Civil Engineering

The Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department, established in 1881, is internationally recognized for excellence in the preparation of undergraduate and graduate engineers through the integration of education, research, and leadership. In 2015, the Civil Engineering undergraduate program was ranked 15th by U.S. News and World Report, the graduate program in Civil Engineering was ranked 21st, and the graduate program in Environmental Engineering was ranked 20th. More than 400 juniors and seniors are enrolled in the undergraduate program, and approximately 210 students in the graduate program, with about half pursuing doctoral degrees. Penn State is a large research university, and the CEE Department, with its 26 tenure track faculty members and five full time instructors, performs over $7,000,000 of research annually, and 33,000 peer reviewed paper citations indexed by Thomson’s Web of Science. The Department’s faculty has received a number of prestigious honors including NAE membership and 7 NSF CAREER awards.

The CEE graduate program offers six graduate degrees: Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), Master of Science (M.S.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in either Civil Engineering or in Environmental Engineering. Within Civil Engineering, graduate students can specialize in one of four areas: Geotechnical and Materials Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, or Water Resources Engineering. Students with interests in both Water Resources Engineering and Environmental Engineering may choose either the Civil or Environmental degree options. To earn each of graduate degree requires the student to meet specific requirements of both the Pennsylvania State University Graduate School and the Department of CEE. 

The M.S. degree program is strongly oriented toward research. A thesis is required, and at least 6 credits of thesis research (C E 600 or 610) must be included in the candidate's academic course plan. A minimum of 31 graduate credits (400-level and above) are required, of which 20 must be earned at an established campus of the University. A minimum of 24 credits of course work are required, with at least 12 credits of course work (400 and 500 level) completed within the major (i.e., with C E courses prefixes). At least 18 credits must be included in the program at the 500 and 600 levels, combined. Specific core courses are required depending on the specialization within the department. Students are not permitted to count audited credits toward the minimum credits required for the degree. All students are also required to take the 1-credit CE 590 Colloquium and complete all requirements for Scholarship and Research Integrity (SARI) training.

Course work taken outside the major program area of emphasis can be used to satisfy the minimum of 6 credits in a minor or general study. A minor program must meet the approval of the departments or committees responsible for both the major and minor fields. Completion of a graduate minor is not a requirement for the M.S. degree.

The M.S. thesis should explore new ideas and techniques. Thus, the research topic is expected to investigate as yet unexplored areas of engineering, to extend the knowledge available, and advance the level of understanding of a relevant issue. Emphasis should be placed on the generalization of research findings and overall transferability to engineering problems.

M.S. in Civil Engineering

All students entering the M.S. degree in Civil Engineering must select and declare a program area aligned with their research interests. The four program areas are Geotechnical and Materials Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources Engineering. Each program area has specific core course requirements (Tables VI.1 to VI.4).

Table VI.4. Core course requirements for the M.S. in Civil Engineering in the Water Resources Engineering program. All students must take a minimum of one course associated with each topic area.

For any graduate degree offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, candidates should possess a baccalaureate degree in engineering from a regionally accredited institution. Students in engineering, physical sciences, or mathematics with a 3.00 grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale) may be considered for admission. Exceptions to the minimum 3.00 grade-point average may be made for students with special backgrounds, abilities, and interests. Students without a baccalaureate degree in engineering would be admitted on a provisional basis pending successful completion of entrance requirements (completed concurrently with degree requirements and listed below).

U.S. applicants will upload unofficial copies of their transcripts, a statement of objectives, and three references for letters of recommendation when applying to the program. If admitted, applicants will be required to provide the Graduate School with OFFICIAL transcripts of all their previous course work (in duplicate). In addition, all applicants must submit scores from the General Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Aptitude Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical). For the M.Eng. degree, the GRE requirement will be waived for students who have graduated with a degree from the College of Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University with a cumulative grade-point average of greater than 3.30.

International applicants will upload unofficial copies of their transcripts, a statement of objectives, and three references for letters of recommendation when applying to the program. If admitted, applicants will be required to provide the Graduate School with OFFICIAL transcripts (or attested copies), degree, and diploma certificates in both English and native language. Photocopies will NOT be accepted. All international applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires completion of specified remedial English courses ESL 114G (American Oral English for Academic Purposes) and/or ESL 116G (ESL/Composition for Academic Disciplines) and attainment of a grade of B or higher. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5 on all subjects. International applicants who have received a baccalaureate or master’s degree from a college, university, or institution in any of the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL requirement: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States, or Wales.

Scholarships

Assistantships

The most common form of graduate support, teaching and research assistantships, include a stipend, tuition remission, and a subsidy for medical insurance. Recipients are assigned to a faculty adviser who supervises the experience. Graduate assistants support undergraduate instruction or undertake research projects. A specified time commitment of 10-30 hours per week is required depending on the unit (a half-time/20 hour per week commitment is typical). Appointments are available only to graduate students who are registered for courses and enrolled in degree programs.

Fellowships

Fellowships are highly prestigious financial support packages that typically include a stipend, tuition remission, and a subsidy for medical insurance. They derive from University or outside awards. Unlike assistantships, they do not have a required work commitment; they are duty-free. Recipients must be enrolled in degree programs and be registered full time. Fellowship recipients are not permitted to accept employment without obtaining approval from the unit and/or agency supporting the fellowship.

Traineeships

Training grants are derived from agencies outside the University and are intended to support specific student learning experiences in core curricular areas and research methods. Institutional awards, typically under the direction of a faculty principal investigator, afford funding to support selected students with stipends, tuition grants-in-aid, and often include a subsidy for medical insurance.