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Masters Degree Requirements

There are four options under which a student may complete a master's degree

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

* 12 to 18 hours in the major focus area,

* 6 to 12 hours in minor focus areas, and

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


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

* 15 to 21 hours in the major focus area

* 6 to 12 hours in 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. The M.S.E. "Course-only Option with Independent Study" requires at least 30 hours of credit, including:

* 15 to 21 hours in the major focus area

* 6 to 12 hours in minor focus areas, and

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


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

* 15 to 24 hours in the major focus area, and

* 6 to 15 hours in minor focus areas.

Students not supported on sponsored research projects or a University fellowship may elect any of the four options. Most Master'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 a report to the research sponsor. Options 2 and 3 are appropriate for students interested in a broader education and thus take more courses in related minor focus areas. Master'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.

One-Year M.S.E. Degree

Students interested in graduating with a master's degree in one year may choose option 3 (course-only with independent study) or 4 (course-only). 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 Master'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, thus securing 30 credit hours in one year.

Doctoral Requirements

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 Master'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 engineering. Successful candidates must demonstrate proficiency in written English and pass three examinations:

(1) English Proficiency
The objective of the English proficiency requirement is to ensure that all Ph.D. candidates possess the writing skills necessary for effective technical communication before embarking on the dissertation writing process. English proficiency should be demonstrated in one of three ways:

Students who cannot demonstrate proficiency on the basis of their GRE analytical writing score must either retake the GRE or enroll in an approved technical writing course in their first semester as a Ph.D. student. CE397 Advanced Communication Skill for International Students; CE389C Advanced Engineering Communication; or an acceptable Graduate School (GRS) course are the only technical writing courses approved at this time.

 (2) Qualifying Examination
This oral examination is administered by a committee of three faculty members, including one from outside of geotechnical engineering. The Qualifying Exam is used to evaluate capabilities and to help the student select appropriate courses. This exam also serves to identify those few students who clearly are not qualified to complete our degree requirements. The qualifying exam should be taken in the first semester of Ph.D. study.

(3) Comprehensive Examination
This second examination involves an extensive discussion of the proposed dissertation work but also tests the candidate's knowledge in geotechnical engineering. The exam typically includes a written description of the proposed dissertation research with an oral presentation to the student's supervising committee. This serves to define the dissertation topic in a public forum. The Comprehensive Exam is typically taken about one to two years into the program when most of the course work has been completed, but before completing the bulk of the dissertation research.

(4) Dissertation Defense
The third and final exam is the defense of the dissertation presented to the student's supervising committee. The defense is held at the end of the program.

The doctoral supervising committee consists of at least five professors, including the student's advisor and at least one professor from outside of Civil Engineering.

Courses

We offer a variety of courses, which cover nearly all aspects of geotechnical engineering.

Undergraduate Courses

Students may take some undergraduate courses as part of their coursework for an advanced degree. The advanced undergraduate courses in geotechnical engineering are:

Syllabi for undergraduate courses may be found by searching The University's course syllabi and instructor CV system.

Graduate Courses

The graduate academic program in geotechnical engineering consists of formal courses, seminars, special problems courses, and occasional special courses offered by internationally recognized scholars. Students may enter the graduate program at the start of any semester during the year (Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters). The courses and the faculty members who generally teach the course are listed below.

Related Courses

Graduate students in geotechnical engineering can choose from an extensive array of classes at The University of Texas at Austin to fulfill the requirements for coursework in supporting areas. A partial list of suitable courses is given here. Students are encouraged to investigate the University's undergraduate and graduate course catalogs for other classes to broaden their graduate education.