Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s

The CCEE department encourages academically excellent undergraduate students to obtain a master’s degree in their chosen field of specialization via accelerated pathways:

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s without thesis (ABM)
Accelerated Master of Science with thesis (AMS)

Step 1. Verify your eligibility:

Applicants must have completed at least 75 credit hours (this typically means junior standing) before applying for an accelerated master’s program
Applicants must not have already received a BS degree
Applicants must have an overall GPA of at least 3.5 and a major GPA of at least 3.25
Transfer students must complete at least two semesters at NCSU, earning a minimum of 24 credit hours, before applying to the ABM or AMS program
Specialty areas require completion of certain 300-level courses before being approved to pursue an accelerated program; see the Table below:

Specialty Area	Courses
Structural Engineering and Mechanics	CE325 and at least one of CE 327 or CE 426
Environmental, Water Resources, and Coastal Engineering	At least two of CE378, CE383, CE373, or CE339
Transportation Materials	CE 332, CE 342
Transportation Systems	CE 305
Geotechnical Engineering	CE 342, and at least one of CE 383, CE 325, or CE 327
Construction Engineering	CE 365
Computing and Systems	CE 339

Table 1: Courses to be completed before approval to pursue your ABM/AMS program

ABM (Courses Only): Students interested in a non-thesis MCE or MENE degree can double-count up to 12 credit hours towards both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees and are required to complete the master’s degree within 12 months after completing the BS degree; students can complete their graduate degree through Engineering Online (EOL), however, they are required to complete all degree requirements within 12 months, similar to on-campus students.
AMS (With Thesis): Students interested in the research-based MSCE or MSENE degree should consult with their advisors to identify an accelerated pathway to complete the MS degree with a thesis, in three semesters instead of the typical four semesters.
All ABM and AMS students will complete at least 18 hours of letter-graded graduate coursework beyond their BS degree.

	ABM (Courses Only)	AMS (With Thesis)
Minimum number of letter-graded graduate course credits required in the master’s degree program	18	18
Minimum number of graduate course credits, with B or better grades, required in the BS program	9	6
Maximum number of graduate course credits allowed in the BS program	12	12
Minimum number of graduate thesis research credit hours required in the master’s degree program	N/A	6
Maximum number of graduate thesis research credit hours allowed in the master’s degree program	N/A	12
Total number of graduate credits required for the master’s degree	30 (or 31)	30 (or 31)
Thesis requirement	No	Yes Identify a master’s thesis advisor
Research/Teaching Assistantship (includes a stipend, tuition, and health insurance coverage) eligibility	No	Yes
Master’s degree completion time	MUST complete in not more than 12 months	Typically 18 months
Required documents prior to submitting the graduate degree application	ABM Worksheet ABM Plan of Work	None Coordinate with DGP & Thesis Advisor
Graduate School application requirement	Yes Select ABM option in the application	Yes Do not select the ABM option in the application

Table 2: Comparison of accelerated master’s with thesis and without thesis

Step 2. Apply for ABM by following the steps below:

Determine your area of interest from the list of graduate specialty areas (see Table 3).
Consult with the ABM advisor in the specialty area (see Table 3), and agree on an initial ABM Plan of Work (POW) that would suit your interests and satisfy the ABM program requirements.
In consultation with the area ABM adviser, fill out the ABM POW and ABM Worksheet. Both Documents must be uploaded to SLATE (see link below) when submitting your application.
- The application will first be reviewed by the ABM advisor and a recommendation will be made to the department. The final determination will be made after a joint review by the directors of undergraduate and graduate programs, after which you will be notified.
- After admission to the ABM program, it is recommended to switch your advisor to the ABM advisor in your specialty area.
- Meeting the requirements does not guarantee admission to the ABM program. Faculty members may be consulted and asked to provide comments on a student’s chance of success in the ABM program.

ABM Applications:

Fall Semester: Open April 01 – April 30
Spring semester: open November 01 – November 30

go.ncsu.edu/ccee-abm

Step 3. While in the ABM program, maintain your status by following the steps below:

Before completing the BS degree, in consultation with the ABM adviser, finalize the ABM Worksheet and ABM POW.
The ABM POW may be revised in consultation with your ABM adviser and the adviser’s approval. The latest version of the ABM POW must be kept on file. During the BS degree, this is done through communicating the changes with the adviser and Ms. Jodie Gregoritsch. During the graduate degree program, this is done by updating Graduate POW.
Double counting of 9 credit hours is expected; double counting less than 9 credit hours requires justification and approval by the ABM advisor and the DGP. The double-counted credit hours must be from the approved list of 500-level CE courses (the List of Allowable Courses by Specialty Area is at the end of this document).
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that both the ABM POW and ABM Worksheet satisfy the respective master’s and undergraduate degree requirements
Students must maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.5 and a major GPA of at least 3.25 until entering the master’s program.
Only graduate courses with a minimum grade of B can be double-counted. Courses with a grade lower than B cannot be counted towards the master’s degree.
A minimum GPA of 3.0 for the graduate courses is required.
Transferring up to 6 credits hours beyond the double-counted credits hours is allowed provided that the transfer credits are not used to satisfy the undergraduate degree requirements.
Students enrolled in the ABM program are required to double-count a minimum of 9 credit hours; students who fail to double-count 9 credit hours toward their graduate studies, will not be able to maintain their status in the ABM program. This does not prevent students from completing their undergraduate degree nor does it prevent them from applying to the regular MCE/MENE programs without double counting.
Towards the end of your bachelor’s program, ABM students must formally apply to the master’s program, per deadlines published by the graduate school. The application must include a completed and signed final ABM POW.
While meeting the requirements of ABM is necessary, it does not guarantee admission. The chance of success of students in the graduate program with the ABM option will be evaluated based on the grades earned in the undergraduate degree and in the 500-level double-counted credits. Students whose chance of success in the graduate program with the ABM track is determined to be low may pursue an MCE/MENE degree through the traditional track.
All ABM students must complete the master’s degree within a 12-month time limit to take advantage of the double counting associated with the ABM. If an ABM student fails to complete all degree requirements within this time frame, they will be considered a regular master’s student needing to take the full 30/31 graduate credits solely towards their master’s degree.
Failure to meet the ABM requirements at the time of admission to the graduate school will result in evaluation of graduate program application only for admission into the traditional Master’s track and NOT for accelerated Master’s; that is, if an applicant fails to meet the requirements of ABM, s/he may be admitted to the graduate program but the applicant will need to complete the full 30/31 graduate credits; the applicant cannot benefit from double counting the courses that have been used to satisfy undergraduate program requirements.
All on-campus ABM students must register for the on-campus section of courses; on-campus students are not allowed to register for the EOL section of courses.

Director of Graduate Programs: Prof. Moe Pourghaz

Director of Undergraduate Programs: Prof . Shane Underwood

Graduate Specialty Area	ABM Advisor
Computing and Systems	Dr. Ranji Ranjithan
Construction Engineering	Dr. Alex Albert
EWC – Air	Dr. Andrew Grieshop
EWC – Environmental Process Engineering	Dr. Doug Call
EWC – Water Resources and Coastal Engineering	Dr. Sankar Arumugam
Geotechnical Engineering	Dr. Brina Montoya
Structural Engineering and Mechanics	Dr. Moe Pourghaz
Transportation Materials	Dr. Cassie Castorena
Transportation Systems	Dr. Eleni Bardaka

Table 3: Specialty areas for ABM and designated faculty advisors

List of Allowable Courses by Specialty Area:
(The courses in the parentheses are the undergraduate prerequisites)

Note 1: Special topics courses may be offered and may be considered as allowable courses; please consult with your advisor.

Note 2: The course numbers indicated in the parenthesis may be beyond the prerequisite of the course; students enrolling in 500-level courses are expected to complete the courses indicated in parenthesis before enrolling in the 500-level courses to ensure that they have the required background

Computing and Systems:

CE 536 – Introduction to Numerical Methods for Civil Engineers (MA 305 or MA 341) – Spring only

CE 537 – Computer Methods and Applications (CSC 111 and MA 305 or MA 341) – Fall only

CE 538 – Information Technology and Modeling – Fall only

Construction Engineering:

CE 561 – Construction Project Management (approval from advisor) – Fall only, odd years

CE 562 – Lean Construction Concepts and Methods (approval from advisor) – Fall only

CE 563 – Const. Est, Planning & Control (CE 263 and CE 365)

CE 564 – Legal Aspects of Contracting (CE 463; CoReq CE 365) – Spring only

CE 565 – Construction Safety Management (approval from advisor) Spring only

CE 567 – Risk and Financial Management in Construction (approval from advisor) – Odd years

others, e.g. CE 515, CE 522, CE 523, CE 524, CE 526, and CE 548, in consultation with ABM advisor

EWC – Air:

CE 576 – Air Pollution Control (CHE 315; Coreq: ST 511 or 515) – Fall only

CE 578 – Energy and Climate (CE 250) – Fall only

CE 579 – Air Quality Engineering (CE 373 or CE 282, Corequisite: ST 370) – Spring only

CE 557 – Engineering Measurement and Data Analysis – Fall only

EWC – Environmental Process Engineering:

CE 571 – Physical Principles of Environmental Engineering (CE 282) – Spring only

CE 573 – Biological Principles of Environmental Engineering (CE 378 recommended) – Fall only

CE 574 – Chemical Principles of Environmental Engineering (CE 378 recommended) – Fall only

CE 577 – Engineering Principles of Solid Waste Management (CE 373) – Spring only

CE 578 – Energy and Climate – Fall only

EWC – Water Resources, Coastal

CE 581 – Fluid Mechanics in Natural Environments [CE 282 or MEA 463] – Fall only

CE 583 – Engineering Aspects of Coastal Processes (CE 282) – Spring only

CE 584 – Hydraulics of Ground Water (CE 282) – Fall only, even years

CE 586 – Engineering Hydrology (CE 383 or CE 282) – Fall only

CE 588 – Water Resources Engineering (CE 282) – Fall only

CE 582 – Coastal Hydrodynamics (contact instructor for pre/co-requisites) – Spring only

CE 585 – Surface Water Quality Modeling (CE 383 and CE 373) – Spring only

Geotechnical Engineering:

CE 548 – Engineering Properties of Soils I (CE 342) – Fall only

CE 584 – Hydraulics of Ground Water – Fall only, even years

Others, e.g. CE 515, CE 526, and CE 577, in consultation with ABM advisor.

Structural Engineering and Mechanics:

CE 515 – Advanced Strength of Materials (CE 225*, CE325, CE332) – Fall only

CE 522 – Theory and Design of Prestressed Concrete (CE327, CE325) – Fall only

CE 523 – Theory and Behavior of Steel Structures (CE426, CE325) – Fall only

CE 524 – Analysis and Design of Masonry Structures (CE327, CE325) – Varied offering

CE 525 – Advanced Structural Analysis (CE325) – Fall only

CE 526 – Finite Element Method in Structural Engineering (CE515, CE325) – Spring only

CE 527 – Structural Dynamics (CE325) – Spring only

CE 528 – Structural Design in Wood (CE325, CE332) – Spring only

CE 529 – FRP Strengthening and Repair of Concrete Structures (CE325, CE327) – Varied offering

CE 530 – Properties of Concrete and Advanced Cement-Based Composites (CE332, CE225) – Spring only

Transportation Materials:

CE 515 – Advanced Strength of Materials (CE 225) – Fall only

CE 530 – Properties of Concrete and Advanced Cement-Based Composites (CE 332) – Spring only

CE 548 – Engineering Properties of Soils I (CE 342) – Fall only

Transportation Systems:

CE 5011 – Transportation Systems Engineering (CE 305) – Fall only

CE 5021 – Traffic Operations (CE 305) – Fall only

CE 5031 – Highway Design (CE 305) – Spring only

CE 504 – Airport Planning and Design (CE 305) – Fall only, even years

CE 505 – Railroad System Planning (CE 305, OR 501) – Spring only, odd years

CE 509 – Highway Safety (CE 305, Co-requisite ST 370) – Spring only, odd years

Cross-Program Elective:

CE 550 – Professional Engineering Communication (by permission of advisor)