Civil and Environmental Engineering AMP

Program Overview

Through an AMP, you can earn a Master of Science in as little as one additional year after completion of your bachelor’s degree. Students can double-count two pre-approved courses (6 credits) at the undergraduate level (approved for graduate credit) or graduate level taken during their senior year towards both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Students can take one additional pre-approved graduate course (3-credits) during their senior year that will count only towards the MS degree.

AMP students therefore require only 21-24 additional graduate credits to complete their MS following completion of their bachelor’s degree. Another bonus: there is no GRE required for admission to any CEMS AMP.

AMP programs in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences

How and when do I apply?

Prospective AMP students must apply for admission through the Graduate College.

Applicants will automatically be considered for partial tuition scholarships; no separate application is necessary.

The AMP Permission form (PDF) is a required part of the application and requires both a signature from first, the Faculty Graduate Program Coordinator and then CEMS Graduate Program Coordinator, Jane Kimble, at cems.graduate.coordinator@uvm.edu (listed as the Undergraduate Dean’s Office signature).   Prospective AMP students must also notify the appropriate Graduate Program Director as to:

• which courses they would like to double-count for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees (for this they can consult a faculty and/or Graduate Program Director affiliated with the particular graduate program)
• whether they're planning to do a coursework only, project, or thesis option, and
• for project or thesis options, who has agreed to be their graduate advisor (note that upon starting their Master's degree, the thesis/project advisor can be changed)

Applications are typically completed in the second semester of the junior year, but must be completed at least one month before the semester in which the student wishes to take courses that will double-count for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees so that there is enough time to be admitted to the Graduate College before coursework that will double count is taken. 

AMP Permission form (PDF)

Curriculum

Minimum Degree Requirements

The requirements for advancement to candidacy are as follows:

Thesis Option

30 Total Minimum Credits (including 6-9 credits of CEE 6391)

Oral Comprehensive Examination

Completion and Defense of a Thesis

Non-Thesis Option #1

30 Total Minimum Credits (including 3-6 credits of CEE 6392)

Oral Comprehensive Examination

Completion of a Research Report

Non-Thesis Option #2

30 Total Minimum Credits

Written Comprehensive Examination

Students must declare which option they intend to pursue at the beginning of their program, any changes must be done in coordination with the academic advisor and Graduate Program Director.

All M.S. students must complete a minimum of 6 credits in advanced statistics, mathematics or numerical/computational methods, and a minimum of 9 credits in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) coursework. At least 6 graded coursework credits must be at the 6000-level or above.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Program Course Inventory

Admissions

Who is Eligible?

UVM undergraduate students should apply in the fall or spring of their junior year when they have 2-3 semesters remaining in their BS program and should meet the following requirements:

• Two or three semesters remaining before completion of their bachelor's degree
• A minimum 3.2 GPA (some exceptions may be made, if warranted)
• Sufficient prerequisite coursework for the master's program that is being applied to.

Requirements for Admission

Qualified undergraduate students who plan to earn a M.S. in civil and environmental engineering may enroll in the Accelerated Master's Entry Pathway, which enables students to begin working on the M.S. while still an undergraduate. Applications are typically completed in the second semester of the junior year, but must be completed at least 1 month prior to the semester in which the student wishes to take courses that will double-count for both B.S. and M.S. degrees so that there is enough time to be admitted to the Graduate College before coursework that will double count is taken. Upon entering the pathway, students may take up to 6 graduate credits while completing the undergraduate degree that can be counted toward both the B.S. and the M.S. degrees. Another 3 graduate credits can be counted towards the M.S. degree while an undergraduate but cannot count towards the B.S. degree. These credits must be earned after the student has been accepted into the Graduate College, and are subject to approval of the student's graduate advisor. Students pursuing an M.S. degree in civil and environmental engineering may choose either a thesis, project, or non-thesis-based program.

To apply to the program, students should have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 at the time of application (some exceptions may be made, if warranted), must submit a letter of application to the graduate program coordinator naming a faculty member who has agreed to serve as their graduate advisor and list the courses proposed for graduate credit. Applicants must also complete the Graduate College application. GRE scores are not required for AMP students.

Costs and Funding

Students pursuing a thesis-based MS are often supported as an undergraduate research assistant (URA) while still an undergraduate student, and then change to a graduate research or teaching assistant (GRA or GTA) when they graduate with their Bachelor’s degree and become a regular graduate student.

Students pursuing course-based or project-based MS degrees are typically self-funded. Self-funded AMP students will receive a partial tuition scholarship of 30% of the tuition cost for the remaining 21-24 graduate credits taken after completion of the Bachelor's degree, provided the student maintains a GPA of at least 3.0 in their graduate work  

More

Comprehensive Examination

A comprehensive examination is required of all M.S. students. For thesis option students this generally takes the form of an oral examination with the Studies Committee and often focuses around the basic principles behind the thesis research. This should generally take place in the semester preceding the thesis defense.

For non-thesis option students, the required format is either a written report or a written examination consisting of 3 topics related to the student's course of study. This usually takes place in the last semester of the program.

The examination may be retaken once if the student does not pass it on the first attempt.