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Civil Engineering Master's Requirements

Complete these requirements for a master's in Civil Engineering.

A GRE General is only required if your prerequisite degree is not accredited by ABET.

M.Eng. Requirements

Admission Requirements

  1. Minimum general admission requirements are in the Admission section of the graduate catalog.
  2. A baccalaureate degree in civil engineering or related field(s).
  3. Graduate Record Examination scores on the General Test will be optional.
  4. A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.75 for all undergraduate work or a GPA of at least 3.0 for the junior and senior years of undergraduate work (based on A = 4.00).
  5. Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies' English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog.

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Master of Engineering degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Civil Engineering Department.

  1. A minimum of 30-semester credits in a major option, including the credits granted for the design project and the research leading to the design project. All credits must be pre-approved by the advisor.
  2. At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500-level.
  3. A minimum of 15-credit hours of coursework.
  4. A maximum of one-fourth of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
  5. Preparation of a written design project approved by the faculty advisor.

Required Courses

  1. Course List
    CodeTitleCredits
    Environmental Option
    CE 536Environmental Chemistry3
    CE 537Unit Operations in Water and Wastewater Treatment3
    CHE 504Air Pollution Control3
    CE 595Design Project6
    Electives15
    Structures Option
    CE 502Structural Stability3
    CE 503Structural Dynamics3
    CE 555Prestressed Concrete-Analysis and Design3
    or CE 557 Advanced Steel Design
    CE 595Design Project6
    Electives15
    Transportation Option
    CE 517Transportation Asset Management3
    CE 518Pavement Engineering3
    CE 519Sustainable Pavements3
    CE 595Design Project6
    Elective15
    Water Resources Option
    CE 526Applied Hydraulics3
    CE 524Open Channel Hydraulics3
    CE 525Surface Hydrology3
    or GEOE 417 Hydrogeology
    CE 595Design Project6
    Electives15
    General Civil Engineering Option
    CE 517Transportation Asset Management3
    or CE 518 Pavement Engineering
    or CE 519 Sustainable Pavements
    CE 502Structural Stability3
    or CE 503 Structural Dynamics
    CE 526Applied Hydraulics3
    or CE 524 Open Channel Hydraulics
    or CE 525 Surface Hydrology
    CE 536Environmental Chemistry3
    or CE 537 Unit Operations in Water and Wastewater Treatment
    CE 595Design Project6
    Electives12

Combined Accelerated Degree Program (BS/MEngr) in Civil Engineering

To encourage undergraduate engineering students to extend their studies to include a graduate degree, the civil engineering department College of Engineering and Mines has a combined program that permits students to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. This program allows students to designate two three-credit graduate courses to count for both degrees. The selected courses must have graduate course standing and be designated when a student requests admission to the program.

Students may be admitted to the Civil Engineering Combined Degree program after the completion of 60 credit hours toward the bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.3 and before completion of the bachelor’s degree.

Accelerated Bachelor and Master's (ABM) in Civil Engineering

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master's (ABM) 5 Year Degree Program Admission Requirements

The ABM degree program, a unique opportunity exclusively for exceptional undergraduate students at UND, allows you to complete the requirements for both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at an accelerated pace.  All requirements for both degrees must be met, and you may double count up to 12 graduate-level credits towards the requirements for both your Bachelor's and Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering degree requirements.  As an ABM student, you must obtain your Master of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering within 12 months of completing the bachelor's degree, provided the degree requirements can be met in that timeframe.

High achieving high school students (GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 and an ACT score of 25 or higher) will initially be considered for “identified” status and become eligible for formal admission when they meet the same criteria that undergraduates must meet for admission into the ABM program.  Admission is a competitive process.  The following are the minimum eligibility requirements:  

  1. Students must have completed a minimum of 60 credits, including credits earned from advanced placement and dual credit.  Students must apply before completing their undergraduate degree.
  2. Transfer students with a minimum of 60 credits-whether from the transfer institution alone or in combination with UND credits-must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 at the time of admission to the ABM program.
  3. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 at UND at the time of admission into the ABM program.
  4. ABM program applicants must submit the standard application to the School of Graduate Studies, the application fee, a personal statement, and transcripts.
  5. Additionally, ABM program applicants must submit a detailed Program of Study that describes the 12 credits of double counted courses, the courses that will be taken after being accepted into the ABM program, the courses that will be taken before graduation from the Bachelor program, and the expected graduation date for each degree.  The submitted program of study must be signed by the student, the student's undergraduate advisor, the student’s graduate advisor, and the Graduate Program Director.

Degree Requirements

The School of Graduate Studies lists the requirements for the Master of Engineering degree in the graduate school catalog.

M.S. Requirements

Admission Requirements

  1. Minimum general admission requirements are in the Admission section of the graduate catalog.
  2. A baccalaureate degree in civil engineering or related field(s).
  3. Graduate Record Examination scores on the General Test will be optional.
  4. A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.75 for all undergraduate work or a GPA of at least 3.0 for the junior and senior years of undergraduate work (based on A = 4.00).
  5. Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies' English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Master of Science degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Civil Engineering Department.

Degree requirements will be those listed by the School of Graduate Studies for the M.S. degree, both for the thesis option and the non-thesis option. There are no specific departmental degree requirements beyond those listed in the graduate catalog for the M.S. degree.

Thesis Option

  1. A minimum of 30-semester credits in a major field, including the credits granted for the thesis and the research leading to the thesis.
  2. At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500-level.
  3. A minimum of 15-credit hours of coursework.
  4. A maximum of one-fourth (usually 8-9 semester credits) of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
  5. The program may include just the major, the major and a minor, or the major and a cognate area. The major must include 20 credits from the major department, and a minor or cognate area must include at least nine credits.
  6. Preparation of a written thesis approved by the faculty advisory committee (CE 998 Thesis, 4-9 credits).
  7. A student must register in Graduate Seminar (CE 562, 1-3 cr.hrs.) and present at least once to graduate.

Non-Thesis Option

  1. Thirty-two (32) credits including credits required for the major.
  2. At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500-level.
  3. A minimum of 15-credit hours of coursework.
  4. A maximum of one-fourth (usually 8-9 semester credits) of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
  5. Preparation of a written independent study report approved by the faculty advisor (CE 997 Independent Study, 2 credits).

Course offerings vary by semester based on student demand and instructor loads.

Combined Degree Program (BS/MS)

To encourage undergraduate engineering students to extend their studies to include a graduate degree, the civil engineering department has a combined program that permits students to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. This program allows students to designate two three-credit graduate courses to count for both degrees. The selected courses must have graduate course standing and be designated when a student requests admission to the program.

Students may be admitted to the Civil Engineering Combined Degree program after the completion of 60 credit hours toward the bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.3 and before completion of the bachelor’s degree. 

Accelerated Bachelor and Master's (ABM) in Civil Engineering

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master's (ABM) 5 Year Degree Program Admission Requirements

The ABM degree program, a unique opportunity exclusively for exceptional undergraduate students at UND, allows you to complete the requirements for both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at an accelerated pace.  All requirements for both degrees must be met, and you may double count up to 12 graduate-level credits towards the requirements for both your Bachelor's and Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree requirements.  As an ABM student, you must obtain your Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering within 12 months of completing the bachelor's degree, provided the degree requirements can be met in that timeframe.

High achieving high school students (GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 and an ACT score of 25 or higher) will initially be considered for “identified” status and become eligible for formal admission when they meet the same criteria that undergraduates must meet for admission into the ABM program.  Admission is a competitive process.  The following are the minimum eligibility requirements:  

  1. Students must have completed a minimum of 60 credits, including credits earned from advanced placement and dual credit.  Students must apply before completing their undergraduate degree.
  2. Transfer students with a minimum of 60 credits-whether from the transfer institution alone or in combination with UND credits-must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 at the time of admission to the ABM program.
  3. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 at UND at the time of admission into the ABM program.
  4. ABM program applicants must submit the standard application to the School of Graduate Studies, the application fee, a personal statement, and transcripts.
  5. Additionally, ABM program applicants must submit a detailed Program of Study that describes the 12 credits of double counted courses, the courses that will be taken after being accepted into the ABM program, the courses that will be taken before graduation from the Bachelor program, and the expected graduation date for each degree.  The submitted program of study must be signed by the student, the student's undergraduate advisor, the student’s graduate advisor, and the Graduate Program Director.

Degree Requirements

The School of Graduate Studies lists the requirements for the Master of Science degree in the graduate school catalog.

Licensure Requirements

UND Engineering programs are designed to help prepare students for various careers in engineering and may serve as an important step in the pathway for licensure. Students enrolled in, and planning on graduating from, one of the College of Engineering & Mines’ ABET-accredited majors are invited to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, a multiple-choice, knowledge-based exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

The FE Exam covers subject matter taught in a typical baccalaureate engineering program accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. Students may choose from computer-based exams in chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and other disciplines. Professional licensing in every U.S. state and territory requires, as the first step, that a student successfully pass the FE exam.

After passing the FE exam, in order to receive licensure in the field students must obtain at least four years of experience deemed acceptable to their licensing board and successfully pass a Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. The PE exams go beyond testing academic knowledge and require knowledge gained in engineering practice. If you are planning to seek professional licensure or certification in an engineering-related field, it is strongly recommended that you contact the appropriate licensing entity in the state in which you are located or plan to locate to in order to seek information and guidance regarding additional licensure or certification requirements.

Civil Engineering Master's Requirements Disclaimer

The requirements on this page are pulled from UND’s academic catalog and may not reflect future terms. Updates are published annually in April.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

In addition to meeting these program requirements, you must also meet the UND School of Graduate Studies admissions requirements to apply for this program.

Graduate Requirements

Request Information

Department Contact
Yeo Howe Lim
Graduate Program Director
P 701.777.3998
yeo.lim@UND.edu

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