Combined BSCE + MSCE Degree Program

The Combined BSCE+MSCE Degree program is an integrated program that can be completed in as little as five years. This program will allow a student to dual count up to two graduate level courses between the BSCE and MSCE coursework requirements, thereby reducing the overall time required for the MSCE degree. This program is only available to students in the BSCE program at the West Lafayette campus.

Typical Timeline

Undergraduate Semester 5 (typically first semester of junior year)

• Attend mid-October callout by the CE Graduate Office about the Combined BSCE+MSCE Degree program.
• Complete and submit the BSCE+MSCE Program Application by due date.
• Program application decision will be made before the start of semester 6.

Semester 6 (typically second semester of junior year)

• Submit the Graduate School Application that includes Purdue transcript and one additional letter of recommendation.
• Graduate Program application decision will be made by mid-semester.

Semesters 7 & 8 (senior year, dual degree status)

• Dual-degree status (both BSCE and MSCE).
• During the dual-status semesters students may complete at most 12 credits of graduate courses (e.g., four 3-credit 50000 level courses) as undergraduate technical electives. Up to six credits of these graduate courses will be added later to the MSCE plan of study, and will be “dual-counted” for both the undergraduate BSCE and graduate MSCE degrees.
• Progress is reviewed each semester to ensure that the requirement of 3.3 or higher cumulative GPA are met.
• BSCE degree awarded at the end of semester 8.

Semester 9 (MSCE degree status)

• Degree status changed to graduate student in the MSCE program.
• Graduate MSCE plan of study is due before the end of semester.

Procedures and Rules

1. Students apply to the program by submitting a Combined BSCE+MSCE Degree Program Application to the CE Graduate Office in semester 5 (typically the fall semester of the junior year).  The BSCE + MSCE Program internal application includes the Application Form, 2 letters of recommendation, and a Purdue transcript.  At least one recommendation letter should be from a Purdue Civil Engineering faculty member.
2. A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA (CGPA) of 3.3 is required at the time of submission of the Combined BSCE+MSCE Degree program application.
3. If the BSCE+MSCE program application is approved, provisional admission to the BSCE+MSCE program is granted for semester 6. The student will be required to submit a Graduate School application that includes a Purdue transcript and one additional letter of recommendation during semester 6.
4. Upon admission to Graduate School, in semesters 7 and 8 the student will have dual-degree status until the BSCE degree is awarded (at end of semester 8).
5. During the dual-status semesters students may complete at most 12 credits of graduate courses (e.g. four 3-credit 50000 level courses) as undergraduate technical electives. Up to six credits of these graduate courses will be added later to the MSCE plan of study, and will be “dual-counted” for both the undergraduate BSCE and graduate MSCE degrees.

Important Notes

• Grades of B or better are required for the dual-counted graduate courses for graduate credit and to remain in the BSCE+MSCE program.
• Students must have at least two full undergraduate semesters (not including summers) remaining to be admitted to the program and the dual-counted graduate courses must be taken in these semesters.
• The Graduate School restricts the total number of undergraduate excess courses and dual counted credits to 12 for use toward the master’s degree.
• The student's record is reviewed by the CE graduate office at the end of semesters 7 and 8:
  • The student must maintain an undergraduate CGPA of at least 3.3
  • The student should earn grades of B or better in the completed dual-counted graduate courses.
  • If the minimum CGPA of 3.3 and course grade conditions are not met, the student will be required to leave the BSCE+MSCE Program. When a student leaves the BSCE+MSCE Program (for any reason), the graduate courses taken as undergraduate electives (that were intended to be dual-counted) will be applied only to the BS degree and cannot be used for graduate credit.
• After satisfactory completion of the BSCE degree requirements, the BSCE degree will be awarded. The student will have graduate status starting in semester 9.
• A graduate plan of study must be completed before the end of semester 9. A plan of study approved by the CE graduate office is required before registration for courses for semester 10.
• Students may choose the non-thesis or thesis MSCE option. The non-thesis MSCE requires at least 30 hours of coursework (usually 10 courses). The thesis option requires at least 21 hours of coursework (usually 7 courses), and at least 9 hours of successful completion of CE 69800 (MS thesis research) which includes completion of a research project and defense of the Master’s thesis. The thesis option may require an additional semester or more to complete.
• BSCE+MSCE program students will be eligible to receive a research assistantship, fellowship, or a teaching assistantship in CE after their BS has been awarded (typically in semester 9).

Applying to the Program

To apply for admission to the Combined BSCE+MSCE Degree Program, first attend the callout. Then complete the following forms and submit them to the CE Graduate Office by the due date:

1. Combined BSCE+MSCE Degree Program Application Form
2. Current, official Purdue transcript – request this to be sent directly to the CE Graduate Office from the Registrar’s office (located in Hovde Hall)
3. Arrange for two letters of recommendation to be submitted on your behalf.

CE Graduate Office
550 Stadium Mall (Hampton Hall, Room 1141)
West Lafayette, IN 47907
cegrad@purdue.edu
(765) 494-2436