Graduate Program

Director of Graduate Program
Dr. John Stormont
jcstorm@unm.edu

Application Deadlines
Domestic Students International Students
Fall semester: July 15 March 1
Spring semester: November 10 August 1
Summer session: April 29 January 1


Applicants wishing to be considered for funding, including fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships should submit their applications by February 1. Early application is recommended. 

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required of all applicants for graduate study in civil engineering. The Master of Construction Management requires either the GRE or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering requires either the GRE or evidence of passage of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. See the Civil Engineering department Web site for more information about applying to the CE graduate program.


Degrees Offered

The Department of Civil Engineering offers the following graduate programs:

  • Master of Science in Civil Engineering (M.S.)
  • Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering (M.Eng.)
  • Master of Construction Management (M.C.M.)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (Ph.D.)
    Concentration: Civil Engineering

Persons with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than civil engineering may be admitted to the graduate program, but they may be required to take undergraduate civil engineering courses to eliminate deficiencies in their background. Each case is considered individually. 


Master of Science in Civil Engineering

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Civil Engineering student may take courses in construction engineering, environmental engineering, hydraulics, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering/ structural mechanics, transportation or water resources. The primary difference between the M.S. degree and the M.Eng. degree is that the M.S. degree requires a written thesis and an oral defense. Masters students financially supported as Teaching or Research Assistants usually complete an M.S. degree.

Requirements

  1. 30 credit hours total, plus 2 credit hours of CE 691 (Seminar).
  2. A minimum of 24 credit hours of course work.
  3. 6 credit hours of CE 599 (Master’s Thesis).
  4. A maximum 6 credit hours of Problems and Independent Study courses.
  5. A minimum 9 credit hours of 500-level courses.
  6. A maximum 12 credit hours taken in non-degree status.
  7. General University of New Mexico limits, including transfer credit, course work from a single professor and time of completion.
  8. No credit is allowed for experiential learning.

Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering

The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Civil Engineering degree is offered under Plan III (Course Work Only) with a focus on professional practice. Graduate study leading to the M.Eng. in Civil Engineering is offered within, or by combining, six focus areas of civil engineering: construction engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering and material science, transportation engineering, and water resources and hydraulic engineering.

Requirements

  1. 33 credit hours of graduate course work.
  2. 15 credit hours of practice-oriented civil engineering classes.
  3. 12 additional credit hours of course work that supports the student's area of interest.
  4. 6 additional credit hours that advance the student's management skill set.
  5. A maximum of 12 credit hours can be taken in transfer and/or in non-degree graduate student status.
  6. At least 18 credit hours must be numbered 500 or higher.
  7. Not more than 15 credit hours can be taken from a single instructor.
  8. General UNM limits, including transfer credit, course work from a single professor, and time of completion.

Master of Construction Management

The Master of Construction Management (M.C.M.) program is designed to accommodate students with interest or experience in all aspects and sectors of the construction industry. Prospective students need not have an undergraduate degree in engineering; rather, they are more likely to have a degree from a related field such as management or architecture. Many classes are offered either online or in the late afternoon/early evening to accommodate practicing professionals.

It is expected that all students in the M.C.M. program complete the Project Option (Plan II) or the Course Work Option (Plan III). Under certain circumstances, students showing exceptional research skills are allowed to complete the Thesis Option (Plan I). Students wishing to complete the Thesis Option should consult their advisor early in their program.

Thesis Option (Plan I)

  1. 30 credit hours total.
  2. 6 credit hours of CE 599 (Master’s Thesis).
  3. A maximum 6 credit hours Problems and Independent Study courses.
  4. A minimum 9 credit hours of 500-level courses.
  5. A maximum 12 credit hours taken in non-degree status.

Project Option (Plan II) 

  1. 33 credit hours total.
  2. 3 credit hours of CE 588 (Master’s Project).
  3. A maximum 6 credit hours of Problems.
  4. A minimum 12 credit hours of 500-level courses.
  5. A maximum 12 credit hours taken in non-degree status.

Course Work Only Option (Plan III)

  1. 30 credit hours total.
  2. A maximum 6 credit hours of Problems.
  3. A minimum 12 credit hours of 500-level courses.
  4. A maximum 12 credit hours taken in non-degree status.

Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering

  • Concentration: Civil Engineering

General requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree are given in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog. In addition, students must take a distribution of graduate courses that support their dissertation research.

Emphases and Course Requirements

In addition to the general University doctoral degree general requirements, students pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Civil Engineering must meet the following criteria:

  1. Choose an emphasis and complete its associated core course requirements. 
  2. Complete 2 credit hours of CE 691 (Seminar).

The areas of emphasis are:

  • Construction Engineering and Management: CE 577; MGMT 502 or 503; STAT **345.
  • Environmental Engineering: CE 531, 534, 536.
  • Water Resources Engineering: CE 541, 542, 545, 547.
  • Structural Engineering and Mechanics: CE 501, 502, 562.
  • Transportation: CE 581, 582.

Equivalent graduate-level courses taken at another institution may be used to satisfy some requirements, but this must be decided on a case-by-case basis by the Graduate Advisor or Graduate Committee in the Civil Engineering department.

Examinations

Candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy degree with a concentration in civil engineering must demonstrate a competence in basic areas of the field by satisfactorily completing the departmental qualifying examination. Doctoral students must take the qualifying exam during their first or second semester as a Ph.D. student. After a student has substantially completed his/her course work, the prospective candidate takes a comprehensive exam to demonstrate an ability to conduct Ph.D.-level research. A student is advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree after satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examination with approval of the doctoral committee, submission of the Application for Candidacy, and approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Application to Candidacy is submitted to Graduate Studies by the end of the semester in which the Comprehensive Exam is passed. The Ph.D. Dissertation must be defended in an oral examination before the student’s Dissertation Committee.


Courses

CE 130. Construction Detailing. (3)



CE 160L. Civil Engineering Design. (3)



CE 171. Construction Materials and Techniques. (3)



CE 202. Engineering Statics. (3)



CE 279. Mechanical Electrical Systems Construction. (3)



CE 283. Surveying and Geomatics. (3)



CE 291. Lower Division Special Topics in Civil Engineering. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CE 302. Mechanics of Materials. (3)



CE 305. Infrastructure Materials Science. (4)



CE 308. Structural Analysis. (3)



CE 331. Fluid Mechanics. (4)



CE **335. Environmental and Water Resources Engineering . (3)



CE 350. Engineering Economy. (3)



CE 352. Computer Applications in Civil Engineering. (3)



CE 360. Soil Mechanics. (4)



CE 370. Construction Methods and Equipment. (3)



CE 371. Structures for Construction. (3)



CE **372. Principles of Construction . (3)



CE 376. Cost Estimating. (3)



CE 377. Construction Scheduling. (3)



CE 382. Transportation Engineering. (3)



CE 409. Engineering Ethics. (1)



CE 410. Structural Design I. (3)



CE 411 / 511. Reinforced Concrete Design. (3)



CE 413 / 513. Timber and Masonry Design. (3)



CE 415. Civil Engineering Design Competition. (1 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



CE 424 / 524. Structural Design in Metals. (3)



CE 431 / 531. Physical-Chemical Water and Wastewater Treatment. (3)



CE 433 / 533. Environmental Microbiology. (3)



CE 435 / 535. Water Reuse. (3)



CE 436 / 536. Biological Wastewater Treatment. (3)



CE 438 / 538. Sustainable Engineering. (3)



CE 440 / 540. Design of Hydraulic Systems. (3)



CE 441 / 541. Hydrogeology. (3)



CE *442. Hydraulic Engineering and Hydrology. (3)



CE 452 / 552. Building Information Modelling. (3)



CE *455. Engineering Project Management. (3)



CE 462 / 562. Foundation Engineering I. (3)



CE 463. Earth Structures. (3)



CE 466. Pavement Design. (3)



CE 473 / 573. Construction Law. (3)



CE 474 / 574. Principles of Written Construction Documents. (3)



CE 475 / 575. Construction Safety. (3)



CE 477 / 577. Project Controls. (3)



CE 478 / 578. Design of Temporary Support Structures. (3)



CE 481 / 581. Urban Transportation Planning. (3)



CE 482 / 582. Highway and Traffic Engineering. (3)



CE *491-*492. Special Topics in Civil Engineering. (1-3, 1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CE 493. Special Topics in Civil Engineering - Honors. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CE 494. Honors Seminar. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CE 495. Construction Internship. (1)



CE 497L. Design Construction Integration. (3)



CE 499. Design of Civil Engineering Systems. (3)



CE 501. Advanced Mechanics of Materials. (3)



CE 502. Finite Element Methods in Solid Mechanics. (3)



CE 504. Fracture Mechanics. (3)



CE 506. Prestressed Concrete. (3)



CE 511 / 411. Reinforced Concrete Design. (3)



CE 513 / 413. Timber and Masonry Design. (3)



CE 518. Theory of Structural Stability. (3)



CE 521. Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering. (3)



CE 524 / 424. Structural Design in Metals. (3)



CE 531 / 431. Physical-Chemical Water and Wastewater Treatment. (3)



CE 533 / 433. Environmental Microbiology. (3)



CE 534. Environmental Engineering Chemistry. (3)



CE 535 / 435. Water Reuse. (3)



CE 536 / 436. Biological Wastewater Treatment. (3)



CE 538 / 438. Sustainable Engineering. (3)



CE 539. Radioactive Waste Management. (3)



CE 540 / 440. Design of Hydraulic Systems. (3)



CE 541 / 441. Hydrogeology. (3)



CE 542. Intermediate Hydrology. (3)



CE 545. Open Channel Hydraulics. (3)



CE 547. GIS in Water Resources Engineering. (3)



CE 548. Fuzzy Logic and Applications. (3)



CE 549. Vadose Zone Hydrology. (3)



CE 551. Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CE 552 / 452. Building Information Modelling. (3)



CE 560. Advanced Soil Mechanics. (3)



CE 562 / 462. Foundation Engineering I. (3)



CE 565. Soil Behavior. (3)



CE 566. Pavement Design. (3)



CE 567. Foundation Engineering II. (3)



CE 568. Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. (3)



CE 570. Simulation and Design of Construction Operations. (3)



CE 571. Sustainable Design and Construction. (3)



CE 573 / 473. Construction Law. (3)



CE 574 / 474. Principles of Written Construction Documents. (3)



CE 575 / 475. Construction Safety. (3)



CE 576. Project Delivery Systems. (3)



CE 577 / 477. Project Controls. (3)



CE 578 / 478. Design of Temporary Support Structures. (3)



CE 581 / 481. Urban Transportation Planning. (3)



CE 582 / 482. Highway and Traffic Engineering. (3)



CE 588. Master's Project. (1-6)



CE 598. Selected Topics. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CE 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



CE 650. Research. (1-6 to a maximum of 12 Δ)



CE 691. Graduate Seminar. (1 to a maximum of 4 Δ)



CE 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



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Office of the Registrar

MSC 11 6325
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131

Phone: (505) 277-8900
Fax: (505) 277-6809