Graduate Student Handbook

Welcome to the Graduate Program in Civil Engineering at Boise State University. Thank you for choosing our program. The Civil Engineering department at Boise State University was established in 1997, and the graduate program started in 2001.

The department is spread across multiple buildings, Charles. P. Ruch Engineering Building (RUCH), Environmental Research Building (ERB), Harry Morrison Civil Engineering Laboratory (HML), and the Copper Basin. The CE office suite is located in RUCH 338, and the faculty offices are spread across the 3rd and 4th floors of ERB, as well as the 3rd floor for RUCH while the laboratories are in HML and ERB buildings.

Our faculty members conduct research in various disciplines of Civil Engineering via externally funded grants from local, state, and federal sources. As a graduate student, you will contribute greatly to the department’s research mission.

Boise State Account

When your application was originally processed, you received a notification letter from the Graduate College containing your username, student ID number, and Boise State email address. Set up your my.boisestate account by going to my.boisestate.edu using the login information provided in the letter. My.boisestate.edu is your source for all of your campus information. You can access your email, calendar, course websites, student center, and much more through this portal.

Email Accounts

Boise State students receive email via BroncoMail. Your BroncoMail address is typically your first and last name followed by @u.boisestate.edu. As a graduate assistant (if funded), you will also receive an employee email address. Employee email addresses are typically the employee’s first and last name followed by @boisestate.edu. Employee email accounts are immediately deactivated if your employment is suspended (e.g., you receive a fellowship or there is any lapse in your funding). Thus, we recommend that you use your BroncoMail email account as your primary account and forward your employee email to your BroncoMail account. You are responsible for checking both accounts.

Housing

Many graduate students find off-campus accommodations in the vicinity of Boise State University. For those interested in on-campus accommodations, there are several options. For information on on-campus housing and application procedures, please refer to the Graduate Catalog or visit the Housing Office website.

Registering for courses

It would be best if you discussed your graduate course plan with your major advisor. Before your first day, you should discuss your academic background, strengths, and preferences to identify a plan for your first or first few semesters of coursework.

To register for classes, use the student center on my.boisestate.edu. Instructions are found online on the registrar’s website.

Meet the staff

Please stop by RUCH 338 to say hello to Rhonda Magill and collect detailed information on keys, parking, purchasing, room, building access, timecards, travel, mailboxes, and the photocopy machine.

Employment Documents

Most of our graduate students have some funding arrangement which means you will get paid for your education! To get paid on time, you need to complete certain items. Some items (Federal Form I-9 and Employee Information Form) must be completed on or before your first day of employment. Other items (W-4 Tax Form, Direct Deposit, and Compliance Certification) must be completed immediately after you begin employment. Check the Boise State New Employee website for a complete listing of immediate action items. Please be aware that the hiring process does include a background check.

Bronco Card

After completing your employment documents at Human Resources, take your Student ID # and valid photo ID to the Bronco Card office in the Student Union Building to obtain your Bronco Card. Be sure to request a proxy Bronco Card. Your Bronco Card gives you card reader access to select laboratories and study areas for CE graduate assistants. You will use your Bronco Card to access the Recreation Center, purchase meal plans, and can also, optionally, make cashless purchases on campus with Bronco Bucks.

Parking

Parking on University Drive and other city-maintained streets is permitted without a Boise State parking permit. Signs posted on city-maintained streets describe any restrictions.

Otherwise, parking on campus requires a Boise State parking permit. You can purchase your parking permit and find out more about transportation options online.

We agree to offer a stimulating intellectual environment to foster learning and success in exchange for your commitment to make your best effort. To ensure that we all know the expectations, the School, College, and University have policies in place with which you should be familiar. These policies are outlined in this Graduate Student Handbook, the Boise State University Student Handbook, Boise State University Policies, Student Code of Conduct, Graduate Catalog and Standards and Guidelines for Theses and Dissertations. Please take the time to read and understand these policies.

If questions arise that are not addressed within this handbook or within the policies outlined by Boise State University and the Graduate College, we encourage you to first meet with your Major Advisor. If still unresolved, please contact the Graduate Coordinator (208) 426-3783 for further assistance.

The safety of students, staff, faculty, and visitors is paramount to the Civil Engineering department, the College of Engineering, the Graduate College, and Boise State University. All students must comply with university policies and all regulations and procedures while working inside and outside laboratories. Before working in laboratories, safety training must first be completed. Please check with your major advisor regarding the lab-specific training needed before starting any work in the lab. In addition to lab-specific training, training topics include general emergency response measures, College of Engineering Safety Awareness, and University Environmental Health, Safety, And Sustainability (EHS&S) Policies and Programs.

If you have any questions about safety-related matters in the College of Engineering, please contact your Major Advisor or the College of Engineering Safety Liaison (208) 426-3913.

Academic integrity is a core belief of the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, the College of Engineering, the Graduate College, and Boise State University. Cheating, plagiarism, and academic dishonesty in the classroom or research endeavors are serious offenses that will be addressed. All forms of academic dishonesty can lead to suspension or expulsion from the University. The University Academic Integrity Policy can be found on the registrar’s website.

The Civil Engineering Department’s Main Office, RUCH 338, is one of your primary resource centers. The administrative staff, and the department chair are all located in this office, and here to help you with your academic and research efforts.

The Chi Epsilon is an active organization and a great way to meet your fellow students and get involved in department activities. The society provides opportunities for professional development, social engagements, and volunteer experience. The society is affiliated with the national civil engineering honor society by the same name.

The Department of Civil Engineering offers Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE) which is a program of study that includes a research component and culminates in a thesis, project, or case study that represents a student’s contributions to knowledge in civil engineering. The culminating activity is a key part of the MSCE degree program, and this is one of the significant ways a student demonstrates their ability to apply advanced knowledge in a specialized area of civil engineering. Civil engineering is a professional discipline; hence, the culminating activity should focus on the direct or indirect application of engineering principles and practices to real-world problems or contribute to the development of the civil engineering body of knowledge in a way that would help others address practical problems. This objective is interpreted broadly, so a wide range of topics is suitable.

Master’s theses are significantly more intensive and detailed than master’s projects, a difference reflected in the additional units the student receives and the additional time required to complete the thesis. The thesis documents original research carried out by the student who is characterized by a clearly stated proposition or hypothesis that is investigated using analysis and synthesis of data or other scholarly evidence; the thesis must include a discussion of the relevant literature
and demonstrate the ability of the student to independently and successfully address a significant intellectual problem with concepts and methods that are accepted in the major field of study. Simply applying existing principles to a new project without generating any new insights is not sufficient. However, the expectations for advancing the state of knowledge are not as great as for a doctoral dissertation.

In general, master’s projects focus on applying broad skill sets in the current state of practice to a standard civil engineering problem. All Master’s projects must demonstrate a mastery of engineering principles and practices beyond that expected for undergraduates and beyond that
required to implement standard analysis and/or design techniques, i.e., not the regular practice at the student’s workplace. As part of such projects, a written report demonstrating an advanced understanding of the principles used in their project will be generated. Master’s projects are not required to be of sufficient rigor to be publishable in refereed journals. However, outstanding projects may very well be published or presented in the appropriate venues.

This option is for students who wish to build a portfolio showcasing the depth and breadth of a student’s educational growth since entering the graduate program. These portfolios will include published case studies/histories reworked/reanalyzed by students. Students will replicate the analyses or perform the designs associated with the case studies/histories. There must be sufficient technical content and rigor to fulfill a 3-credit requirement. Incorporating advanced analyses and design methodologies will demonstrate the student’s mastery of engineering principles and practices beyond the undergraduate level.

The following steps must be followed to ensure the completing of the MSCE program using any of the culminating activities:

1. Choosing a topic
2. Supervisory committee
3. Proposal
4. Admission to candidacy
5. Culminating document

The following sections provide additional details for each of these steps. Students can reach out to the graduate coordinator or their advisor with any questions/clarifications.

Usually students are in contact with their major advisor before entering the program. In case a student has not decided on their major advisor it is recommended that they do so in their first semester with help from the graduate coordinator. There are multiple faculty members to choose from within each of the focus areas of MSCE. Once the student chooses a major advisor, they should work with their advisor to decide on a topic they would like to work on. Please make sure to choose a topic you are most comfortable with as this will occupy the next few semesters of your life!

The committee consists of your Major Advisor, who serves as committee chair, plus at least two, but no more than four, additional members. The Major Advisor is your primary mentor and must be a member of the graduate faculty within the CE program. The CE program includes graduate faculty from the Civil Engineering Department and participating faculty from Mathematics, Biology, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, along with appointed graduate faculty outside the university. At least two members of the committee must be from the CE program.

You should form a committee through consultation with your Major Advisor and submit an Appointment of Supervisory Committee form to the Graduate College (with a copy to the Graduate Coordinator) once research toward your thesis has commenced. A change in the membership of the supervisory committee can be made after the initial appointment by submitting an updated Appointment of Supervisory Committee form. This should happen in your second semester of the program.

Although you will interact with members of your Supervisory Committee individually and informally on a daily or weekly, or monthly basis in classes or working on your research, the entire Supervisory Committee should formally meet with you at least once each semester to receive a progress report, provide feedback, and discuss plans. You or your committee may invite external members to observe and offer input to the research direction and methods. It is your responsibility to schedule these meetings annually.

Once the topic has been selected, the student shall conduct a thorough literature search on the subject.  The first step in this process is to develop a bibliography. All key references from professional literature on this topic should be included.  For narrow topics, the bibliography shall be as complete as possible. For broader topics, the noteworthy references shall be included. The advisor and the committee members can assist in defining the kinds of references that might be appropriate for the selected topic. Upon completing the literature review, the student should begin preparing the Proposal.  The purpose of this proposal is to describe the objectives and methodology of the proposed work, and the final deliverables. The student should be in close communication with the advisor while developing the proposal so that both will have a common vision of the scope and expectations. This proposal (one to two pages) shall comply with the following format:

1. Introduction and problem statement
2. Objectives
3. Proposed investigation
4. Timeline

The student shall submit a draft proposal to the advisor and the committee. The advisor is primarily responsible for reviewing and approving the proposal and advises the student of any changes that need to be made. The student shall finalize and circulate the proposal among the committee and the advisor for signature, then submit the signed copy to the Graduate Coordinator.

The student will then schedule an oral proposal presentation to the student’s advisory committee, which is also open to the public. After the supervisory committee is set up, students can pick a date for their proposal defense. It is recommended that students complete this step in their second semester at Boise State.

After completion of the core coursework and approval of the Supervisory Committee, students can be admitted to Candidacy. The Application for Admission to Candidacy is submitted through the Graduate College. Once approved, a student becomes a master’s candidate. This must be completed by the term before the final oral exam and intended graduation.

The thesis, project, or portfolio must culminate in a formal written report. The report shall be prepared following the guidelines outlined by the graduate college.

Thesis Option

Two options are available for students choosing a thesis option to prepare the culminating document and showcase their research: (i) a traditional M.S. thesis or (ii) a manuscript-based M.S. thesis. A traditional thesis is a comprehensive collection of your research effort typically comprised of five chapters: (i) Introduction, (ii) Background Information, (iii) Experimental Methods, (iv) Results and Discussion, and (v) Conclusion. The manuscript-based thesis enables students who, as the first author, have prepared one or more peer-reviewed publications as part of their research to present and defend a thesis comprised of the publication(s). The Major Advisor will guide the student toward either the traditional M.S. thesis or the manuscript-based thesis. For a manuscript-based thesis, the manuscript(s) (at least one high-quality journal publication) must, at a minimum, be submitted before graduation. Additional information about the thesis can be found on the graduate student success center website.

Project option

Students choosing this option will submit a project report describing the problem they addressed and the solution(s) they analyzed.  The project report is similar in anatomy to a conventional thesis that presents the work performed by the student.

Case Study/History Option

Students under this choice of culminating experience will produce a final report summarizing the different case studies/histories analyzed by the student. The formatting requirements for each of the case studies/histories are similar to that of a project. Proposal deliverables: 1 -2 page proposal writeup; Final deliverables: Portfolio AND Presentation.

Final Defense

Graduate students must be enrolled during the semester they graduate. All MS students (Thesis, project, and portfolio) must orally defend their work before the advisor and the entire committee and should consult with the advisor to become familiar with the format and expectations. The student is responsible for scheduling the oral defense at a time agreeable to the committee. A 90-minute session should be scheduled. The student shall work with the civil engineering administrative support coordinator to locate a room and arrange for any necessary audio-visual equipment.  If all of the committee members are not present, the defense will need to be rescheduled. The presentation part of the oral defense is open to the public. Once the student completes the presentation, the audience is given a chance to ask questions, after which the audience members will be asked to leave the room, and committee members will resume the Q&A session. The oral defense must be completed by the graduate college’s deadlines for the semester in which the student plans to graduate. Students must keep track of these deadlines.

The M.S. program is expected to take between 2 and 3 years, but this can vary based on student background, research project, and other variables. An example timeline for a two-year program is described on this page. All program requirements must be started and completed within a single continuous interval of at most seven years.

Graduate Program Timeline Table

Geotechnical / Geoenvironmental Focus Area Table

Sustainable Infrastructure and Materials Focus Area Table

MS Transportation Systems Focus Area

Water / Environmental Focus Area

MS program has different focus areas to choose from. The available focus areas are:

Field of study uses the principles of soil and rock mechanics to investigate the subsurface environment to characterize its physical and mechanical properties and analyze, design, and construct earthworks and substructures.

Field of study in which chemistry, biology, and fluid mechanics principles are used together in assessing natural ecosystems and designing processes that maintain environmental quality. Specific areas of interest include air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials control, water supply, wastewater management, stormwater management, solid waste disposal, public health, sustainability, and land management.

It includes engineering for water supply and excess water management. This focus area covers the analysis and design of systems that control the quantity, timing, and distribution of water to meet the needs of our community. The topics that are covered in this focus area are the application of principles of pipe flow, open channel flow, water
pumps, groundwater hydraulics, hydraulic structures, flood frequency analysis, reservoir characteristics and design, open channel flow applications, water project design, model studies, and pump and turbine hydraulics, among others.

Field of study seeks to provide a platform for future sustainable engineering of civil infrastructure systems, linking the material microstructural tailoring to the full-scale field performance of civil infrastructure. This program covers the development, application, characterization, recycling, remediation, disposal, modeling, and monitoring of engineering materials as part of infrastructure design, development, and management. It emphasizes a fundamental understanding of materials and property relationships, knowledge-guided microstructural development and its impact on long-term performance, durability, and sustainability of civil engineering materials, as well as rehabilitation, assessment, and repair of infrastructure.

The field of Transportation Systems deals with the forecasting of travel demand, planning and designing of transportation systems to meet the demand, and designing and monitoring efficient operation and management systems under a variety of conditions, including disruptive events due to natural or man-made causes.

A total of 30 credits are required for completing the program.

For the thesis option, 24 of the 30 credits are course work while the remaining 6 credits are thesis research credits.

For the project and portfolio options, 27 out of the 30 credits are course work and the remaining 3 credits are either project or portfolio based on student choice.

Specific requirements for each focus area are listed.

The Chair of the Civil Engineering department oversees the academic, research, and administrative activities of the department, including oversight of the graduate programs.

The current Chair of the department is Dr. Bhaskar Chittoori.

Office: Charles P Ruch Building (RUCH), 338c
Email: bhaskarchittoori@boisestate.edu

The Graduate Program Coordinator, is responsible for admissions, and maintaining the overall academic integrity, quality, and scholarship of the graduate degree programs within the Civil Engineering department.

Dr. Yang Lu is the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Office: Environmental Research Building (ERB) 4143.
Phone: (208) 426-3783
Email:yanglufrank@boisestate.edu

The Operations Manager takes care of all hiring, travel documentation, purchasing, work space assignments and other general office support.

Rhonda Magill is the program Operations Manager.

Office: Charles P Ruch (RUCH), 338
Phone: (208) 426-3743
Email: rmagill@boisestate.edu

Your Major Advisor is your primary mentor and will be actively engaged in your academic, research, and professional success. Your Major Advisor provides guidance on your thesis topic, guides your research efforts, provides direction on your academic plan and provides funding support, typically through grants or fellowships. Frequent interaction between you and your Major Advisor is needed to establish the scope of, review progress in, and provide direction for your academic and research plan. It is your responsibility to schedule regular meetings and communicate often with your Major Advisor.

Your Supervisory Committee is charged with the general guidance and mentorship, including design and approval of the program of study, supervision of the thesis (M.S. student) research, and participation at your final defense. The Supervisory Committee is composed of members of the graduate faculty who are appointed to the committee by the Graduate College and to your research. The formation of your supervisory committee is described under program requirements.