Appendix H - Structures
Structural Engineering Graduate Degree Overview
Degree Requirements
Master of Science in Civil Engineering | PhD |
Non-Thesis: 30 cr. hrs. course work Thesis: 21 cr. hrs. course work 9 cr. hrs. research Thesis Oral thesis defense
Committee: Major Professor + 2 |
90 cr. hrs. (min)
Preliminary oral exam Committee: Major Professor + 2 faculty members + 1 non-CE faculty member Plan of study must be submitted before scheduling the Preliminary oral exam |
Course Offerings
Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
CE 57000 Adv. Structural Mechanics CE 57300 Structural Dynamics CE 57600 Adv. Reinforced Concrete Design CE 58400 Foundation Analysis and Design CE 59100 Adv. Structural Steel Design CE 67600 Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Members |
CE 57100 Earthquake Engineering CE 57200 Prestressed Concrete Design CE 57900 Structural Stability CE 59500 Finite Elements in Elasticity |
Offered Occasionally:
Other Courses to Consider
CE 53000 Properties and Production of Concrete
CE 58000 Advanced Geotechnical Engineering
CE 58300 Slopes and Retaining Structures
AAE 55400 Fatigue of Structures and Materials
AAE 55500 Mechanics of Composite Materials
AAE 55800 Finite Element Methods in Aerospace Structures
AAE 65400 Fracture Mechanics
Master’s Degree Requirements for Structural Engineering
Study Options
Graduate students focusing their studies on subject matter related to structural engineering and engineering mechanics may design their plans of study to fit their individual interests and needs, with the understanding that normally there should be exposure to both analysis and design subject matter. Both thesis and non-thesis programs are acceptable.
Structural Engineering Seminar
All structural engineering graduate students are required to register for the Structural Engineering Seminar, CE 69100, for each semester they are in residence. Attendance at all seminars is required of all graduate students unless explicit exception is granted.
Certification/Examination Requirements
Successful completion of all courses on the plan of study with a minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for certification for the master’s degree. In addition, the following regulations are applicable.
Non-Thesis Students
Certification for receipt of the master’s degree may be by conference of committee unless the student has received two or more C grades for courses listed on the plan of study, in which case satisfactory performance on a suitable examination, oral and/or written, is required.
Thesis Students
Certification for receipt of the master’s degree is contingent on committee acceptance of a formal oral defense of the thesis.
A Professional Masters Concentration (CE-LEM) is also available in the MSCE program. You can find more details about the concentration and the required coursework at: https://engineering.purdue.edu/CE/Academics/Graduate/CE-LEM.
Requirement for Incoming Ph.D. students
Students admitted to the Ph.D. program in Structures shall have an adviser (agreeing to direct their Ph.D. research) by the end of their third semester in the program (summers excluded). If a student loses his/her adviser later, then they shall identify a new adviser (agreeing to direct their Ph.D. research) in no more than six months from the time when they lost their (previous) adviser.
Students not meeting these requirements shall be dropped from the Ph.D. program in Structures.