Advisors
Advisors help students structure a program of study that addresses their needs and satisfies degree requirements. New students are initially assigned the Graduate Program Director/GRC Chair as their advisor. The GRC facilitates a student's selection of an advisor, which is dependent on the student’s specialty area and, if appropriate, research interests. In general, all incoming MS students will be considered to be on the coursework path. However, a student can switch to the research path (thesis or report) if a research advisor is identified. Please be aware that the availability of any particular research project is governed by the availability of funds to support that research.
Once a research advisor is selected, an Advisory Committee is formed for each student. The Advisory Committee prepares a program of course study and research work that will lead to the desired graduate degree. It is up to the student and their advisor to fill out, get signed, and submit the appropriate forms for the Graduate School at the appropriate times (see this link for current forms and instructions). In addition to Graduate School forms, Master’s students must also complete the Departmental Advisor form and submit to the Graduate Program Assistant. See the timeline below dependent on degree path.
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Departmental Advisor Form – MS (Research): Due by end of the 7th week of first semester
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Departmental Advisor Form – MS (Coursework): Due by end of the 7th week of first semester
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Departmental Advisor Form – Accelerated MS: Due by the end of the 1st week of the student’s first semester in the Accelerated MS program. The form should be emailed to the Graduate Program Assistant at the time the application to the Graduate School is submitted.
Most students in pursuit of a Ph.D., who when admitted into the graduate program do not already possess an MS degree or its equivalent, can readily obtain a Master of Science in Civil Engineering or Environmental Engineering degree along the way. Students wishing to terminate their graduate study with a Master’s degree are strongly encouraged to pursue the thesis option. The report option is available to students under special circumstances.
