Master of Science (M.S.)

The M.S. Plan A degree is a research option and requires the completion of master’s thesis. The Plan A requires a minimum of 30 credits, which includes 12 -20 course credits taken at the University of Minnesota, plus 10 credits of thesis research. The other 8 course credits that can be included are referred to as transfer credits. They come from: credits taken from another institution, non-degree seeking credits, credits taken in another graduate program (credits in common) and graduate credits taken as an undergraduate but not used toward undergraduate degree requirements to graduate.

Of the minimum of 20 UMN credits, at least 12 course credits must be taken in the CEGE department. The other 8 credits can also be CEGE credits or be a combination of CEGE credits and credits from a pre-approved list of course outside of the department. The pre-approved list of course can be found here  CEGE Graduate Courses section of the handbook.  Courses not on the preapproved course list must be pre-approved by the students advisor, the director of graduate studies and the graduate program coordinator. Students are not required to take credits outside of the department or transfer credits in. There is no restriction to when students can register for MS thesis credits. 

If a minor is desired, a minimum of 6 credits must be taken in a single field outside the major field. (Minor requirements in some departments exceed this minimum.) The Graduate School and the department interpret “outside the major” as “outside the department”; for example, it generally is not possible for a civil engineering major to minor in geoengineering or vice versa. Any student who wishes to pursue an internal minor should discuss this with the DGS before taking the proposed minor courses.

A thesis must be written on a research project carried out by the student in consultation with a faculty adviser. The topic for the Plan A research project is normally derived from a student’s duties as a graduate research assistant and hence, originates from a funded proposal idea developed by the graduate adviser. Students can also propose an independently conceived research idea and then develop and refine the research plan in consultation with the graduate adviser. The M.S. thesis, while not of the length or complexity of a Ph.D. thesis, must represent an original contribution to the field. M.S. thesis research typically results in one or more peer-reviewed journal publications. Two unbound copies of the thesis must be presented to the Graduate School, and one bound copy to the adviser. Some research areas may require an additional (i.e. fourth) copy. The adviser may also request an electronic version of the thesis. The M.S. Plan A degree is typically completed in 21 to 24 months of full-time study.

Degree Completion Steps – Masters Plan A

The M.S. Plan B degree is a project option and is typically pursued by students intending to continue on for a Ph.D. degree. The Plan B option requires a minimum of 30 credits, which includes 20 -30 course credits taken at the University of Minnesota of which 3 credits are CEGE 8094 directed research. The other 10 course credits that can be included are referred to as transfer credits. They come from: credits taken from another institution, non-degree seeking credits, credits taken in another graduate program (credits in common) and graduate credits taken as an undergraduate but not used towards undergraduate degree requirements to graduate. 

Of the minimum of 30 UMN credits, at least 12 course credits must be taken in the CEGE department. The other 18 credits can also be CEGE credits or be a combination of CEGE credits and credits from a pre-approved list of course outside of the department. The pre-approved list of course can be found here  CEGE Graduate Courses section of the handbook.  Courses not on the preapproved course list must be pre-approved by the students advisor, the director of graduate studies and the graduate program coordinator. Students are not required to take credits outside of the department or transfer credits in. 

The course work is selected in consultation with a faculty adviser. In addition, the student must demonstrate ability to work independently and present the results of such work effectively by completing one or more project papers. The number of Plan B projects, not to exceed three, is determined in consultation with the faculty adviser. A wide variety of studies, including computer modeling projects, literature reviews, and the analysis of applied engineering problems have been submitted as Plan B projects. Plan B project reports should be written in a similar format as the M.S. Plan A thesis, but are not required to be archived in the University Library. Students may, if they desire, gift one to the Library to be catalogued in MNCAT as is done with full dissertations.

Collectively, the Plan B papers should represent at least 120 hours (three nominal workweeks) of effort. This does not include the time associated with assistantship duties (if the Plan B papers are based on work done as a research assistant), nor does it include time and effort associated with coursework (if the Plan B papers are an extension of papers written for a course). A maximum of 3 credits (toward the minimum 30 credits in Plan B program) may be taken as CEGE 8094 (Directed Research) for the Plan B project(s). The remaining 27 credits must be for regularly scheduled course work.

Degree Completion Steps – Masters Plan B

The M.S. Plan C degree is a coursework-only option and is recommended for working professionals who wish to pursue a Master’s degree on a part-time basis or by students intending to continue on for a Ph.D. degree. The Plan C requires completion of a minimum of 30 course credits consisting of 20 -30 course credits taken at the University of Minnesota. The other 10 course credits that can be included are referred to as transfer credits. They can come from: credits taken from another institution, non-degree seeking credits, credits taken in another graduate program (credits in common) and graduate credits taken as an undergraduate but not used toward the undergraduate degree requirements to graduate. 

Of the minimum of 30 UMN credits, at least 12 course credits must be taken in the CEGE department. The other 18 credits can also be CEGE credits or be a combination of CEGE credits and credits from a pre-approved list of course outside of the department. The pre-approved list of course can be found here  CEGE Graduate Courses section of the handbook.  Courses not on the preapproved course list must be pre-approved by the students advisor, the director of graduate studies and the graduate program coordinator. Students are not required to take credits outside of the department or transfer credits in. 

At least 2 courses at the 8xxx level must be completed. 

Courses that can’t be used for the 8xxx level requirement are the seminar courses: 

CEGE 8200, CEGE 8300, CEGE 8400, CEGE 8500 and the ethics course CEGE 8581/WRS 8581.

The student must complete a minimum of 100 hours of project work in increments of 40 hours per project or greater. The projects are to be performed as part of specific courses in civil engineering and geoengineering that comply with the M.S. Plan C project requirements. 

If there are classes that are not on the list you want to use and have project hours, please attach the syllabus to the tracking form. If you don’t know which courses have project hours you can reach out to the instructor teaching the course and ask.

In addition, the student must deliver at least one oral presentation of no less than 10 minutes in length. The oral presentation typically concerns one or more of the completed projects and can be completed in selected courses or seminars. Details concerning specific course requirements can be obtained from the graduate studies representative for your area of interest or your adviser.

Students enrolled in the M.S. Plan C option must also complete two hours of Ethics training before they graduate. The Citi Ethics online training can be used to complete this requirement.

To graduate, students must fill out the Master’s Plan C tracking form and get all signatures and return the form to the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Degree Completion Steps   -  Masters Plan C