Civil Engineering (C E)

Civil Engineering (C E)

ANDREW SCANLON, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
212 Sackett Building
814-863-3084

Degrees Conferred: Ph.D., M.S., M.Eng.

The Graduate Faculty

Rachel A. Brennan, Ph.D. (Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
William D. Burgos, Ph.D. (Virginia Tech) Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering
Eric F. P. Burnett, Ph.D. (U London) P.Eng. Professor of Civil Engineering; Bernard and Henrietta
Hankin Chair in Residential Building Construction; Director, Pennsylvania Housing Research Center
Fred S. Cannon, Ph.D. (Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) P.E. Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering
Ghassan R. Chehab, Ph.D. (North Carolina State) Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
Brian A. Dempsey, Ph.D. (North Carolina) Professor of Environmental Engineering
Eric T. Donnell, Ph.D. (Penn State) Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
Christopher J. Duffy, Ph.D. (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology) P.H. Professor of Civil Engineering
William J. Gburek, Ph.D. (Penn State) Adjunct Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
David F. Hill, Ph.D. (California, Berkeley) Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Peggy A. Johnson, Ph.D. (Maryland) Professor of Civil Engineering
Paul P. Jovanis, Ph.D. (California, Berkeley) Professor of Civil Engineering
Theodor Krauthammer, Ph.D. (Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) Professor of Civil Engineering
Jeffrey A. Laman, Ph.D. (Michigan) P.E. Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Daniel G. Linzell, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech) P.E. Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
Bruce E. Logan, Ph.D. (California, Berkeley) Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering
Maria M. Lopez de Murphy, Ph.D. (Michigan) Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
John M. Mason, Jr., Ph.D. (Texas A&M) P.E. Professor of Civil Engineering; Associate Dean for
Graduate Studies and Research, College of Engineering
Jack V. Matson, Ph.D. (Rice) P.E. Professor of Environmental Engineering
Arthur C. Miller, Ph.D. (Colorado State) P.E., P.L.S. Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering
Martin T. Pietrucha, Ph.D. (Maryland) P.E. Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Patrick Reed, Ph.D. (Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
John M. Regan, Ph.D. (Wisconsin, Madison) P.E. Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
Raymond W. Regan, Sr., Ph.D. (Kansas) P.E. Professor of Environmental Engineering
Andrew Scanlon, Ph.D. (Alberta) S.E. Professor of Civil Engineering
Andrea J. Schokker, Ph.D. (Texas, Austin) Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Venkataraman (Venky) N. Shankar, Ph.D. (U Washington, Seattle) Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Sunil Sinha, Ph.D. (U Waterloo) Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
Shelley M. Stoffels, D.E. (Texas A&M) P.E. Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
H. Randolph Thomas, Jr., Ph.D. (Vanderbilt) P.E. Professor of Civil Engineering
Paul J. Tikalsky, Ph.D. (Texas, Austin) P.E. Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Mian C. Wang, Ph.D. (California, Berkeley) P.E. Professor of Civil Engineering

Students may specialize in construction engineering, environmental engineering, hydrosystems engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering.

Admission Requirements

The requirements listed here are in addition to the general requirements stated in the GENERAL INFORMATION section of the Graduate Bulletin.

Candidates should possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Students with a 3.00 junior/senior grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale) and appropriate course backgrounds may be considered for admission. Exceptions to the minimum 3.00 grade-point average may be made for students with special backgrounds, abilities, and interests.

International applicants must submit OFFICIAL transcripts, degree, and diploma certificates in both English and native language. These documents must contain the “red stamp” or have the raised notary stamp. Photocopies will NOT be accepted.

All applicants must provide the department with official transcripts of all their previous course work (in duplicate), a statement of objectives, and three letters of recommendation AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION. In addition, all applicants must submit scores from the General Graduate Record Examinations Aptitude Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical).

All international applicants whose native language is not English must present an acceptable score (560 minimum on the paper-based test; 220 minimum on the computer-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Applicants for fall admission who wish to be considered for financial aid should have COMPLETED applications on file by DECEMBER 1 of the preceding year.

Degree Requirements

The M.Eng. degree is a nonthesis professional master’s degree. The program provides training for advanced professional practice. A minimum of 30 graduate credits (400 level and above) of course work and a writing portfolio are required. It should be noted that 20 credits must be earned at an established graduate campus of the University. At least 15 credits must be earned in graduate courses (500 level). Divisions may require specific core courses. Students are not permitted to count audited credits toward the minimum credits required for the degree.

The M.S. degree program is strongly oriented toward research. A minimum of 30 graduate credits (400-level and above) is required, of which 20 must be earned at an established graduate campus of the University. At least 18 credits in the 500 and 600 levels, combined, must be included in the program. A minimum of 12 credits of course work (400 and 500 level), as contrasted with research, must be completed in the major (courses prefixed C E). Division may require specific core courses. Students are not permitted to count audited credits toward the minimum credits required for the degree. A thesis is required, and at least 6 credits of thesis research (C E 600 or 610) must be included in the candidate’s academic course plan.

A candidate for the Ph.D. degree must pass the English proficiency and candidacy examinations, prepare and defend the thesis proposal as part of the oral comprehensive examination, and pass the final oral examination (thesis defense). In addition, a Ph.D. candidate must satisfy the University residency requirement by registering for two consecutive semesters as a full-time student.

Continuous registration is required for all graduate students until the thesis or writing portfolio has been approved. See also Environmental Engineering.

Biogeochemistry Dual-Title Degree Program

Graduate students with research and educational interests in biogeochemistry may apply to the Biogeochemistry Dual-Title Degree Program. Students in the Biogeochemistry Dual Title program are required to have two advisers from separate disciplines: one individual serving as a primary adviser in their major degree program and a secondary adviser in an area within a field covered by the dual-title program and a member of the Biogeochemistry faculty. Additional coursework from an approved list of courses is required. All students must pass a candidacy examination that includes an assessment of their potential in the field of biogeochemistry. A single candidacy examination that includes biogeochemistry will be administered for admission into the student's Ph.D. program, as well as the biogeochemistry dual-title. The structure and timing of this exam will be determined jointly by the dual-title and major program. The student's doctoral committee should include faculty from the major program of study and also faculty with expertise in biogeochemistry. The field of biogeochemistry should be integrated into the comprehensive examination. A Ph.D. dissertation that contributes fundamentally to the field of biogeochemistry is required.

Other Relevant Information

Students in this program may elect to participate in the dual-title degree program option in Operations Research for the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees. See also Environmental Engineering.

Student Aid

Graduate assistantships and other forms of student aid are described in the STUDENT AID section of the Graduate Bulletin. International applicants who wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship must present an acceptable score (250-300 or 55-60) on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). The TSE can be taken in many countries, or at Penn State after arrival.

CECIL M. PEPPERMAN MEMORIAL GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
Available to a graduate student in civil or environmental engineering specializing in one of the following fields, listed in order of priority: waste treatment and management, water pollution control, environmental engineering, or related fields.

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

CIVIL ENGINEERING (C E) course list

The University reserves the right to change the requirements and regulations listed here and to determine whether a student has satisfactorily met its requirements for admission or graduation, and to reject any applicant for any reason the University determines to be material to the applicant's qualifications to pursue higher education. Nothing in this material should be considered a guarantee that completion of a program and graduation from the University will result in employment.

This electronic Graduate Bulletin is a version of the official bulletin of The Pennsylvania State University. It is suggested that users refer to this electronic bulletin when seeking the latest information about the University's academic programs and courses. Printed versions of the Bulletin are also official copies of the programs, courses, and policies in effect at the time of printing.

DATE LAST REVIEWED BY GRADUATE SCHOOL: 5/3/04

DATE LAST REVIEWED BY PUBLICATIONS: 7/1/05

Last Revised by the Department: Fall Semester 2008

Blue Sheet Item #: 36-06-185AA

Review Date: 4/15/08