Master of Science Program

Degree Requirements

MS Plan I vs. MS Plan II

There are two pathways to achieve an MS degree. All MS students are admitted to the Plan II: Project/Exam option. To pursue a MS Plan I: Thesis, you will need to find a major professor willing to mentor you for the thesis (mutual agreement).

Please see full degree requirements. Specifics on program milestones can be expanded on in the following section.

CEE Degree Requirements - Effective June 2025

CEE Degree Requirements - Effective June 2022

Students who were enrolled in the program prior to June 2025 may be eligible to elect to follow the old degree requirements or the new degree requirements, and should review the Legacy Degree Requirements Policy.

It is important to discuss your chosen track and Program of Study with your Major Advisor or the Area Advisor for your research group. Your faculty advisor can provide insights into how the different tracks can fit in with your area of studies and your academic goals. View the Area Advisors.

View our Area Advisors!

These are the faculty members who can advise you on your master's track and help you achieve your goals.

MS Plan Milestones

Please see below for the important administrative steps needed to finish your degree and officially graduate. Each milestone lays out steps for both MS tracks. Contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for any questions about the administrative steps.

1 - Registration

Creating your Fall schedule and first year plan

Review your core classes and see when they are being offered. Fill those courses in for Fall/Winter/Spring.
Review what other classes are being offered in our department, and make a list of the ones that seem interesting to you and when they are being offered.
Explore classes outside of ECI that are related to your research, academic and/or career goals. Make a list of these courses and when they are being offered (this might take some searching - department websites, historical offerings, etc).
*Note: be sure to review prerequisites when exploring classes!
Review if you have other course requirements, such as the background courses for a student without an engineering degree, or the graduate first year English course. These courses will NOT satisfy requirements for the MS or PhD Program of Study.
Start making a one year (three quarter) plan, with about 2-3 courses per quarter (and maybe one or two back-up courses).
If you are trying to graduate in one year, be sure your plan fulfills all the degree requirements. You can consider using the Program of Study form, as you will need to submit a preliminary Program of Study around the start of your second quarter.
Attend the Area Advising as part of the CEE Department Orientation, and check in with the faculty about the courses you are planning to take.

2 - Preliminary Program of Study

The Program of Study form serves as the formal written plan of courses to be reviewed and approved by your major professor. The form is filed (at a minimum) twice, once as preliminary Program of Study, and subsequently as final Program of Study. The preliminary Program of Study (student must check the “preliminary” box on the form) lists the courses planned to be used to satisfy the curriculum requirement of the M.S. degree, and should be filed with the Graduate Coordinator before the end of the second quarter of entering the masters program. It also must be reviewed and approved by the GPC within the first two quarters of entering the masters program.

Early submission will allow masters students to adjust their Programs before investing time and energy in courses that may not be approved by your major professor. If a student decides to make any changes to the preliminary Program of Study after it has been approved by your major professor, the student must submit a revised preliminary Program of Study for a second review by your major professor.

The GPC has the right to reject Programs of Study that are inadequately developed. Students are recommended to consult with their Major Professor and their Program of Study Committee, and follow the guidelines (below) carefully, in developing their Program of Study.

3 - Student Progress Assessment (Annual)

The Student Progress Assessment (SPA) is an online form, and is initiated each year in early April, and is due in mid-June. SPA must be completed annually. The SPA is one tool that can help strengthen conversations between students and their advisers about their academic progress and goals. The online tool is meant to complement in-person conversation, and to not be a replacement for actual conversation.

SUGGESTED STEPS THROUGH THE SPA

Please note that the steps below are simply guidance to help try and have this new process go smoothly…things do not need to be done this exact way.

You can find more guidance and details regarding the process at https://ucdavis.jira.com/wiki/spaces/GRADHUB/pages/352990035/Student+Progress+Assessment+Help.

Step 1: General Information
After receiving the notification email, the student should begin by filling in general information. In general, this will include most information under the following tabs: "Basic Information," "Courses," "Degree Programs," and "Dissertation/Thesis Committee." These are straightforward logistical information, in general. It is assumed that the student and advisor will be able to meet in person, and thus the “Faculty Member Conducting Assessment” should generally be “Major Professor.”
Step 2: Accomplishments
Under "Accomplishments and Expectations" the student should fill in the following boxes:
"Projects Accomplished in the Past Year"
“Projects Currently in Progress”
“Goals and Expectations for Upcoming Year”: At this point, this will be an opportunity for the student to lay out their goals. This will likely be revised, as appropriate, upon later discussion between student and advisor and should be a particular point of discussion
“Expected Graduation term”
Step 3: Career Goals
Under "Career Goals" the student should fill in all boxes. The academic and professional development planned for the upcoming year should be revised, as appropriate, later after discussion.
Step 4: Student sets meeting with Faculty Advisor
The student should let the advisor know that they’ve completed the above steps, and schedule a meeting between student and advisor. Both the student and advisor should be proactive in scheduling this meeting. It must occur before June 1.
Step 6: Initial Faculty Comments
The advisor should consider filling in some initial “comments” on the “Overall Assessment” tab to help guide the in-person discussion.
Step 7: Meet
Have an in-person (or zoom) meeting. Key points for discussion can build from the online assessment and might include:
Goals and expectations for upcoming year
Progress through the program (updated Program of Study as necessary)
Plan for support and funding if applicable (consider using the CEE Student Support Planning Worksheet)
Professional development
Overall assessment

The online form should be updated to reflect the discussion, as appropriate.
Step 8: Major Professor/ Graduate Advisor Confirmation
After the in-person meeting, the faculty member completes any remaining aspects of the assessment and Confirms it. The SPA will then route to the Graduate Advisor for Confirmation.
Step 9: Student Acknowledgement
The student will then get a notification to Acknowledge and then Submit Final

4 - Final Program of Study | Advance to Candidacy

MS Plan I
To be completed at least one quarter BEFORE your final quarter

1. MS Program of Study (final version): Fill out your final Program of Study, and have it signed by your Major Professor. If needed, also submit the Background Course Completion form (only students without a previous degree in Engineering).

2. Advance to Candidacy:
- Log into GradSphere and select the "Advancement to Candidacy" form.
- Select your degree pathway as "GECE MS Plan I"
- Pay the fee, and upload the receipt of payment
- Enter expected term and year of completion - this is not binding, just an estimate.
- Enter your coursework. Your coursework should match all courses listed on your Program of Study (the courses counting towards the MS degree. Background courses, English Language course requirements, or other courses not counting towards the MS requirements should not be listed). You can log into OASIS for easy copy and past of course titles. Example: Course Code = ECI, Course Number = 201, Title = Intro Theory Elast
- If you officially transferred coursework from a previous institution, you will check that field. This will not apply to most students.
- Enter your MS Thesis Committee. Please review the degree requirements for additional information about committee membership. This is the committee that will review and sign your Thesis.

Once you submit your candidacy form in GradSphere, it should route automatically for approval to your Committee Chair, the Program Graduate Advisor, the Program Graduate Coordinator, and then Graduate Studies. You can log into GradSphere and see where your form is throughout the process. You should also receive an email once the Candidacy has been fully approved.
MS Plan II
To be completed at least one quarter BEFORE your final quarter

1. MS Program of Study (final version): Fill out your final Program of Study, and have it signed by your Major Professor. If needed, also submit the Background Course Completion form (only students without a previous degree in Engineering).

2. Advance to Candidacy:
- Log into GradSphere and select the "Advancement to Candidacy" form.
- Select your degree pathway as "GECE MS Plan II"
- Pay the fee, and upload the receipt of payment
- Enter expected term and year of completion - this is not binding, just an estimate.
- Enter your coursework. Your coursework should match all courses listed on your Program of Study (the courses counting towards the MS degree. Background courses, English Language course requirements, or other courses not counting towards the MS requirements should not be listed). You can log into OASIS for easy copy and past of course titles. Example: Course Code = ECI, Course Number = 201, Title = Intro Theory Elast
- If you officially transferred coursework from a previous institution, you will check that field. This will not apply to most students.

Once you submit your candidacy form in GradSphere, it should route automatically for approval to the Program Graduate Advisor and the Program Graduate Coordinator, and then Graduate Studies. You can log into GradSphere and see where your form is throughout the process. You should also receive an email once the Candidacy has been fully approved.

5 - Graduation

MS Plan I
To be completed when you are done with your Thesis:
1. Review Filing Information: Graduate Studies has a comprehensive website for all the filing information - please read through it all!

2. CEE MS and PhD Graduation Checklist: Complete items on list and obtain necessary signatures, send form to Graduate Program Coordinator (Lauren)

3. F iling your Thesis or Dissertation: Log into GradSphere and select the "Filing Process" under "Degree Completion".

4. Filing Deadlines: Check the Filing Deadlines website to see when the date you should complete your exam/project/capstone by for each term degree list.

5. Diploma, Transcript, and More! Review the Graduate Studies website for more information about your diploma, transcript, conferral letter, email, and more.

Congratulations!!
MS Plan II
To be completed when you pass the exam/individual project/capstone course:
1. CEE MS and PhD Graduation Checklist: Complete items on list and obtain necessary signatures, send form to Graduate Program Coordinator (Lauren)

2. MS Report Form, Plan II: Your Major Professor (chair of your individual project, instructor of your capstone course, lead faculty on your written exam) will submit this directly in GradSphere. Please be mindful of the filing deadlines.

3. File to Graduate: Log into GradSphere and select the "Filing Process" under "Degree Completion".

4. Filing Deadlines: Check the Filing Deadlines website to see when the date you should complete your exam/project/capstone by for each term degree list.

5. Diploma, Transcript, and More! Review the Graduate Studies website for more information about your diploma, transcript, conferral letter, email, and more.

Congratulations!!