Geotechnical Engineering

UC Davis Geotechnics

Welcome to UC Davis Geotechnics! Our group exists to generate new knowledge, advance geotechnical and geological engineering practice, and equip the workforce through multidisciplinary research and teaching. Our faculty conduct interdisciplinary research across engineering and earth sciences, generating critical insights and knowledge to provide fundamental advancements and novel engineering solutions to help meet the evolving challenges of our society, including those posed by global climate change. We closely collaborate with our industry partners to provide relevant and timely solutions to challenges in engineering practice, and graduates from our program become leaders in industry and academia.

We conduct research on a broad range of topics: development of characterization tools for challenging soils, creating advanced constitutive models for soil behavior and advancing predictive capabilities for earthquake engineering applications, developing new foundations and anchorage systems, generating numerical simulation platforms, advancing bio-mediated technologies, discovering bio-inspired solutions, simulating fractured rock behavior, evaluating performance and risk of dams and levees, and assessing climate-driven hazards evolving in cold regions. In doing our research, we employ a multitude of experimental (lab, centrifuge, and field testing) and numerical tools (Discrete Element Modeling, Finite Element, and Finite Difference Modeling), and use state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies.

Facilities

Our group is the home of three national research centers: the Center for Geotechnical Modeling (CGM), the Center for Biomediated and Bioinspired Geotechnics (CBBG), and the UC Pavement Research Center (UCPRC). The CGM is a national shared-use, world-class geotechnical modeling facility that supports scaled modeling of systems and hypergravity experiments. Experiments performed on the 9m and 1m radius centrifuges enable major advances in our ability to understand, predict, and improve the performance of civil infrastructure and natural systems. The CBBG applies biogeotechnical techniques to create sustainable, resilient, and environmentally compatible solutions for construction, repair, and rehabilitation of civil infrastructure systems. The UCPRC produces advancements in roadway system technology, management of distributed roadway systems, and incorporation of sustainability into technology and system management.

Degrees Offered

We offer Masters and Doctoral degrees in geotechnics:

Master of Science Plan II (Professional MS)

Students interested in obtaining a professional degree with the foundational knowledge required to practice geotechnical engineering can complete a MS in three academic quarters (9 months) of full-time study. This degree requires the submission of a Capstone project through the ECI 292 A/B/C series.

Master of Science Plan I (Thesis)

Students pursuing a research-based MS typically require 18-24 months of full-time study. The program requires a Major Professor to supervise your MS thesis, with approval required at the time of admission.

Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD degree involves extensive, original research conducted in close collaboration with faculty. Students can apply directly to the PhD program, regardless of whether they hold an MS degree. However, many MS students choose to transition to the PhD program during their time at Davis.

Typical Course Load for Professional MS

Each quarter, students take three technical courses and the geotechnical professional practice course for a minimum of 12 units per quarter. Students have flexibility in the courses they can take to satisfy degree requirements, and meet with their faculty advisor to discuss their course plan and professional/research goals. Below is a suggested course schedule, but this can be modified based on student interests and offerings may change depending on faculty availability:

Fall Quarter:

ECI 281A - Advanced Soil Mechanics (4 units)
ECI 281B - Engineering Geology (4 units)
ECI 292A - Geotechnical Professional Practice (1 unit)
ECI 175 - Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (4 units)

Winter Quarter:

ECI 281C - Advanced Soil Mechanics (4 units)
ECI 283 - Physico-Chemical Aspects of Soil Behavior and/or ECI 284 - Theoretical Geomechanics (4 units)
ECI 292B - Geotechnical Professional Practice (1 unit)
Breadth Course (Non-exhaustive list):
- ECI 144 - Groundwater Systems Design
- ECI 201 - Introduction to Theory of Elasticity
- ECI 212A - Finite Element Procedures in Applied Mechanics
- ECI 282 - Pavement Design and Rehabilitation
- ECI 299 - Research

Spring Quarter:

ECI 286 - Advanced Foundation Design (4 units)
ECI 287 - Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (4 units)
ECI 292C - Geotechnical Professional Practice (2 units)
Breadth Course (Non-exhaustive list):
- ECI 212B - Finite Elements: Application to Linear and Non-Linear Structural Mechanics Problems
- ECI 214 - Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis and Design Ground Motions
- ECI 224 - Structural Reliability Analysis
- ECI 260 - Sediment Transport
- ECI 299 - Research

Funding

Financial support is provided to most students in our program. Funding sources and amounts vary based on the study program and the extent to which students are engaged in research.

Interested? Questions?

The comprehensive suite of graduate pathways available provide clear direction for those interested in a 9-month MS degree and also multiple options for those passionate about research. We recognize that each student comes into our program with a different background, interests, and career objectives. Please reach out to us so we can discuss which pathway best suits your needs and how it might be customized to your interests and goals.

Feel free to reach out to any of the geotechnical faculty above. If you are not sure who to reach out to, please contact Prof. Michael Gardner (mhgardner@ucdavis.edu), who is the current geotechnical graduate program coordinator.