The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers to outstanding and motivated undergraduate students pursuing the BSCE an accelerated Professional Master’s program in Civil and Environmental engineering. The BSCE-MCEE program allows students to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Professional Master’s in Civil and Environmental Engineering in five years of full-time study.
The non-thesis professional master’s degree is offered in two specialization areas:
Benefits of a Master’s Degree
- Increased employment opportunities and earning potential. On average up to 25% higher salary for civil engineers.
- Become more competitive in the job market. Employers are raising education standards and civil engineering companies give preference to hiring candidates with a master’s degree.
- Career advancement and growth potential. Long-term advantage over peers when competing for promotions, senior positions, management and leadership roles.
- Become an expert in a field. The program provides specialized in-depth cutting-edge technical knowledge for its students.
A master’s degree is becoming expected. Employers in several civil engineering specialization areas expect its engineers to hold a master’s degree.
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) strongly recommends that all civil engineers obtain a master’s degree for the practice of civil engineering at a professional level and for promotion to senior-level positions.
Advantages of the BSCE-MCEE Program
- Obtain a master’s degree with only one additional year of study (only one year of graduate school tuition). Comparable master’s programs may take up to two years.
- Streamlined graduate school application process.
How the Program Works
With proper planning and coordination with faculty, an extra fifth year of coursework will allow undergraduate students to obtain a non-thesis professional Master of Civil or Environmental Engineering.
Undergraduate students at Rice University participating in the BSCE-MCEE Program may take up to two courses (six credit hours) of graduate level courses each semester while completing their undergraduate degree.
Graduate courses must be chosen from those that satisfy the MCEE degree requirements. No course can be used to simultaneously satisfy both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.
Graduate courses taken as an undergraduate require proper approval and must satisfy the Graduate Concurrent Enrollment requirements.
For proper coursework planning it is recommended that students apply to the program during their sophomore or junior years. Seniors are eligible to the program, but feasibility to complete it in 5 years will depend on the coursework taken previously.
Students can take graduate-level courses only during their junior and senior years.
Students receiving scholarships and other forms of financial aid from Rice University may only apply that aid toward the completion of their undergraduate degree. Students should plan to seek alternative sources of support for their fifth year of graduate study.
The program offers flexibility to withdraw with no obligation to complete the master’s degree requirements if your plans change. You will be awarded the BSCE degree when you complete the Bachelor’s program requirements. You can also complete the MCEE as a part-time student upon completion of the BSCE.
Admission Requirements and How to Apply
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher to retain a graduate status.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is recommended, but not required. A strong GRE score may compensate for weaknesses, if any, in other credentials submitted along with the application.
- For proper coursework planning it is recommended that students apply to the program during their sophomore or junior years. Seniors are eligible to the program, but feasibility to complete it in 5 years will depend on the coursework taken previously.
- Students can take graduate-level courses only during their junior and senior years.
Learn more about admissions, requirements and deadlines for the MCEE Program.
Ready to apply?
Once you've reviewed the deadlines, requirements, and prerequisites below, visit our Graduate Admissions to begin your application.