Master of Science Program

Graduate Student Handbook

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.

Faculty Advising

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.

All students are admitted initially as MS Plan II
Regardless of what you expressed interest in during the application process, all students are admitted initially into the MS Plan II track. If you want to pursue a MS Plan I Thesis, it is your responsibility to find a Major Professor who is willing to mentor you for a thesis and serve as your Committee Chair. You will officially declare the MS Plan I or Plan II when you Advance to Candidacy. To Advance to Candidacy for the MS Plan I Thesis, you will need to have the agreement of your full Thesis Committee.
Initial Faculty Advisor
The Area Advisor, or GPC Rep, will serve as the initial faculty advisor until you find their major professor (permanent faculty advisor). Many MS Plan II students will keep the Area Advisor as their Major Professor through the duration on their MS Program. MS Plan I (thesis) students will likely need to change their Major Professor/Faculty Advisor who will serve as the Chair of their Thesis Committee.

If you stay with the Area Advisor, you do not need to take any action to change your Faculty Advisor.
Changing your Faculty Advisor
If needed, new students should select a Major Professor before completing the first quarter, or in the second quarter at the latest. You should discuss with the selected faculty member and obtain their consent to serve as their Major Professor. The Major Professor relationship is established by mutual agreement. While you should feel free to discuss academic matters with any faculty member, typically the Major Professor will oversee most of your research and progress during your degree program. You may change major professors (by mutual agreement) at any time as your research and educational interests change and develop.
After coming an agreement with a faculty member to serve as your Faculty Advisor for the MS Plan I or MS Plan II, you will file the "Change of Major Professor" form with the Graduate Program Coordinator (found on the CEE Forms website).
Curriculum and Program of Study
You are encouraged to discuss their courses and overall Program of Study with your Faculty Advisor quarterly, or as changes to an approved Program of Study occur. More guidance regarding the Program of Study is in the Milestones section of this website.
ECI 299 - Research
Some MS students will register in ECI 299 research units with your respective major professor (faculty advisor) at some point in their career. Every time you enroll in research units, you will want to talk to your faculty advisor early (before or when you enroll) so you can discuss what will be expected of you to earn “satisfactory” (or “S”) grades in your research units. While these units are sometimes used to “fill” a schedule to the 12 unit minimum, you are expected to put in the time and work based on the number of research units you are enrolled in to pass the course(s). Every CEE faculty member is assigned individual 299 CRNs, which change each quarter.

ECI 299 is a variable unit course and it defaults to 1 unit. Students may increase the variable units as needed. To do this, simply login to schedule builder and find the button that says “Edit” next to “Units” which is listed below the title ECI 299.

Please note these research CRNs change quarterly, are NOT published online and must be obtained from Lauren Worrell (lkworrell@ucdavis.edu) each quarter you plan to enroll in them. When emailing the staff to ask for the ECI 299 CRN, be sure to include the faculty name for the research units you want to enroll in so we can provide you with the correct CRN. After you enroll in research units, always check to be sure it is under the right faculty member, and the correct number of units.
MS Plan I Thesis - Committee membership
MS Plan I Thesis Students will have a formal Thesis Committee which is established upon Advancement to Candidacy. The Thesis Committee must meet the requirements outlined in the Program Degree Requirements, as well as in the UC Davis Service on Advanced Degree Committees policy. If you have any questions about your potential committee members, please inquire with the Graduate Program Coordinator.

MS 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

Please refer to the New Student Course Registration page for detailed information about how to register for courses.

Review your core classes and see when they are being offered. Fill those courses in for Fall/Winter/Spring. The CEE Course Matrix (linked from our Special Courses page) will be helpful in seeing when our ECI courses are planned to be offered.
Explore what other ECI 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.
Consider using the Program of Study form as you do your planning, 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 can be downloaded (as an excel file) from the CEE Forms page. 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.

Students without and Engineering Background: Please also complete the CEE Background Completion form (found on the CEE Forms page) and submit this with the MS Program of Study.

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.

CEE FORMS

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

ALL students must complete the Filing Process in GradSphere to be added to the Degree List and officially graduate.

Grad Studies: Finishing your Degree!

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. F iling your Thesis or Dissertation: Log into GradSphere and select the "Filing Process" under "Degree Completion".
MS Plan II
To be completed when you pass the exam/individual project/capstone course:
1. Review Filing Information: Graduate Studies has a comprehensive website for all the filing information - please read through it all!

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". If your MS Report Form is not complete when you submit the Filing Process, you may upload a document that has your name, SID, and a statement explaining when your MS Report was completed and which faculty member will be submitting your MS Report Form.
Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduation Checklist
As you prepare to graduate, we would appreciate if you would complete the following checklist items as relevant. This checklist must be complete PRIOR to graduation/leaving Davis. This checklist includes important items such as returning key and other department property, cleaning any assigned desk or locker space, and cleaning lab space as necessary.
Filing Deadlines
Check the Graduate Studies Filing Deadlines to see the submission deadline for each quarter degree list. All aspects of the Filing Process (Master Report forms, thesis, required filing paperwork, and signed title page) must be submitted to Graduate Studies (GradSphere) by 4:59 PM Pacific Time on the deadline.
Diploma, Transcript, and More!
Review the Graduate Studies website for more information about your diploma, transcript, conferral letter, email, and more.
Commencement
Graduate Studies Commencement

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering does not host a commencement celebration. Graduate Students can participate in the Graduate Studies Commencement. There is only one Graduate Studies Commencement held annually in June (there is no winter ceremony for Graduate Students).

Generally speaking, students should start reviewing information about commencement in late February.

To be eligible for the Graduate Studies Commencement, please pay attention to the dates on the website regarding Advancing to Candidacy and/or being filed to graduate. Students may participate in the Commencement Ceremony prior to actually graduating if they Advance to Candidacy by the appropriate deadline.

Please also be sure to pay attention to the registration deadline, which is generally early May, and the deadline to to rent your cap/gown without a late fee.

Questions? Check out their FAQ website, or contact gradcommencement@ucdavis.edu