Civil and Environmental Engineering

This research degree is open to students with undergraduate degrees in engineering or the physical or natural sciences. In addition to the satisfactory completion of an approved set of advanced courses, candidates for this degree must complete a six-credit thesis.

This thesis must provide documentation of an independent research-related effort and be approved by the student’s faculty adviser. Listed below are recommended core courses in each of the five civil engineering areas of concentration and in Environmental Engineering. M.S. candidates typically take all the courses listed below in their chosen area of concentration.

Geotechnical Engineering

• CIVL 6450 - Structural Dynamics Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6510 - Advanced Soil Mechanics Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6520 - Advanced Foundations and Earth Structures Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6540 - Dynamics of Soil and Soil-Foundation Systems Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6550 - Advanced Geoenvironmental Engineering Credit Hours: 3

Structural Engineering

• CIVL 4440 - Advanced Structural Analysis Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6310 - Advanced Concrete Structures Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6320 - Advanced Steel Design Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6450 - Structural Dynamics Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6490 - Earthquake Engineering Credit Hours: 3

Transportation Engineering

• CIVL 6220 - Critical Issues in Transportation Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6230 - Transportation Economics Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6240 - Intelligent Transportation Systems Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6250 - Transportation Systems Planning Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6260 - Transportation Network Analysis Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6270 - Traffic Control and Simulation Credit Hours: 3
• CIVL 6280 - Dynamic Traffic Models Credit Hours: 3

Environmental Engineering

• CIVL 6550 - Advanced Geoenvironmental Engineering Credit Hours: 3
• ENVE 4110 - Aqueous Geochemistry Credit Hours: 4
• ENVE 6110 - Advanced Groundwater Hydrology Credit Hours: 3
• ENVE 6140 - Stream Pollution Control Credit Hours: 3
• ENVE 6230 - Mathematical Modeling of Environmental Engineering Systems Credit Hours: 3

Additional Requirements

M.S. students and Ph.D. students in Civil Engineering are required to take CIVL 6900 Civil Engineering Graduate Seminar once. Course work only M.E. students are not required to take CIVL 6900. M.S. candidates in the environmental engineering discipline are also required to take additional courses in geochemistry and/or separations processes selected in consultation with his/her adviser.

Requirements

1. Nonrefundable application processing fee of $75.
2. Statement of Background and Goals
3. Resume or curriculum vitae.
4. Two letters of recommendation.
5. Writing samples, if required by department.
6. IT Background Evaluation form (IT only).
7. Copies of official test scores (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE)
8. Copies of official transcripts and evidence of degrees earned, in English and in the native language, of all post-secondary education (including transcript keys)
9. Copy of your passport (international students only)
10. TOEFL score of 230 CBT/88 iBT/570 PBT (IELTS 6.5 or PTE 60)
11. GRE general test

Scholarships

Teaching Assistants

Students assist Rensselaer faculty in their classroom and laboratory activities, gaining valuable experience as researchers, scholars, and teachers. Departments provide stipends and full-tuition waivers. Master’s students may spend a maximum of one year with internal support; doctoral students may spend a maximum of two years with internal support. Continued support can then be provided by means of research assistantships.

Research Assistants

Students work with the faculty in research-related tasks that further the student’s own graduate career and development as a researcher, scholar, and professional. Research assistants are paid a stipend and are given a full waiver of tuition.

Graduate Fellowships

Outstanding students may be awarded a university-supported Rensselaer Graduate Fellowship Award, which carries a full-tuition and fees scholarship and a minimum stipend of $21,500 per academic year. Students are nominated by their departments for Rensselaer Graduate Fellowship consideration.

Graduate Education Program (Russia)

Selected GEP Scholarship students are eligible for a renewable scholarship in the amount of 1,38 mln. rubles per year. Students in science and engineering fields are eligible for GEP funding. For application details and deadlines, please visit http://educationglobal.ru/en/. Applicants must be admitted to Rensselaer prior to finalizing the application for the GEP program.