Introduction
The Clarkson University Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering is ranked among the top in the nation at the graduate level by U.S. News & World Report 2019.
Graduate courses and research can lead to a Master of Science (MS) degree, and many students take advantage of these courses.
Areas of Study
All graduate students use state-of-the-art experimental and computational facilities as they focus their research on engineering problems and applied science topics that include:
Bridge monitoring and infrastructure health.
Geopolymer/Portland cement-free concrete.
Strength of materials ranging from Antarctic ice to novel composite building materials.
Indoor air quality.
Bioenergy production and the associated life cycle environmental impacts.
Fate of contaminants in air, water and soil systems.
Air quality monitoring and modeling.
Oil spill modeling and environmental impacts.
River and ocean ice dynamics.
Hydrologic, river and coastal processes.
Structural dynamics and control.
Uncertainty qualification and validation of infrastructure computational models.
Transportation infrastructure: characterization of materials and smart sensing systems.
Geotechnical reliability-based design and risk assessment.
Interdisciplinary research is facilitated through the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Center for Air Resources Engineering & Science, Center for Advanced Materials Processing and Cold Regions Engineering Research Group.
Curriculum
Clarkson offers an MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering. This program typically takes 18 - 24 months and includes thesis and non-thesis completion options.
The following are the minimum requirements:
A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework, with at least 20 credit hours of course and seminar work. The balance of coursework must be consistent with the research or professional experience component.
Satisfactory completion of one of the research or professional experience components listed below.
A written thesis based on independent research
A comprehensive examination
An appropriate, professionally-oriented special project
Twenty of the 30 minimum credit hours must be earned in residence
One academic year of full-time study beyond the baccalaureate
A maximum of 10 credit hours of transfer credit (grade of B or better)
All work must be completed in four calendar years.
All students must complete a thesis and defend it orally to a committee consisting of a minimum of three faculty members.
Specialty Areas
All students must pass a group of core courses in one of the following specialty areas: environmental, geotechnical, structural or water resources engineering.
Environmental Engineering
Water and Wastewater Engineering: Satisfied by an appropriate course as an undergraduate or CE579.
CE580 Environmental Chemistry
CE584 Chemodynamics
CE582 Environmental Systems or CE586 Industrial Ecology
And one of the following:
CE681 Environmental Physico-Chemical Processes
CE682 Environmental Biological Processes
ES534 Air Pollution Control
A course in applied statistics is strongly recommended.
Geotechnical Engineering
Four from the following list:
CE512/ME555 Introduction to Structural and Soil Dynamics
CE513 Elastic Waves and Non-Destructive Tests
CE516 Advanced Soil Mechanics
CE519 Advanced Foundation Design
CE527/ME527 Advanced Fluid Mechanics
CE538 Introduction to the Finite Element Method
CE551 Theory of Elasticity
CE554 Continuum Mechanics
ME531 Computational Fluid Dynamics
Structural and Materials Engineering
CE549 Experimental Methods in Structures
CE554 Continuum Mechanics
And two of the following:
CE501 Fracture Mechanics of Concrete Structures
CE512 Introduction to Structural and Soil Dynamics
CE520 Computational Methods of Structural Analysis
CE521 Analysis of Advanced Composite Structures
CE538 Introduction to Finite Element Method
CE551 Theory of Elasticity
CE553 Properties and Performance of Concrete Materials
CE631 Cement Chemistry
CE633 Plasticity
Transportation Engineering
CE561 Transportation Systems Design
CE568 Traffic Engineering
Two from the following list:
CE538 Introduction to the Finite Element Method
CE510 Sustainable Infrastructure and Building
EE501 Digital Signal Processing
EE529/ME529 Stochastic Processes
EE550 Control Systems
EE552 Optimization Techniques in Engineering (or similar optimization courses)
MA584 Advanced Applied Statistics (or similar advanced data analytics courses)
CS547 Computer Algorithms
CS549 Computational/Machine Learning
CS551 Artificial Intelligence
CS559 Human-Computer Interaction
Courses on systems theories and data analytics are strongly recommended.
Water Resource Engineering
Four from the following list:
CE527/ME527 Advanced Fluid Mechanics
CE554 Continuum Mechanics
CE569 Watershed Analysis
CE570 Stream Riparian System and Fluvial Morphology
CE571 Computational River Dynamics
CE572 Shallow Water Hydrodynamics
CE573 Sediment Transport
CE574 Hydrodynamic Dispersion
CE575 Coastal Engineering
CE576 Hydraulic Engineering in Cold Regions
ME531 Computational Fluid Dynamics
Other Information
Exceptional students may be invited to proceed directly to the Ph.D.; such students will be awarded the MS concurrently with the Ph.D.
Students in the MS program in the Department of CEE can be eligible for partial tuition assistance.*
*Self-paying students may receive a tuition scholarship for up to 40 percent of the tuition for which the student has registered. The graduate school, upon recommendation by the department, provides this scholarship. Full-time MS students may receive four credits of support for three semesters. These merit awards require up to six hours of departmental work per week.
Admission
A BS, BE or equivalent degree from an accredited program in civil and environmental engineering or other engineering discipline is required for admission. Applicants with degrees in disciplines other than engineering may be required to demonstrate proficiency through additional undergraduate coursework as determined by the departmental graduate committee. This may comprise an additional semester of study for which graduate credit cannot be granted.
No minimum grade point average is required for admission. However, a superior record of academic achievement is expected of all applicants.
A complete application file consists of the following:
Application form.
Resume and statement of purpose.
Letters of recommendation — three letters required.
Official transcripts.
Test scores — GRE* and TOEFL/IELTS (if applicable).
*GRE may be waived for some applicants.
Supplemental information may be submitted if desired; this could include any other information that may help us evaluate your application.
