(1). Find and download the necessary forms for graduate studies from the Graduate School. If a student wants to change from M.S. to M.C.E. or M.C.E. to M.S. or is finishing the Master's degree and wants to continue Ph.D. degree, the student can use the form “Request for Curriculum Change.”  The form requires approval from the advisor(s), GPO, and the department chair.

(2). All graduate students should get approval from their advisors about what courses they can take each semester.  All graduate courses that are taken from Auburn University will eventually be evaluated by the student’s advisory committee, and the graduate courses are included in the plan of study for the degree.  If you register/take courses without your advisor’s approval, those courses may not be approved by the advisory committee for the Plan of Study; therefore, those courses may not be counted towards the degree.

All international students should register 9 credit hours as full-time students in each semester. Students may use the "Reduced Course Load" Form to get approval for taking fewer credit hours.  A Ph.D. student may take fewer credit hours after passing the general (qualifying) exam. If an international student has a GRA/GTA/GA position, he/she has to register at least one credit hour in each semester (including summer); otherwise, taking classes in the summer is optional.

(3). A plan of study has been no longer required by the Graduate School since January 1, 2020. At least one semester before graduation (Master's students) or before scheduling the General Oral Exam (doctoral students), the student needs to complete and submit the Committee Selection Form, which identifies the student, committee chair (major professor), committee members, and possible transfer courses or exceptions.

Each student should work closely with the major professor and use the worksheet (from the Graduate School) as needed to plan for courses taken at Auburn, transfer courses, exceptions, degree requirements, and graduation date prior to submitting the Committee Selection Form.  See more information from the CE department and the Committee Selection Form FAQ page from the Graduate School.

(4). For the last semester or semester you plan to graduate, you need to register for at least one credit hour of graduate course (e.g., thesis or dissertation), then you need to submit a graduation check request to the Graduate School prior to the semester of expected graduation: Graduation Application and Approval Form available from the Graduate School web site in addition to defending your thesis or dissertation.

(5). International graduate teaching assistants: All international GTA's are required to submit evidence of satisfactory speaking skills. This can be demonstrated with a score of 23 or higher on the speaking section of the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT), or a score of 7 on the speaking section of the IELTS, or a grade of at least 4.4 on the speaking section of the iTEP (replaced the SPEAK test), which is administered at Auburn University prior to the start of classes. A student may be asked to enroll in a course (INTL 1820) designed to improve the oral communication skills of international teaching assistants. The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department is responsible for making sure that international GTA's meet the minimum requirements for employment, including but not limited to a satisfactory background check and proficiency in English. For each international GTA, hiring units are required to submit the International Graduate Teaching Assistant Certification of Eligibility for Employment form and supporting documentation. If a student receives a grade of less than 4.4 on the iTEP speaking section, the student needs to enroll and pass the course INTL 1820 before he/she can be hired as GTA. The rule does not apply to Graduate Assistants (GAs) who do not involve direct instruction, e.g., grading, preparing labs, etc.

(6). Find more information and policies of graduate study from AU Bulletin (http://bulletin.auburn.edu/, then select “Graduate School”)

(7). Summary information of civil and environmental engineering graduate program (presentation file of 2020 graduate student orientation)

(8). Graduate tuition fellowships for GRA, GTA, and GA: http://graduate.auburn.edu/current-students/guidelines-for-graduate-tuition-fellowships/

(9). Graduate Engineering Research Showcase: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/organizations/cegs/index.html

(10). Research week/graduate research forum: http://ocm.auburn.edu/research_week/symposium.html

(11). The Graduate School offers travel grants to support research presentations at conferences and seminars: http://graduate.auburn.edu/current-students/awards-and-grants/graduate-research-and-travel-fellowships/

(12). Useful information from the Office of International Programs: International Students & Scholars.  If an international student needs to take fewer credit hours (<9 hrs) of graduate courses, he/she needs to file the Reduced Course Load form.

(13). Graduate Student Council at Auburn University (two senator representatives from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department)

(14). If you have difficulty registering for a particular course, you can contact Mary Beth Sayre by email (meb0007@auburn.edu) for help.

(15). Auburn University Academic Honesty Overview (from Robert W. Barnes)

(16). Who deserves to be an author of a scientific article? (Original paper from Dr. Prabhakar Clement).

(17). The following Civil and Environmental Engineering Special Topics courses (CIVL 6970/7970/7976) have maximum limits for repeating up to 6 or 9 credit hours. Graduate students should follow these guidelines when they plan courses for their graduate study; otherwise, those courses may not be approved by the Graduate School since the course repeated more than 6 or 9 credit hours can't be counted towards their degree.

CIVL 6970 CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SPECIAL TOPICS (3) LEC. 3. Departmental approval. Special topics of an advanced undergraduate nature pertinent to civil and environmental engineering. Specific prerequisites will be announced for each course offering. Credit will not be given for both CIVL 5970 and CIVL 6970. Course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

 CIVL 7970/7976 SPECIAL TOPICS IN civil and environmental ENGINEERING (1-3) LEC. Individual student or group endeavor under direct faculty supervision involving special topics of an advanced nature in civil and environmental engineering. Course may be repeated for a maximum of 9 credit hours.