The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department offers three graduate degrees: Ph.D., Master of Science (M.S.) with thesis, and Master of Civil Engineering (M.C.E.) (non-thesis).  There are possible prerequisites for students holding college degrees in fields other than civil and environmental engineering.

All MS/MCE work must be completed within six calendar years. The student’s degree time begins with the earliest completed course in the Plan of Study.

Ph.D. students are expected to achieve candidacy (passing proposal defense and qualifying exams) within six years and to complete all requirements for the degree within ten years.

• Students in the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Earth System Science (ESS) can be advised by civil engineering faculty. The ESS Ph.D. program has different degree requirements from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D. program. 
• Campus visits are offered and organized by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering: 
  Application form for a campus visit

• Read more information on the College of Engineering's  
  graduate program 
• Master of Engineering degree program (Managed by the College, contact Dr. Auad)

Current students: 

(1). Find and download the necessary forms for graduate studies from the Graduate School

(2). Doctoral students: doctoral studies checklist from the Graduate School

(3). Submit a graduation application request to the Graduate School prior to the semester of expected graduation.

(4). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Guide from the Graduate School.

Transfer credits from another university (from the Graduate School):

Graduate credit taken in residence at an international institution or at a regionally accredited U.S. institution may be transferred when recommended by the student’s major professor, advisory committee, graduate coordinator, and when also approved by the dean of the Graduate School. Such transfer credit must fall within the time limits of the degree (not more than 6 years old for the MS degree, and not older than 10 years for the Ph.D. degree program). Students seeking transfer credit must provide documentary evidence showing that the course is comparable to similar graduate courses at Auburn University and relevant to the student’s plan of study. Students must also provide an official transcript showing credit earned for the course. No prior commitment is made concerning whether transfer credit will be accepted. 

The total number of credit hours that may be transferred from another accredited institution towards a master’s, education specialist, or doctoral degree varies by program and may be no more than 50% of the total credit hours for the program. Such transfer credit 1) must fall within the time limits of the degree; and, 2) must be approved by the advisory committee and the Dean of the Graduate School.  

No transfer credit will be approved without an official transcript. No course on which a grade lower than B was earned may be transferred. Additionally, the credit will not be allowed if the combined GPA on graduate work taken at other schools is less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, nor may transfer credit be used to improve the GPA on courses taken at Auburn University.

Registration and Graduation Requirements

(Revised From AU Bulletin under Graduate School)

Thesis and dissertation students needing thesis or dissertation final approval and submission and the final examination, or non-thesis graduate students needing to complete projects (optional for MCE), would register for CIVL 7990 Research and Thesis, CIVL 8990 Research and Dissertation, or CIVL 7980 Project, as applicable. Non-thesis MCE graduate students would register for GRAD 7000. Students may not register for GRAD 7000 for more than one semester.

No student will be permitted to graduate who fails to submit a graduation check request to the Graduate School prior to the semester of expected graduation. Graduation day is the official last day of each semester and, therefore, is the deadline for approved plans of study and graduation checks for graduation the following semester. It is the responsibility of graduate students to check records for compliance with graduation requirements. Students who have completed a graduation check for a previous term must notify the Graduate School of pending graduation before the 15th class day of each subsequent semester. Graduate degrees are awarded at the end of each semester. Candidates wishing to graduate in absentia must inform the Registrar’s Office.

A graduate student may carry a maximum course load of 16 hours per semester (14 in the summer term) including undergraduate courses. Graduate students must carry nine hours per semester or enroll in (GRAD 7AA0/GRAD 8AA0) with concurrent enrollment for a minimum of one hour of 7990/8990 to be classified as full-time students. Enrollment in (GRAD 7AA0/GRAD 8AA0) requires the completion of the form available at the Graduate School or at www.grad.auburn.edu.