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Graduate Study
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Geotechnical Engineering
Curriculum & Requirements

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Eligibility and Admission (MS)

Students studying geotechnical engineering earn a master of science in civil and environmental engineering through Northwestern University's Graduate School. To be admitted to the MS program in geotechnical engineering, the student must meet one of the following requirements:

  1. A BS degree in an area of engineering, OR
  2. A non-engineering degree, but with coursework covering mathematics through differential equations, fluid mechanics, first-year, college-level chemistry and physics, statics and dynamics, and mechanics of materials.

These course requirements for admission may be met at Northwestern, but credits from these courses cannot be applied to the graduate degree. In addition, each applicant must meet the usual requirements of The Graduate School and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Because surveys have shown that the greatest challenge often faced by new practicing engineers is in the area of written communication, we require that all graduate students prepare a written report during their graduate studies. The requirement is fulfilled through the preparation of an MS thesis or PhD dissertation. 

Preparation of the document involves extensive individual interaction with a supervising professor, which develops a student's communication skills, individual thought processes, and problem-solving capabilities.

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Master of Science Requirements

The total course requirement for an MS degree is 12 course units (nine core courses and three electives), in addition to the geotechnical engineering seminars for winter and spring quarters. It is strongly recommended that students in geotechnical engineering write a research or design project paper on some aspect of geotechnical engineering that demonstrates the student’s knowledge, design, and/or analytical ability and writing skills. This requirement can be satisfied by doing an independent study (Civ-Env 499) with a faculty member in the spring quarter.

All geotechnical engineering master's students must complete at least six of the following core courses:

  • Civ_Env 450-1, 3– Advanced Soil Mechanics I, III
  • Civ_Env 452– Unsaturated Soil Mechanics
  • Civ_Env 353 – Energy Geosystems and Geostructures
  • Civ_Env 357- Terramechanics
  • Civ_Env 450-2 or Civ_Env 352 – Advanced Soil Mechanics II or Foundation Engineering
  • Civ_Env 458 – Soil Dynamics
  • Civ_Env 454–Constitutive Models for Soils
  • Civ_Env 455– Plasticity and Limit Analysis
  • Civ_Env 456– Computational Geotechnics

In addition, all master’s students must complete three further course credits leading to either a research thesis or a design project through a combination of 499 and 590 credit units.

2023 Curriculum Plan

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Eligibility and Admissions (PhD)

Students studying geotechnical engineering earn a doctor of philosophy in civil and environmental engineering through Northwestern University's Graduate School. To be admitted to the PhD program in geotechnical engineering, the student must either hold a master of science in engineering or a non-engineering degree with the coursework described in the MS section covering mathematics through differential equations, fluid mechanics, first-year, college-level chemistry, and statics and dynamics.

These course requirements for admission may be met at Northwestern, but credits from these courses cannot be applied to the graduate degree. In addition, each applicant must meet the usual requirements of The Graduate School and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

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PhD Requirements

PhD students are required to take 10 to 12 courses beyond their MS coursework. These courses should be taken to broaden the student's background in geotechnical engineering and to complement and support the student's research.

All students in geotechnical engineering must take the following courses:

These are the only required courses for PhD students who have not taken them or their equivalent.

A comprehensive oral preliminary exam and one qualifying exam are administered as part of the course of study. Preliminary exams are typically taken after one year of PhD study. The oral exam is administered by a committee of faculty members who are selected by the student in consultation with their research advisor. Once the student has decided upon a research topic, a formal proposal defense is required for the qualifying examination.

PhD Handbook

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Satisfactory Academic Progress

All students must maintain a minimum GPA in accordance with Graduate School rules (3.00). Any student supported by research assistantship funding must satisfy project needs. Students will attend weekly group meetings. The required thesis must satisfy the principal advisor and at least one additional geotechnical reviewer.

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Candidacy

  1. A PhD student should be considered for Admission to PhD Candidacy no earlier than the end of the first academic year (3 quarters) and no later than the end of the second academic year. PhD students must have a research advisor who has agreed to supervise their PhD studies before consideration.
  2. For each PhD student, the Program Areas conduct a Qualifying Exam that the student must pass before consideration. The Program Areas are free to choose the form of the Qualifying Exam.
  3. Once a quarter, the Program Areas forward a list of the PhD students to be considered for Admission to PhD Candidacy by the CEE Graduate Committee. The Graduate Committee will review the records of all students, and discuss their research potential, and issue approvals. PhD students will be admitted to PhD Candidacy only upon this final approval by the Graduate Committee.

Prospectus

The prospectus process typically involves development of a written research proposal that will culminate in the dissertation. This research proposal is also typically delivered in oral form to the prospectus committee.

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Dissertation Defense

Students in the geotechnical engineering program must perform innovative, high-quality research and write a dissertation. See research for descriptions of recent research projects. All students who are supported with research assistantship funding must satisfy continuing project needs. Meetings are required every week or every other week with a supervisor as a group or individually. In addition, students must make one or two presentations on thesis work at geotechnical seminars during the winter and spring quarters. Average completion time is four to five years after BS.