Welcome to your Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Program guide! This page is designed to make your journey through MS and PhD requirements easier by giving you clear steps for selecting your committee, preparing for exams, and staying on track with registration. You’ll also find helpful links to course plans and program details so you can plan ahead and focus on what matters most—your research and success. Have questions or need assistance? Contact Kim Lebeck for help anytime!

Committee Selection

MS Committee:

  • 3 members total

  • At least 2 tenure-track faculty from UI

  • Both must be active CEE faculty

PhD Committee:

  • Minimum 4 members (5 is common and still accepted)

  • At least 3 tenure-track faculty from UI

  • At least 2 active CEE faculty

Additional Options:

  • With approval, one member may be a scholar from another institution.

  • A voting member may be added by the Graduate College Dean.

Kim Lebeck can help with submitting committee requests.

PhD Qualifying Exam

Purpose:
To assess your ability to conduct PhD-level research and communicate your goals and findings effectively.

Timing: 

  • Must be completed within your first year of study. 

  • Exams are usually held in late May or early June. 

  • Extensions require a signed waiver from your advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).

Format:
The exam has two parts:

  1. Review of submitted materials

  2. One-hour meeting with your committee

Committee: 

  • Includes your advisor and two CEE faculty members. 

  • Additional members may be added with approval from your advisor and the DGS.

To Start the Process:

  • Work with your advisor to choose committee members.

  • Schedule your exam (Kim Lebeck can assist with room reservations).

  • One week before the exam, email your committee a single PDF containing: 

    • Your resume or CV, including any presentations.

    • Unofficial UI transcript

    • Plan of Study (courses taken and planned)

    • A writing sample:

    • A literature review (~5 single-spaced or 10 double-spaced pages), OR 

    • A manuscript (journal or conference) where you are lead author (with advisor approval)

During the Exam Meeting:

  • Give a 15-minute presentation based on your writing sample.

  • Share a brief summary of your research progress.

  • End with a slide outlining your future research proposal for the PhD Comprehensive Exam:

    • Tentative thesis title

    • Objective and hypothesis

    • Approach and expected outcomes

Outcome:

  • If unsatisfactory, you’ll work with your advisor and DGS to improve and retake the exam within 3 months.

  • If satisfactory, your advisor will notify the DGS.

 

PhD Comprehensive Exam

Purpose:
To present and defend your research proposal.

Written Proposal:

  • Submit to committee at least 2 weeks before the exam.

  • Limit: 15 pages, plus:

    • 1-page abstract

    • References

    • 2-page CV

Content Should Include:

  • Literature review and rationale

  • Hypothesis and objectives

  • Experimental plan and methods

  • Timeline and preliminary results

Oral Exam:

  • 30-minute presentation of your research plan

  • Clearly separate completed work from future plans

  • Discuss:

    • Collaborations and authorship

    • Recommended coursework or skills

 

To Schedule:

  • Choose committee members with your advisor

  • Set date and time

  • Contact Kim Lebeck at least 3 weeks before the exam to submit required info to the Graduate College (Same timeline applies for your final defense)

 

Registration Requirement for PhD Students

If you are taking your PhD comprehensive exam or are expecting to graduate you must ALWAYS be registered for a graduate level course during that session (including the summer session).

If you are working towards a PhD and have completed your comprehensive exam, you are required to register every spring and fall semester until you complete your degree. In addition, the examination must be satisfactorily completed no later than the session prior to the session of graduation.

If you are an MS thesis or PhD student and have completed all of your coursework and research hours and will be enrolled less than full-time please contact Kim Lebeck so she can submit a short hours form for you. Failure to be classified as full-time (9 semester hours for graduate students in the fall and spring semesters) may affect your income taxes or student loans.

Course Catalog Program Requirements

The MS and PhD program requirements vary depending on the subprogram. Each subprogram has it own sample plan. Information on course requirements and sample plans can be found at the links below.

Direct links to Sample Plans

Civil and Environmental Engineering MS program

Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD Program