2024-25 Academic Catalog

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Department Head: Dr. Isaac Howard (Interim)
Graduate Coordinators: Dr. John Ramirez-Avila and Dr. Ben Magbanua
235 Walker Hall
Box 9546
Mississippi State, MS 39762-9546
Telephone: 662-325-3050
E-mail: grad-coordinator@cee.msstate.edu
Website: http://www.cee.msstate.edu

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department offers programs of study leading to Masters and Doctoral degrees in Civil Engineering through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) with specializations in the following areas:

  • Construction Engineering and Management
  • Construction Materials Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Structural Engineering
  • Transportation Engineering
  • Water Resources Engineering 

The Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Civil and Environmental Engineering Laboratories include research capabilities in the following areas.

  • Construction Materials Evaluation
  • Environmental Analysis of Water and Soils
  • Structural Systems Analysis
  • Soil Mechanics Evaluation
  • Structural Systems Analysis
  • Transportation System Modeling
  • Water Resources Characterization

The basic requirements for graduate studies and degrees are established by Mississippi State University (MSU) and are found in the Graduate Bulletin. Additional requirements and procedures established by the CEE Faculty are described below. Where there is a conflict, the Bulletin takes precedence. For information about the graduate program contact: Graduate Coordinator.

Review of Applications

Applications for the on-campus Master of Science (M.S.) in Civil Engineering degree program, and all campuses for the Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering with a Civil Engineering Concentration (Ph.D.) degree program are reviewed three times a year, March 15 for Fall semester admission, September 15 for Spring semester admission, and January 15 for Summer semester admission. Applications for the off-campus M.S. degree program may be considered for review up to two months after the above deadlines.

Admission Criteria

Applicants are admitted to graduate study in the CEE upon approval of the Graduate School, the Departmental Graduate Coordinator, and the Department's Graduate Faculty. Admission is based on the criteria listed below.

Admission requires that the applicant be accepted by a faculty member in their sub-discipline area who is willing to serve as their major professor. Applicants are encouraged to appropriate faculty after completion of the application.

GRE scores are required for all applicants who do not have an EAC/ABET-accredited civil, construction, or environmental engineering degree. There is not a minimum required GRE score for admission as the admission decision is not based on any one single factor. However, the score should be competitive, and successful applicants to the CEE graduate program typically have a GRE score of 157 or higher on the Quantitative Reasoning section of the exam. (Note: GRE test scores are only valid for five years.)

Regular Admission

Prerequisites for regular admission into Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering's graduate program include all of the general requirements of the Office of the Graduate School.  Regular admission requires that the applicant have a Bachelor of Science (B.S., Master of Science (M.S.), or Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Civil Engineering. The qualifying degree program must provide the applicant with the core competencies of the sub-discipline in which the applicant wishes to focus their graduate studies. The minimum GPA for regular admission into the CEE graduate program is 3.00 on a 4.00 scale as computed for courses that comprise the last two academic years of the qualifying undergraduate degree. For applicants required to demonstrate English proficiency, they must obtain a minimum TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 79 iBT.  As an alternative, an international student may take the IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) exam on which they must obtain a minimum score of 6.5.  

Contingent Admission

Applicants meeting University requirements for admission but failing to meet the department’s requirements for regular admission may be considered for contingent admission.  Applicants who have undergraduate or graduate degrees in engineering-related disciplines may be admitted on contingent status. The minimum GPA required for contingent admission to the CEE graduate program is 2.75 (A=4.00).  For applicants required to demonstrate English proficiency, they must obtain a minimum TOEFL score of 69 iBT. As an alternative, an international student may take the IELTS exam on which they must obtain a minimum score of 6.0. If the applicant tails to achieve the minimum score for regular admission, satisfactory completion of an "English as a Second Language" (ESL) course, ESL 5323, will be required. Those receiving contingent admission are eligible to receive Graduate Teaching and Graduate Research  Assistantships. Within the first award enrollment period, the student must satisfy the requirements to obtain regular admission status. An assistantship award will be terminated if these requirements are not met. To be removed from contingent status, the student must successfully complete the specified requirements defined by their graduate committee with a grade of B or better for each course. Upon completion of the specified requirements, removal of the student from the contingent status will be documented in the Department through a letter by the major advisor co-signed by the Department Graduate Coordinator. This letter will be placed in the student's file, and OGS is made aware of the change of status. 

Provisional Admission

Applicants failing to meet the requirements for regular or contingent admission may be considered for provisional admission. Applicants who have undergraduate or graduate degrees in engineering-related disciplines may be admitted on provisional status. The minimum GPA required for provisional admission to the CEE graduate program is 2.50 (A=4.00). For applicants required to demonstrate English proficiency, they must obtain a minimum TOEFL score of 53 iBT. As an alternative, an international student may take the IELTS exam on which they must obtain a minimum score of 4.5 If the applicant achieves a TOEFL score of 61 or above, or IELTS score of 5.5 or above, satisfactory completion of two ESL courses, ESL 5120 and ESL 5323, will be required. If not, satisfactory completion of ESL 5110, 5120, and ESL 5323 will be required. To be removed provisional status, the student must complete their ESL requirement and earn a 3.00 GPA or higher on the first nine graduate credit hours taken after admission to the CEE graduate program and apply to their Program of Stud. Transfer credits cannot be used to satisfy theis requirement. Upon completion of the specified requirements, removal of the student from the provisional status will be reported to OS through a letter by the major advisor so-signed by the Department Graduate Coordinator While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Academic Performance

The graduate student has primary responsibility for understanding, and fully complying with, all MSU and CEE graduate policies regarding degree requirements and performance expectations relative to complete assignments as applicable to their graduate. It is also their responsibility to inquire and resolve any questions they may have regarding these same policies and performance expectations. Students cannot graduate while on provisional status, contingent status, or academic probation.

Academic Probation

Once admitted to the CEE graduate program, a student who fails to maintain a satisfactory academic record in terms of GPA, research progress (as applicable), and examinations will be considered to be on academic probation. At the end of each semester, CEE will evaluate the records of all CEE graduate students. A student not meeting graduation requirements may be placed on probation if any of the following conditions exist. Remediation of the deficiency and removal from probation requires action as defined below.

Deficiency Resulting in Probation and  Remedial Action Required for Removal from Probation:

Deficiency: The overall GPA on all graduate credit hours completed drops below 3.00.
Remedial Action: Achieve an overall GPA of 3.00 or above on all graduate credit hours completed within the next 9 credit hours completed.

Deficiency: Obtaining a grade below C on a course on the Program of Study.
Remedial Action: Earn a grade of B or above on the course in which the lower grade was received or the course replacing it on the Program of Study.

Deficiency: Obtaining a grade of "U" in a research course (i.e., CE 8000 or CE 9000).
Remedial Action: Earn a grade of "S" the next time research course hours (i.e., CE 8000 or CE 9000) are taken by complying with the remedial actions set forth by the major professor.

Deficiency: Failing to pass an examination administered by the graduate committee (i.e., thesis defense, comprehensive exam, qualifying exam, preliminary exam, or dissertation defense)
Remedial Action: Retake and pass the examination within the timeframe set forth by the graduate committee at the time it was failed.

The student will be advised in writing of their academic probation and remedial actions that they need to take to be removed from probation.

Dismissal

At the end of each semester, CEE will evaluate the records of all CEE graduate students. A student may be dismissed from the CEE graduate program if:

  • they were admitted contingent status due to deficiencies in prerequisite coursework and fails to make satisfactory progress toward completion of prerequisites.
  • they were admitted on provisional status and makes less than a B in completion of the first nine hours of graduate studies.
  • they were on academic probation and unable to meet all requirements for good academic standing by the completion of the next nine hours of progress toward the degree.
  • The student makes a grade of D or F in a graduate or undergraduate course attempted while in the CEE graduation program.
  • A student making a second U grade.
  • A student fails to achieve satisfactory results following the second attempt of any examination administered by the graduate committee.

Reapplying

Graduate students who have not registered for courses during three consecutive regular semesters (i.e., fall and spring semesters) will need to submit a new application to the Graduate School and be readmitted before they resume graduate studies.