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Masters Degree Requirements

There are three four options under which a student may complete a master's degree:1.

1. The M.S. "Thesis Option" requires at least 30 hours of credit, including:

  * 12 to 18 hours in geotechnical engineeringthe major focus area,

  * 6 to 12 hours in one or two supporting minor focus areas, and

  * 6 hours for thesis research and writing. Requires a second professor to serve as a thesis reader.2.

1. The M.S." Report Option" requires at least 30 hours of credit, including:

  * 18 15 to 21 hours in geotechnical engineeringthe major focus area

  * 6 to 9 12 hours in one or more supporting minor focus areas, and

  * 3-credit-hour report to the Graduate School or 3-credit-hour report to the CAEE Department. Requires a second professor to serve as a report reader.3.

1. The M.S. "Course-only Option with Independent Study" requires at least 30 hours of credit, including:

  * 15 to 21 hours in geotechnical engineering,the major focus area

  * 6 to 9 12 hours in one or more supporting minor focus areas, and

  * 3-credit-hour Special Studies (Independent Study) class . Does does not require a second professor to serve as a reader.4.

1. The M.S. "Course-only Option" requires at least 30 hours of credit, including:

  * 18 15 to 24 hours in geotechnical engineeringthe major focus area, and

  * 6 to 12 hours in one or more supporting areas
15 hours in minor focus areas.

We offer at least three graduate Geotechnical courses each Fall and Spring Semesters, with an additional Engineering Geology course in the Summer. Students wanting to graduate with the M.S. coursework option in one year (Fall+Spring+Summer) usually enroll in these seven courses and one additional course per semester outside Geotechnical engineering, supporting their major and minor focus areas.

Students not supported on sponsored research projects or a University fellowship may elect any of the four options. Most M.S. students, especially those holding University fellowships or research assistantships, are encouraged to complete Option 1. Students with research assistantships generally write a thesis that also serves as the a report to the research sponsor. Students who are not supported on sponsored research projects or a University fellowship may elect either the thesis option or a report option. Options 2 and 3 are particularly appropriate for students interested in a broader education and thus wanting to take more courses in related fieldsminor focus areas. M.S. students are supervised by one member of the Geotechnical engineering faculty, with at least one other professor serving as the thesis or report reader. Options 3 and 4 are particularly appropriate for students interested in graduation in one year.

M.S. students are supervised by one member of the geotechnical Geotechnical engineering faculty, with at least one other professor serving as the thesis or report reader.

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The Ph.D. program has no formal course requirements. We generally expect students to complete a minimum of 16 graduate courses, including courses taken elsewhere and courses taken for the M.S. degree. The appropriate courses to complete are selected in consultation with the student's advisor and supervising committee, and should include some coursework in a supporting area outside of geotechnical Geotechnical engineering. Successful candidates must demonstrate proficiency in written English and pass three examinations:

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Students may take some undergraduate courses as part of their course work for an advanced degree. The advanced undergraduate courses in geotechnical engineering , and the professors who have taught them recently are:

• CE 357 - Geotechnical Engineering
  Index properties and classification of soils; soil permeability and pore water movement; stresses in soil and the effective stress concept; soil compressibility, consolidation, and settlements; shear strength of soil; engineering soil properties and their measurement. Fall and Spring semesters.
• CE 360K - Foundation Engineering
  Effect of geotechnical conditions on the behavior, proportioning, and choice of foundation type; design of shallow and deep foundations; study of foundation case histories. Fall and Spring semesters.
• CE 375 - Earth Slopes & Retaining Structures
  Earth fills, excavations, and dams; soil compaction, ground improvement, and slope stability; seepage and dewatering; study of earth-pressure theories; design of earth-retaining structures. Spring semesters.

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