Graduate Degree Program

Degrees

The Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering Program currently offers the following in-person, on-campus degrees:

Doctor of Philosophy in Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering
  • Coursework: 42.00 credit hours (beyond BS degree)
  • Independent study*: 3.00 credit hours
  • Research: 24.00 credit hours (minimum)
  • Total: 72.00 credit hours

*Ph.D. students are expected to complete an internship of approximately three months in duration with a design firm, contractor, owner, equipment manufacturer, etc., and preferably on an underground construction or tunneling job site. If an internship is not available or if the student has sufficient industry experience (to be determined by advisor and committee), the student may complete an industry-focused research project via independent study with a UCTE faculty member and industry partner culminating with a written report and presentation.

Students must also successfully complete qualifying examinations, write and defend a dissertation proposal, and write and defend a doctoral dissertation. Ph.D. research is aimed at fundamentally advancing the state of the art in UCTE. Ph.D. students are expected to submit the dissertation work for publication in scholarly journals and disseminate findings throughout industry periodicals.

Master of Science in Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering (thesis)
  • Coursework: 24.00 credit hours
  • Research: 6.00 credit hours (minimum)
  • Total: 30.00 credit hours

M.S. thesis students must write and successfully defend a thesis report of their research. Ideally, M.S. thesis research should be industry-focused and should provide value to underground construction and tunneling industry practice.

An online Graduate Certificate in Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering is offered and can be applied towards the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

Master of Science in Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering (non-thesis)
  • Coursework: 27.00 credit hours
  • Independent study*: 3.00 credit hours
  • Total: 30.00 credit hours

*M.S. non-thesis students are expected to complete an internship of approximately 3 months in duration with a design firm, contractor, owner, equipment manufacturer, etc. and, preferably, on a job site in the underground construction industry. During the internship, each student will complete a project-focused independent study. This is determined in consultation with the faculty advisor and internship sponsor. If an internship is not available or if the student has sufficient industry experience (to be determined by advisor and committee), the student may complete an industry-focused research project with a UC&T faculty member and industry partner. Both the independent study and research project options will culminate with a project report and presentation.

An online Graduate Certificate in Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering is offered and can be applied towards the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

Admission

Students apply to the Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering (UCTE) graduate degree program through the Graduate School and are assigned to the UCTE participating department of the student’s UCTE advisor. Participating departments include Geology and Geological Engineering, Mining Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Prerequisite Courses

Students applying to the UCTE program must have a baccalaureate degree in a science or engineering discipline as well as the following coursework:

  • Strength of Materials (or Mechanics of Materials)
  • Fluid Mechanics.

These prerequisite courses may be completed during the first semester of the graduate program if approved by UCTE faculty.

The required coursework includes graduate-level soil and rock mechanics as well as aspects of structural analysis and groundwater engineering. It is permissible for students to take these courses without having completed undergraduate courses in soil mechanics, rock mechanics, structural analysis and groundwater engineering; however, students may choose to complete undergraduate courses in these topics prior to or during enrollment in graduate program courses. The prerequisite courses do not count towards the requirements for the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Students are encouraged to consult with UCTE faculty for guidance in this matter.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance for graduate studies is available and may be in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships or fellowships.
For tuition information, please visit the Graduate Studies Office’s Financial Aid page.

Curriculum

 

The following 19 credit hours are required for all UCTE graduate degrees:

  • Engineering Geology and Geotechnics (GEGN 468)
  • Underground Construction Engineering Laboratory 1 (GEGN 561)
  • Underground Construction Engineering Laboratory 2 (GEGN 562)
  • Soil Behavior (CEEN 512)
  • Underground Construction Engineering in Soft Ground (CEEN 523)
  • Underground Construction Engineering in Hard Rock (MNGN 504)
  • Construction Engineering and Management (MNGN 509)

Elective coursework covers a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

  • Groundwater Engineering
  • Advanced Concrete Design
  • Advanced Steel Design
  • Advanced Soil Mechanics
  • Advanced Rock Mechanics
  • Earth Retaining Structures
  • Applied Numerical Modeling for Geomechanics
  • Data Science 

View the Mines Academic Catalog

Research

UCTE Ph.D. students and some M.S. students conduct funded research as part of their graduate studies. These funding opportunities are made available by the UCTE faculty. To learn more, click on the individual faculty member pictures on the Faculty page.

In addition, UCTE faculty pursue research through the following Centers and Institutes:

Center for Underground

Earth Mechanics Institute