Frequently Asked Questions

Why should you get an MCE degree?

The benefits of a master's degree are both tangible and intangible. Tangible benefits include setting the stage for job promotions and career advancement. Intangible benefits include the satisfaction of learning and accomplishment associated with completion of an advanced degree.

 

Who should consider distance education?

Nearly all our graduates use the same words to describe the main benefits of distance education: flexibility and convenience. Flexibility means being able to watch the lectures whenever and wherever you want. Convenience means that your degree program fits in with your work and home life.

 

How does distance education work?

Distance education at NC State involves delivering regular on-campus courses to you. Full-time faculty members delivering lectures to full-time on-campus students are recorded and delivered on CD-ROM or downloaded video-stream from the web. You will receive lecture notes, handouts, and assignments typically via the World Wide Web. You will have a faculty academic advisor who will work with you to develop an individualized plan of study for your degree. You will have access to the resources of electronic reserves at the NC State libraries. You will be able to contact your professors and advisor easily by email or telephone.

 

Why should I choose NC State?

NC State and the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering have a substantial track record in distance education. Since 1982, the Department of Civil Engineering has worked with Engineering Online in the College of Engineering to deliver courses to you. Engineering Online has a well-established infrastructure for assisting students with the daily logistics of distance courses. This includes assistance in ordering textbooks, delivery of lectures, frequent posting of course materials, and sending and receiving assignments.

 

Why should I choose the MCE degree?

The MCE degree is aimed at individuals in professional practice. This is a practical degree. While you learn relevant theory, the focus of course work is on the application of theory to real-world problems and situations. The program is aimed at the practicing engineer who needs courses in a variety of fields to improve career-relevant knowledge and skills. You have the option of developing a plan of study with your advisor tailored to your objectives within the framework of the requirements. The MCE degree is available either by distance delivery or through traditional on-campus classes. The requirements are the same and the results are considered equivalent.

 

What are the requirements for the MCE degree?

You are required to obtain 30 credits in an approved plan of graduate work. Each semester-long course is typically three credits. Therefore, most students meet the requirement by taking ten courses. However, there is a project option that replaces one course with a three-credit individual project mutally agreed to by you and a faculty member. You are required to develop an individualized plan of graduate work with your faculty advisor. The degreee must be completed within six years. Some speciality areas have core course requirements. A GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.

 

What courses can I take?

You will choose from dozens of courses in civil engineering, including courses from specialty areas such as computer-aided engineering, construction engineering and management, environmental engineering, geotechnical/geoenvironmental engineerin, structures and mechanics, transportation systems and materials, and water resources. In addition, your degree may include course work in related or supporting areas, such as other engineering disciplines, computer science, statistics, public administration, and business. Your MCE degree course selections will be planned by you and your advisor to meet flexible department and Graduate School requirements considering your own educational and career objectives. See our current course list.

 

Can I specialize within civil engineering?

Yes. There are opportunities for you to specialize in selected fields of civil engineering. You may alternately develop individual plans of graduate work that are multidisciplinary. See programs.

 

Who teaches the courses?

Regular full-time graduate faculty who teach the on-campus courses teach the distance education courses. The full-time NC State graduate faculty in civil engineering all hold doctoral degrees and have years of experience in industry, consulting, research, and teaching. The Department of Civil Engineering at NC State consistently ranks in the top 20 of over 200 civil engineering departments nationally.

 

How accessible are the instructors of the courses?

The ability to interact with the instructor and with other students is a common concern fo potential distance education students. In a recent survey, students commented about how easily they were able to get assistance from faculty. For example, "instructors are available via email" to answer questions about homework or to clarify material in the lectures. "The participating professors seemed very supportive" of the distance education program, according to one student. NC State has developed software for course web sites that facilitates course mailing lists and discussion groups. Thus, there are methods in place for communication with instructors and with other students in the course.

 

What if I don't want a degree but want to take some graduate courses?

You may take courses as a non-degree student in the Post-Baccalaureate Studies (PBS) program. We recognize that some students have specific educational objectives that do not require a master's degree. For example, you may wish to take a few courses in a specific area to gain knowledge directly relevant to your current job. Others may wish to take only one or two courses to obtain professional development hours to maintain a professional license. However, after you have taken a few of our courses, we hope you will find the convenience of distance education and the extent of our course offerings a motivation to continue your studies toward a degree.

 

What if I take some courses and later decide I want a degree?

This happens frequently. You may transfer up to 12 credits of appropriately selected courses taken in PBS status to the MCE degree. Thus, if you are unsure about pursuing a degree, consider taking a few courses first to help answer your questions about graduate study and whether a degree program will work for you. However, we prefer that you seek admission as soon as possible so that you can be integrated into our advising process. Courses with grades of B- or less cannot be transferred from PBS or other institutions. Courses taken after admission must be C- or better to be included in the plan of work.

 

How long will the degree program take?

This is up to you. Many students take one course per semester. Thus, they complete the degree in ten semesters or in five years. There are opportunities to take some courses during the summer, which can reduce the time for the degree to approximately three and one-half years if you wish to take no more than one course at a time. However, you can take multiple courses at a time if your schedule allows, thereby shortening the time for completion of the degree. For example, if you take two courses per semester, you can complete the degree in two and one-half years.

 

What if I am not sure if distance education will work for me?

As our students put it:

"Try one course and find out if the system works for you. After my first class, I applied to the master's program.." "I would suggest to potential students who are unsure if they want to commit to obtaining a degree that they take a course or two under Post-Baccalaureate Studies status. The course can still count towards their degree and they can see exactly what they are getting into before registering in a graduate degree program."