of coursework. The form certifies that the student has satisfied all degree requirements as set forth in the latest approved Plan of Study. If courses shown in the Degree Certification form differ from those shown in the latest approved Plan of Study, the department will not approve the Certification form.

Comprehensive Exam

In partial fulfillment of degree requirements, MEng students must pass the comprehensive exam. The purpose of the MEng comprehensive exam is to evaluate the student’s skills and knowledge (fundamental, applied, and theoretical) in advanced civil engineering topics within the selected specialty area and required for practicing engineers. The MEng student must register for the course CGN 5931 MEng Comprehensive Exam (zero-credit hour, pass/fail grading). The MEng comprehensive exam is administered during the final semester of coursework by the student’s major professor (advisor). The MEng comprehensive exam is a 24-hour, take-home exam, with the content focused on the student’s specialty area of study, as identified in the Plan of Study. In general, the exam will consist of 4-6 questions that are similar in depth and format as final exams. A score of 70% or higher is required to pass the MEng comprehensive exam. If a student does not pass the exam during the first attempt, a second attempt is permitted and should be done within a semester.

Suggested Timeline and Checklist

A suggested timeline for completion of MEng degree requirements and milestones checklist is provided in the Department’s Graduate handbook. For more detailed information, please see the CEE Graduate Handbook which is available on the department website at www.eng.fsu.edu.