SPECIAL REPORT ACADEMIC MATTERS AND GRADUATE COUNCILS ACCELERATED MASTER S PROGRAM: CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Transcription

1 SPECIAL REPORT of the ACADEMIC MATTERS AND GRADUATE COUNCILS concerning an ACCELERATED MASTER S PROGRAM: CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Presented at the 746 th Regular Meeting of the Faculty Senate March 12, 2015 COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP ACADEMIC MATTERS COUNCIL Neal Abraham, Wesley Autio, Martha Baker, Carol Barr, Bryan Beck, Laura Briggs, Daniel Burkhardt, Javier Campos, Stephanie Chapko, Elizabeth Dumont, Laura Francis, Daniel Gordon, Patrick Kelly, Nancy Lamb, John Lenzi, Linda Lewandowski, Meredith Lind, Linda Lowry, Pamela Marsh-Williams, Ernest May, MJ Peterson, Linda Shea (Chair), Kelly Smiaroski, Kregg Strehorn, Patrick Sullivan, David Vacchi, Ruth Verock-O Loughlin, Stephen Walt, Tom Weston GRADUATE COUNCIL Neal Abraham, Jane Baran, Lori Baronas, Tom Braden, D. Anthony Butterfield, Leslie Button, David Ford, Adina Giannelli, Steve Goodwin, Linda Griffin (Chair), Mark Hamin, Alice Harris, Cynthia Jacelon, A Yemisi Jimoh, Arthur Kinney, Kevin Klement, David Kotz, Beth Lang, John Lopes, Michael Malone, Ernest May, John McCarthy, Daniel Morales, Dani O Brien, Lee Riekki, Juan Manuel Ruiz-Hau, Frederic Schaffer, Holli Selman, Patrick Sullivan, Nathan Therien, David Vaillancourt, Anna Waltman

2 ACADEMIC MATTERS COUNCIL The Academic Matters Council s Program Subcommittee reviewed this proposal for an Accelerated Master s Option in Civil and Environmental Engineering and recommended its approval to the full Academic Matters Council. The proposal fits the University s criteria for accelerated master s degree programs. Nine credits that are applied toward the master s may be taken during a student s undergraduate tenure, but all of those courses must be taken in addition to the credits required of the baccalaureate degree; therefore, all credit requirements are met. The Academic Matters Council approved the proposal on December 3, 2014 being submitted as #1581 on the Course and Curriculum Management System. GRADUATE COUNCIL The Academic Standards and Curriculum Committee (ASCC) of the Graduate Council met on December 3, 2014 and reviewed the proposal for the Accelerated Master s Program: Civil and Environmental Engineering. The ASCC recommended this proposal for approval. This was submitted as proposal #1581 on the UMass Course and Curriculum Management System. On Wednesday, December 10, 2014, the Graduate Council approved the Accelerated Master s Program: Civil and Environmental Engineering. MOVED: That the Faculty Senate approve the Accelerated Masters Program: Civil and Environmental Engineering, as presented in.

3 This proposal describes an accelerated BS/MS program in Civil and Environmental Engineering. The department envisions qualified students taking up to three graduate courses during the junior and senior year and then completing an additional seven course during two semesters of MS study to complete the required 30 credits for MS graduation. This proposal was developed by Prof. Sanjay Arwade, GPD of CEE, in consultation with the faculty, department head Richard Palmer, and Associate Head David Ahlfeld. CEE has, over the past several years, begun to market a path to an MS degree that uses only coursework credits for meeting degree requirements rather than coursework plus thesis. This program is proving attractive to feepaying students and we would like to formalize it within the context of accelerated MS. By using the accelerated framework, the department can offer students the opportunity to transfer up to 9 credits and therefore engage in greater depth with the solely graduate coursework undertaken during the MS semesters. The department requests a March 15 application date so that it may have access to fall junior year grades when making accelerated admission recommendations. Please see cover letter for further information. This accelerated master s option apply to all CEE Master's degrees. What type of degree program does this accelerated master s option pertain to? An existing degree.

4 Sanjay R. Arwade 223 Marston Hall November 11, 2014 Dear Members of the Graduate Council and the Academic Standards Curriculum Committee: In February 2014, I submitted a proposal for an accelerated master s degree program in civil & environmental engineering (CEE) where I am GPD. The proposal was returned to me with the comments that the proposal was too brief and needed more detail. It was specifically requested that course names and numbers be provided rather than the courses categories I had provided. I am responding with this letter and the revised proposal that follows. There are four program areas of CEE: Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Transportation Engineering. Master s level graduate study leading to the degree of M.S.C.E. may be conducted in any of the program areas with core and elective courses. Furthermore, our programs are highly flexible, with core and program elective courses being chosen from program area menus. It is therefore difficult to provide a specific list of courses and their sequence corresponding to a standard and accelerated master s degree program. Nevertheless, I include in this letter a list of all core and program elective graduate courses offered in CEE in hopes that this information will allay concerns regarding the accelerated option. I have also attempted to make clear in the description of the accelerated program which courses taken during junior and senior year would count towards the bachelor s or master s degree and that all graduate school requirements such as the number of credits at the 6xx level or above must be followed. In closing, I request to be informed of the time and place at which this proposal will be discussed and to be provided the opportunity to attend this meeting in hopes of directly addressing any further concerns the committee or council may have. Sincerely, Sanjay R. Arwade Associate Professor Graduate Program Director

5 Current curriculum for coursework (non-thesis) MS in CEE Description of Master s 1 (Fall) Master s 1 Summer Master s 2 (Fall) Master s 2 (Spring) (Spring) Accelerated Option CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Elect (Spring) (Spring) CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Elect At right, please CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Core describe the CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Core typical course of study for a Master s student. Use specific courses, if appropriate, or course categories (e.g., core course, program elective, free elective. Please include any required theses, practica, exams, or other requirements. Show corresponding Credits for each requirement (see example). NOTES: 1. Assume all courses 3 credit; required seminar each semester for 1 additional credit. 2. The Graduate School policies state ( degreecertification# Master's) Non-Thesis Option: Graduate students who do not write a master's thesis must earn a minimum of twelve (12) credits in the course level range. CEE does not impose requirements for 6xx coursework beyond this requirement. Proposed schedule for accelerated MS in CEE Junior Senior Summer MS 1 (FALL) MS 2 (spring) Proposed schedule for accelerated MS in CEE Junior Senior Summer MS1 (FALL) MS2 (spring) BS: 4 x BS course BS: 3 x BS course CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Elect MS: CEE Grad Core MS: CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Core CEE Grad Elect MS: CEE Grad Elect CEE Grad Elect CEE Grad Elect CEE Grad Elect Notes: 1. Assume all courses are 3 credits for illustrative purposes. 2. MS courses taken during undergraduate terms are in addition to credits required for BSE degree. 3. If 9 credits are not available for transfer then additional courses must be taken during MS 1 (Fall) and MS 2 (Spring) to meet 30- credit graduation requirement for the MS degree. 4. The Graduate School policies state ( degreecertification# Master's) Non-Thesis Option: Graduate students who do not write a master's thesis must earn a minimum of twelve (12) credits in the course level range. In the context of the program being proposed this means that 4 courses must be taken at the 6xx level or above. No additional resources are required. Currently, 30 credits are required for a CEE MS degree, of which 12 must be at the 6xx level or higher. Courses are drawn from a menu of core and elective courses in the relevant program areas of Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, and Transportation Engineering. (See attachment for list of relevant courses)

6 Table of graduate courses by category in CEE Core courses Title Program electives Title CEE 509 Transportation Sys. Anly. CEE 510 Public Transportation CEE 511 Traffic Engineering CEE 518 Intell. Transportation Sys. CEE 516 Trans. Design CEE 520 Traf Flow Theory & Simulation I CEE 536 Adv. Top. in Rein. Concrete Des. CEE 521 Traf Flow Theory & Simulation II CEE 542 Adv. Top. in Steel Design CEE 523 Ground Imprvment & GeoConst. CEE 605 Finite Element Analysis CEE 525 Environmental Geotechnology CEE 620 Soil Behavior & Shear Strength CEE 527 Earthquake Engineering CEE 622 Geotechnical Materials Testing CEE 541 Structural Dynamics CEE 623 Advanced Foundation Engr. CEE 550 Bridge Design CEE 625 In Situ Testing Techniques CEE 560 Hydrology CEE 630 Adv. Solid Mech. CEE 561 Open Channel Flow CEE 670 Trans. Processes in EWRE 570/597G ST-GIS for Engineers CEE 575 Adv. Solid & Haz. Waste Mgmt. CEE 577 Surface Water Quality CEE 590I Signalized Intersections & Sys CEE 597F Design of Fish Passage Facilities CEE 597M Public Works Engin & Mgmt. CEE 597S Transportation Sustainability CEE 610 Trnspt Analysis & Plan CEE 614 Adv. Concept/Traf. Safety CEE 646 Seismic Struct. Anal. CEE 662 Water Resources Systems Analysis CEE 671 Biological Phenomena EnvironEng CEE 672 Phys. & Chem. Trt. Prc. (4 cr) CEE 680 Aquatic Chem (4 cr) 690K/697K Reaction Kinetics CEE 697CC Impacts of Climate Change (1 cr) CEE 697E Traffic Flow Theory & Simulation I CEE 697F Traffic Flow Theory & Simulation II CEE 697G Transportation Sustainability CEE 697M Rock Mechanics CEE 697N ST-Env Nanoscience & Nanotech CEE 697R Water Resources Planning CEE 697W Adv Top. Water Chem & Proc Eng (1cr) CEE 697X Adv. Topics in Envirnm Engin CEE 722 Computer & Numerical Methods CEE 772 Ins Methods Environ Analysis