Accelerated BE/MS Program
- The Accelerated BE/MS program is designed to allow civil engineering students in good academic standing to graduate with both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in five years. This is achieved by allowing undergraduate students in the program to take multiple graduate courses as their undergraduate technical electives. These graduate courses will also be counted towards their Master's degree. According to Graduate School policy, up to 6 credits taken as an undergraduate student may be counted for both degrees. As a result, students can complete both degrees in five years (i.e., just one extra year or two semesters for the MS). Generally, three or four semesters are needed to obtain an M.S. degree in the graduate program.
Requirements for Admission
1. Applicants must be a Civil Engineering student with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher at the time of application to enroll. Applicants interested in a graduate degree who do not meet these criteria are encouraged to apply directly to the M.S. program.
2. Applicants must also have completed at least three upper-division Civil Engineering courses at Stony Brook.
Applications are reviewed by the Civil Engineering Graduate Admissions Committee and students are typically notified in June if they have been admitted to the Accelerated Program. The BE/MS is a sequential degree program; therefore, you will remain an undergraduate student until the bachelor's degree requirements are completed.
- Students are encouraged to apply to this five-year program in the spring semester of their junior year; the deadline is usually around May 15th. The application must include:
- Senior Year and MS Schedule Form to be completed in consultation with the student's proposed MS Advisor;
- Resume;
- A recent unofficial transcript;
- Two recommendation forms
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- At least one must be from a current CIV department faculty member; the other may be completed by a non-CIV professor or professional who can comment on the applicant's academic background.
- Please note that recommendation forms should be sent directly from the author to Civil_Engineering@stonybrook.edu
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- A completed declaration form. Students complete the top section with their name, ID number, signature and date. Students will also need to complete the "Accelerated Program Declaration" section, see example below.
If you are admitted to the Accelerated Program, SOLAR will not let you add your grad class; you must get permission from the Graduate School first. To get permission, you must complete the form “Permission for Undergraduate Students in the Accelerated Degree Program to Enroll in Grad Course” and submit it to the Civil Engineering Graduate Coordinator at least 3 weeks before the semester starts. This form will be signed by the Graduate Program Director and then sent to the Graduate School for review and approval. Please note that students may elect to take all 6 credits of M.S. coursework in one semester, although it is not recommended.
Unless you are enrolled in the Accelerated Program, a graduate course taken while an undergraduate student will not be counted toward the M.S. degree even if you are later admitted into the M.S. program.
- 1. The Graduate School requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of a student's senior year to matriculate into the graduate program
2. Students planning on advancing to their MS program must meet with the CIV Grad Program Coordinator before their last final exam of their final semester of their undergraduate program. With the help of the CIV Graduate Office, students will apply for admission to the Graduate School to be matriculated in their MS program in Civil Engineering. A grad application form must be submitted, found here.
3. Once formally admitted into your M.S. program, you are required to attend New Graduate Student Orientation for the Graduate School and Civil Engineering.
- When will I get my Bachelor's Degree?
You will get your B.E. degree when you have fulfilled the requirements regardless of whether you are still in the Accelerated Program or not.
Can I continue the graduate portion of the program as a part-time student after completing the B.E. degree?
Yes. In this case, you will not be able to finish both degrees in five years. However, you will still be allowed to remain in the program to complete the M.S. degree requirements.
What about campus housing?
If you are living on campus, you are expected to move from Undergraduate to Graduate Housing once you begin your Graduate Career during the fifth year. However, a grace period of six months may be granted.
What about financial support?
In general, you are expected to be self-funded and would not normally be considered candidates for a Tuition Scholarship. You will not be considered for TA positions since TA positions are generally only offered to graduate students in the Ph.D. program according to the Graduate School Policy. RA positions may be offered, but only in special cases due to the shortened length of the program. However, the SPIR Program may offer opportunities to work part-time at local companies with stipend and tuition waiver. Please contact Prof. Anurag Purwar for more information regarding the SPIR Program.
Whom should I contact for more information?
Schedule an appointment with your Civil Engineering academic adviser. You may also contact the Graduate Program Director for program related information or the Graduate Program Coordinator, for administrative questions.