Structural Engineering
STUDENT AFFAIRS: 349 Science and Engineering Research Facility
(SERF), University Center
http://www.structures.ucsd.edu
Professors
Courses
Structural Engineering is the branch of engineering concerned
with the design and analysis of civil, mechanical, aerospace, marine,
naval and offshore structures. It requires knowledge and competence
in the areas of materials, response of individual structural components
and the behavior of entire structural systems.
Department Focus
The instructional and research programs of the department are
grouped into four programmatic focus areas: civil structures,
aerospace
and composite structures, renewal of structures, and earthquake
engineering. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs are
characterized
by strong interdisciplinary relationships with the Departments
of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Mathematics,
Bioengineering,
Chemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science
and Engineering, the Materials Science Program, and associated
campus
institutes such as the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics,
Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences, Institute for
Biomedical Engineering, Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials,
California Space Institute, Calit2, and Scripps Institution of
Oceanography.
The programs and curricula of the Department of Structural Engineering
will educate and train engineers in a holistic approach to structural
systems engineering by emphasizing and building on the commonality
of engineering structures in materials, mechanics, analysis and
design across the engineering disciplines of civil, aerospace, marine
and mechanical engineering.
Although structural engineering is traditionally viewed as an activity
within civil engineering, in actuality many other engineering disciplines
such as aerospace, marine (naval, offshore), and mechanical engineering
contain well established discipline-specific structural systems
and components. In all of the various engineering disciplines there
exists a large commonality in the structural materials used, in
the general principles of structural mechanics, in the overall design
philosophy and criteria, and in the modeling and analysis tools
employed for the numerical quantification and visualization of structural
response. Particularly, small disciplinary differences in materials
and computational tools are rapidly disappearing with the civil
engineering community opening up to new structural materials developed
and used to date primarily in the aerospace industry, and with computational
developments which are less product specific but more geared towards
a holistic structural systems design approach with interactive graphics,
object-oriented database management and concurrent visualization
and data processing. Developments in overall structural systems
design are increasingly cross-disciplinary over many traditional
engineering areas.
The Undergraduate Program
Degree and Program Options
The Department of Structural Engineering offers an unique engineering
program leading to the B.S. degree in structural engineering which
is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET). The
Department of Structural Engineering also offers a nonaccredited
B.S. Degree in engineering sciences. The B.S. programs require a
minimum of 148 units, plus college requirements in humanities and
social sciences.
All Structural Engineering programs of study have strong components
in laboratory experimentation, numerical computation, and engineering
design. Design is emphasized throughout the curricula by open-ended
homework problems, by laboratory and computer courses which include
student-initiated projects, and finally, by senior design project
courses which involve teams of students working to solve engineering
design problems brought in from industry. The Structural Engineering
programs are designed to prepare students receiving bachelors
degrees for professional careers or for graduate education in their
area of specialization. In addition, the programs can also be taken
by students who intend to use their undergraduate engineering education
as preparation for postgraduate professional training in non-technical
fields such as business administration, law or medicine.
Structural Engineering is concerned with the design and
analysis of civil, mechanical, aerospace, marine, naval, and offshore
structures. Examples include bridges, dams, buildings, aircraft,
spacecraft, ships, oil platforms, automobiles, and other transportation
vehicles. This field requires a thorough knowledge of the behavior
of solids (concrete, soils, rock, metals, plastics, and composite
materials), fluid mechanics as it relates to structural loads, dynamics
as it relates to structural response, mathematics for the generation
of theoretical structural models and numerical analysis, and computer
science for simulation purposes associated with computer-aided design,
response analyses, and data acquisition. Basic understanding of
materials behavior and structural performance is enhanced by laboratory
courses involving static and dynamic stress failure tests of structural
models, and response of structural systems. Within this area, students
can specialize in (a) civil structures, (b) aerospace structures,
(c) renewal of structures, or (d) earthquake engineering.
The engineering sciences program follows the overall Structural
Engineering program except that the number of required design courses
are reduced. In addition to core courses in dynamics, vibrations,
structures, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and
laboratory experimentation, a large number of technical electives
are scheduled. This aspect of the curriculum allows flexibility
by permitting specialization and in-depth study in one area of the
engineering sciences or through a sequence of courses on various
emerging technologies. Students must consult their advisers to develop
a sound course of study to fulfill the technical elective requirements
of this program.
Major Requirements
Specific course requirements for the major are outlined in a table
herein. In addition to the required technical courses specifically
indicated, a suggested scheduling of humanities and social science
courses (HSS) are distributed in the curricula for students to use
to meet college general-education requirements. To graduate, students
must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.0, and the department
requires at least a C grade in each course required for the
major.
Deviations from the program of study must be approved by the Undergraduate
Affairs Committee prior to taking alternative courses. In cases
where a student needs to take a course outside UCSD, prior departmental
approval is essential. In addition, technical elective (TE) course
selections must have departmental approval prior to taking the courses.
In the accredited program, TE courses are restricted to meet ABET
standards. Courses such as SE 195, SE 197 and SE 198 are not allowed
as technical electives in meeting the upper-division major requirements.
SE 199 can be used as a technical elective only under restrictive
conditions. Policies regarding these conditions may be obtained
from the departments Student Affairs Office. Graduate level
courses may be petitioned for technical elective credit.
Students with different academic preparations may vary the scheduling
of lower-division courses such as math, physics and chemistry, but
should consult the department prior to doing so. Deviations in scheduling
lower-division Structural Engineering courses are discouraged due
to scheduling constraints. A tentative schedule of course offerings
is available from the department each spring quarter for the following
academic year.
General-Education/College Requirement
For graduation, each student must satisfy general-education course
requirements determined by the students college, as well as
the major requirements determined by the department. The six colleges
at UCSD require widely different general-education courses, and
the number of such courses differs from one college to another.
Each student should choose his or her college carefully, considering
the special nature of the college and the breadth of general education.
The Structural Engineering program allows for twelve humanities
and social science (HSS) courses so that students can fulfill their
college requirements. In the ABET accredited programs, students
must develop a program that includes a total of at least twenty-four
units in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, not including
subjects such as accounting, industrial management, finance, or
personnel administration. It should be noted, however, that some
colleges may require more than twelve HSS courses indicated in the
curriculum tables. Accordingly, students in these colleges may take
longer to graduate than the indicated four-year schedule. Students
must consult with their college to determine which HSS courses to
take.
Professional Licensing
All students are encouraged to take the Engineering-in-Training
(EIT) examination as the first step in becoming licensed as a professional
engineer (PE). Students graduating from an accredited program can
take the PE examination after EIT certification and two years of
work experience; students graduating from a nonaccredited program
can take the PE examination after EIT certification and four years
of work experience.
For further information please contact the Student Affairs Office
or your local Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and
Land Surveyors.
Structural Engineering (ABET Accredited Program)
Mission Statement
To provide a comprehensive education and training to engineers
using a holistic approach to structural systems engineering by emphasizing
and building on the commonality of engineering structures at the
levels of materials, mechanics, analysis, and design.
GOALS
- To provide our students with a strong technical education that
will prepare students receiving Bachelors degrees for professional
careers in industry, or for continued graduate education in their
area of specialization.
- To provide our students with cross-disciplinary technical education
to adequately prepare them for a rapidly changing technological
world based on the commonality of knowledge across structural
engineering disciplines thereby ensuring that they are able to
continuously meet professional objectives throughout their careers.
- To provide our students with a firm foundation for professional
advancement not just through technical expertise, but also through
communication skills, team and group activities, and ethical/professional
responsibility as designers and engineers.
OBJECTIVES
- To provide a sound basis in the general sciences and mathematics
that underlie the cross- disciplinary field of structural engineering.
- To provide a thorough training in the design principles and
structural action as related to components and systems over a
broad range of application areas.
- To provide a thorough training in the methods of analysis,
including problem formulation and the use of current mathematical
and computational tools.
- To provide an understanding of structural action at the component
and systems level through design, analysis, and experimentation.
- To provide through structure and flexibility in the curriculum
the opportunity for students to have both specialization (through
focus sequences) and breadth (through technical electives) in
the area of structural engineering.
- To instill in students the ability of critical and innovative
thinking, and ability to formulate solutions based on sound principles
of structural mechanics and materials.
- To teach students techniques of experimentation and data analysis,
including the use of statistics and reliability methods required
for structural applications.
- To teach the fundamentals of the design process initiating
in conceptual design and culminating in final design including
the use of appropriate codes of practice.
- To prepare students in the skills needs for successful professional
practice as related to team participation, and effective verbal
and written communication.
- To instill in our students an understanding and acceptance
of their professional and ethical responsibilities.
FALL |
WINTER |
SPRING |
|
FRESHMAN YEAR |
|
|
Math. 20A |
Math. 20B |
Math. 20C |
SE 1 |
MAE 9 |
SE 2 |
Chem. 6A |
Phys. 2A |
Phys. 2B/2BL |
HSS1 |
HSS |
HSS |
|
SOPHOMORE YEAR |
|
Math. 20D |
Math. 20F |
Math. 20E |
Phys. 2C/2CL |
SE 102 |
SE 103 |
SE 101A |
SE 101B |
SE 110A |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
|
JUNIOR YEAR |
|
|
SE 121 |
SE 120 |
MAE 170 |
SE 125 |
MAE 101A |
TE2 |
SE 110B |
SE 130A |
SE 130B |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
|
SENIOR YEAR |
|
|
SE 101C |
SE 131 |
SE 140 |
TE |
TE |
FS |
FS3 |
FS |
FS |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
|
1 In fulfilling the humanities and social science requirements
(HSS), students must take a total of at least twenty-four units
in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, not including subjects
such as accounting, industrial management, finance, or personnel
administration. Twelve HSS courses are listed here; individual college
requirements may be higher.
2 Technical elective (TE) course must be an upper-division
or graduate course in the engineering sciences, natural sciences
or mathematics, selected with prior approval of the department to
meet ABET standards.
3 Students must take one full focus sequence (FS) in
either (a) Civil Structures (SE 150, SE 151A, SE 151B, SE 181),
or (b) Aerospace Structures (SE 160A, SE 160B, SE 142, SE 163),
or (c) Renewal of Structures (SE 142, SE 150, SE 151A, SE 163,
SE 165), or (d) Earthquake Engineering (SE 180, SE 181, SE 182,
SE 152). Students
should note that not all focus sequence classes will be offered
every year.
Engineering Sciences (Non-Accredited Program)
FALL |
WINTER |
SPRING |
|
FRESHMAN YEAR |
|
|
Math. 20A |
Math. 20B |
Math. 20C |
SE 1 |
MAE 9 |
SE 2 |
Chem. 6A |
Phys. 2A |
Phys. 2B/2BL |
HSS1 |
HSS |
HSS |
|
SOPHOMORE YEAR |
|
Math. 20D |
Math. 20F |
Math. 20E |
Phys. 2C/2CL |
SE 102 |
SE 103 |
SE 101A |
SE 101B |
SE 110A |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
|
JUNIOR YEAR |
|
|
SE 121 |
SE 120 |
MAE 170 |
SE 125 |
MAE 101A |
TE2 |
SE 110B |
SE 130A |
SE 130B |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
|
SENIOR YEAR |
|
|
SE 101C |
SE 131 |
SE 140 |
TE |
TE |
TE |
TE |
TE |
TE |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
|
1 In fulfilling the humanities and social science requirements
(HSS), students must take a total of at least twenty-four units
in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, not including subjects
such as accounting, industrial management, finance, or personnel
administration. Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college
requirements may be higher.
2 Technical elective (TE) course must be an upper-division
or graduate course in the engineering sciences, natural sciences
or mathematics, selected with prior approval of the department to
meet ABET standards.
Policies and Procedures for Structural Engineering Undergraduate
Students
Admission to the Major
Admission to the department as a Structural Engineering major,
or to fulfill a major in another department which requires Structural
Engineering courses, is in accordance with the general requirements
established by the School of Engineering. The admission requirements
and procedures are described in detail in the section on Admission
to the School of Engineering in this catalog. All students
are expected to complete lower- and upper-division courses, as suggested
in the curriculum tables, in a timely fashion in the sequences outlined.
Transfer Students
Requirements for admission as a Structural Engineering major, or
into Structural Engineering courses, are the same for transfer students
as they are for continuing students (see section on Admission
to the School of Engineering in this general catalog). Accordingly,
when planning their program, transfer students should be mindful
of lower-division prerequisite course requirements, as well as for
meeting collegiate requirements.
Students who have taken equivalent courses elsewhere may request
to have transfer credits apply toward the departments major
requirements. This is accomplished by submitting a petition for
transfer credits together with a transcript and catalog course description
from the institution where the course(s) were taken. These documents
are reviewed for approval by the Structural Engineering Undergraduate
Affairs Committee.
Effective fall 2004, it is strongly recommended
that transfer students complete the following course preparation
for engineering majors*:
- Calculus I—for Science and Engineering (Math. 20A)
- Calculus II—for Science and Engineering (Math. 20B)
- Calculus and Analytic Geometry (Math. 20C)
- Differential Equations (Math. 20D)
- Linear Algebra (Math. 20F)
- Complete calculus-based physics series with lab experience (Physics
2A-B-C)
- Chemistry 6A (except computer science and computer engineering
majors)
- Highest level of introductory computer programming language
course offerings at the community college**
*Effective fall 2006, these courses will be required
preparation for all engineering transfer students.
**Refer to the UCSD General Catalog to select major prerequisite
requirement for computer language courses.
**Refer to the General Catalog to select major prerequisite requirement
for computer language courses.
No transfer credit will be given for courses similar to SE 1 and
SE 2. SE 1 and SE 2 must be taken by all students majoring in Structural
Engineering.
Transfer petitions are available from the Structural Engineering
Student Affairs Office.
Academic Advising
Upon arrival, students must make an appointment with the undergraduate
adviser in the Structural Engineering Student Affairs Office to
plan a program of study. The program plan may be revised in subsequent
years, but revisions involving curricular requirements require approval
by the undergraduate adviser or the Undergraduate Affairs Committee.
Because some courses and/or curricular changes may be made every
year, it is imperative that students consult with the departments
undergraduate adviser and their assigned faculty adviser on an annual
basis.
Many Structural Engineering courses are offered only once a year
and therefore should be taken in the recommended sequence. If courses
are taken out of sequence, it may not always be possible to enroll
in subsequent courses as desired or needed. If this occurs, students
should seek immediate department advice. When a student deviates
from the sequence of courses specified for the curriculum in this
catalog, it may be impossible to complete the Structural Engineering
major within the normal four-year period. Structural Engineering
advisers will be monitoring the progress of students in order for
them to remain on track.
In addition to the advise available through the Structural Engineering
Student Affairs Office, programmatic or technical advice may be
obtained from Structural Engineering faculty members. A specific
Structural Engineering faculty adviser is assigned to each Structural
Engineering student. All Structural Engineering students are required
to meet with their faculty adviser at least once a year, preferably
before the beginning of fall quarter.
Program Alterations/Exceptions to Requirements
Variations from, or exceptions to, any program or course requirements
are possible only if a petition is approved by the Structural Engineering
Undergraduate Affairs Committee before the courses in question are
taken. Petition forms may be obtained from the Structural Engineering
Student Affairs Office and must be processed through this office.
Independent Study
Structural Engineering students may take SE 199, Independent Study
for Undergraduates, under the guidance of a Structural Engineering
faculty member. Normally, this course is taken as an elective on
a P/NP basis. Under very restrictive conditions, however, it may
be used to satisfy upper-division technical elective course requirements
for the major. Students interested in this alternative must identify
a faculty member with whom they wish to work and propose a two-quarter
research or study topic. After obtaining the faculty members
concurrence on the topic and scope of the study, the student must
submit a Special Studies Course form (each quarter) and the SE
199 as Technical Elective Contract form to the Structural
Engineering Undergraduate Affairs Committee. These forms must be
completed, approved, and processed prior to the beginning
of the quarter in which the course is to be taken. This should not
be done during the add/drop period. Detailed policy in this regard
and the requisite forms may be obtained from the Student Affairs
Office.
Teaching
Students interested in participating in the instructional activities
of the department may take SE 195, Undergraduate Teaching. Policy
in this regard and the appropriate forms may be obtained from the
Structural Engineering Student Affairs Office.
Bachelors/Masters Program
The department offers a bachelors/masters degree program
to enable students to complete both the B.S. and M.S. degrees in
an accelerated timeframe. Undergraduate students in the Department
of Structural Engineering who have at least 148 quarter units with
a cumulative 3.5 M.W. GPA are eligible to apply. Admission to the
bachelors/masters degree program is not automatic. Student
applications are reviewed and the final decision is made by the
Department of Structural Engineering. Acceptance into this program
is an honor which carries with it practical benefitsthe graduate
application process is simplified (no GREs required) and advanced
students are given access to graduate level courses. Upon acceptance
as an undergraduate into the program, a faculty member will be assigned
who will serve as the students adviser. Interested students
should contact the Structural Engineering Student Affairs Office.
Students must fulfill all requirements for the B.S. degree prior
to being formally admitted to graduate status.
The Graduate Program
The Department of Structural Engineering offers instruction leading
to the degrees of Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) in Structural Engineering (SE). The graduate program is
aimed at training a select number of highly skilled professionals
in structural engineering with the academic and engineering credentials
to assume leadership roles in industry and academia.
The M.S. degree program is intended to provide students with additional
fundamental knowledge as well as specialized advanced knowledge
in selected structural engineering aspects over and above the undergraduate
degree course work.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program is intended to
prepare students for careers in teaching, research, and/or in their
chosen professional specialties. The Ph.D. program requires a departmental
comprehensive examination, a Ph.D. candidacy examination, a Ph.D.
dissertation based on new and unique research, and a dissertation
defense.
Both degrees offer opportunities for training in one or more of
the four primary research thrusts within the SE department which
are in (1) Earthquake Engineering, (2) Advanced Composites and Aerospace
Structural Systems, (3) Renewal Engineering, and (4) Damage Prognosis
and Validated Simulations.
Admission to the UCSD graduate division requires at least a B.S.
degree in engineering, physical sciences, or mathematics with an
overall upper-division GPA of 3.0. Applicants must provide three
letters of recommendation and recent GRE general test scores. A
minimum TOEFL score of 550 (213 computer-based) is required from
international applicants whose native language is not English. Based
on the candidates background, qualifications, and career objectives,
admission to the program is in one of two categories: M.S. or Ph.D.
Applicants seeking enrollment in SE courses via UC Extensions
concurrent registration program are advised to refer to the Graduate
Studies Transferring Credit section of the UCSD General
Catalog for clarification.
Masters Degree Program
The M.S. degree program is intended to provide the student with
additional fundamental knowledge as well as specialized advanced
knowledge in selected structural engineering aspects over and above
the undergraduate degree course work. Two plans, the M.S. Thesis
Plan and the M.S. Comprehensive Examination Plan, are offered. The
M.S. Thesis Plan is designed for those students with an interest
in research prior to entering the structural engineering profession
or prior to entering a doctoral degree program. The M.S. Thesis
Plan involves course work and research culminating with the preparation
and defense of a masters thesis. The M.S. Comprehensive Examination
Plan involves course work and culminates with a public oral presentation
related to the courses the student has taken. The topic is selected
by the students adviser. This presentation is evaluated by
a committee of three faculty and must take place in the final quarter
of courses.
M.S. students must complete forty-eight units of credit for graduation.
For the M.S. Comprehensive Examination Plan all forty-eight units
of credit must consist of regular courses (twelve courses). For
the M.S. Thesis Plan, thirty-six units (nine courses) from regular
courses are required, in addition to twelve units of graduate research
for the masters thesis. For both M.S. plans, students are
required to complete a minimum of two sequences from the following
focus areas:
- Structural Analysis
- Structural Design
- Earthquake Engineering
- Advanced Composites
- Solid Mechanics
- Advanced Structural Behavior
A sequence is composed of three regular courses from the same
focus area. The courses comprising the focus sequences are listed
in the
table in this section. To meet the specific needs of some students,
other focus areas may be developed by a student in consultation
with his or her adviser, but these must be approved by the SE Graduate
Affairs Committee. To allow for greater flexibility in the program,
the remaining credits required from courses may be earned by completing
additional focus sequences, parts of focus sequences, or other
appropriate courses. Students may elect to take other appropriate
technical electives (with the approval of their adviser and the
SE Graduate Affairs Committee). Up to twelve units of upper-division
undergraduate (100-level) courses will be allowed in the M.S. program.
Units obtained in SE 290, 291, and 298 may not be applied towards
course work requirements. No more than four units of SE 296 may
be applied toward course work requirements and only with prior approval of the SE Graduate Affairs Committee.
The department also offers two seminar courses each quarter dealing
with current research topics in Earthquake Engineering (SE 290)
and Advanced Composites (SE 291). The SE distinguished seminar
series is administered within these two seminar courses. The SE
distinguished seminar series features prominent speakers from academic,
industry, and national laboratories. All masters students
are required to take one of these two seminar courses each quarter
they
are registered.
Focus Sequences
FOCUS SEQUENCE |
COURSES |
|
Structural Analysis |
Advanced Structural
Analysis |
|
Structural Stability |
|
Structural Dynamics
|
|
Random Vibrations |
|
Structural Design |
Advanced RC/PC Design |
|
Advanced Structural
Steel Design |
|
Bridge Design |
|
Earthquake Engineering |
Structural Dynamics |
|
Earthquake Engineering |
|
Geotechnical Earthquake
Engineering |
|
Advanced Seismic Design
of Structures |
|
Advanced Composites |
Design of Composite
Structures |
|
Processing Science
of Composites |
|
Experimental Mechanics
and NDE |
|
Mechanics of Laminated
Composite Structures |
|
Textile Composite
Structures |
|
Solid Mechanics |
Solid Mechanics for
Structural and Aerospace Engineering |
|
Theory of Elasticity |
|
Theory of Plasticity
and Viscoelasticity |
|
Experimental Mechanics
and NDE |
|
Advanced Structural
Behavior |
Nonlinear Mechanical
Vibrations |
|
Structural Reliability
and Risk Analysis |
|
Random Vibrations |
|
Experimental Mechanics
and Nondestructive Evaluation |
|
The thesis defense is the final examination for students enrolled
in the M.S. thesis plan and must be conducted after completion of
all course work. Upon completion of the research project, the student
writes a thesis that must be successfully defended in an oral examination
and public presentation conducted by a committee composed of three
faculty. A complete copy of the students thesis must be submitted
to each member of the M.S. thesis committee (comprised of a minimum
of three faculty) at least two weeks before the defense.
Doctoral Degree Program
The Ph.D. program is intended to prepare students for a variety
of careers in research, teaching and advanced professional practice
in the broad sense of structural engineering, encompassing civil
and aerospace structures, earthquake and geotechnical engineering,
composites, and engineering mechanics. Depending on the student's
background and ability, research is initiated as soon as possible.
All students, in consultation with their advisers, develop course
programs that will prepare them for the Departmental Comprehensive
Examination and for their dissertation research. However, these
programs of study and research must be planned to meet the time
limits established to advance to candidacy and to complete the requirements
for the degree. Doctoral students who have passed the Departmental
Comprehensive Examination may take any course for an S/U grade,
with the exception of any course that the student's Departmental
Comprehensive or Ph.D. Candidacy Examination Committee stipulates
must be taken in order to remove a deficiency. It is strongly recommended
that all Structural Engineering graduate students take a minimum
of two courses (other than research) per academic year after passing
the Departmental Comprehensive Examination.
The department also offers two seminar courses each quarter dealing
with current research topics in Earthquake Engineering (SE 290)
and in Advanced Composite Materials (SE 291). All Ph.D. students
are required to take one of these two seminar courses each quarter
they are registered.
Doctoral Examinations: A Structural Engineering Ph.D. student
is required to pass three examinations. The first is a Departmental
Comprehensive Examination which should be taken within three
to six quarters of full-time graduate study and requires a 3.5 GPA.
This examination is intended to determine the students ability
to successfully pursue a research project at a level appropriate
for the doctoral degree. It is administered by at least four faculty,
three of whom must be in Structural Engineering. The student is
responsible for material pertaining to four focus areas. One focus
area can be satisfied by course work, provided that all courses
in that area have been taken at UCSD, the grade in each course
is B or better, and the overall GPA in that area is at least 3.5.
In order
to insure appropriate breadth, the focus areas should consist of
the following: (a) two focus areas within Structural Engineering
which are closely related to the student's research interests,
(b)
one focus area within Structural Engineering that is not directly
related to the students area of research, and (c) one minor
focus area outside the Department of Structural Engineering. Minor
areas too closely related to the major areas will not be approved
by the SE Graduate Affairs Committee. The Solid Mechanics Focus
Sequence, which is jointly taught by Structural Engineering and
the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, cannot
be
used to satisfy the outside Structural Engineering requirement.
Students intending to specialize in the emerging areas of structural
health monitoring, damage prognosis, and validated simulations
are
advised to take courses in the focus areas of Advanced Structural
Behavior and elective courses MAE 283, MAE 261, ECE 251AN, ECE
254,
and CSE 291 which can be used to satisfy the outside Structural
Engineering requirement.
Since the examination areas must be approved by the SE Graduate
Affairs Committee, students are advised to seek such approval well
before their expected examination date, preferably while planning
their graduate studies. Although students are not required to take
particular courses in preparation for the departmental comprehensive
examination, the scope of the examination in each area is associated
with a set of three graduate courses, generally focus sequences
offered or approved by the department. A candidate can develop a
sense of the level of knowledge expected to be demonstrated during
the examination by studying the appropriate syllabi and/or discussing
the course content with faculty experienced in teaching the courses
involved. The Departmental Comprehensive Examination may be a written
or an oral examination, at the discretion of the committee.
Teaching experience is required of all Structural Engineering
Ph.D. students prior to taking the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination.
Teaching experience is defined as lecturing one hour per week in
either a problem-solving section or laboratory session, for one
quarter in an undergraduate course designated by the department.
The requirement can be fulfilled by service as a teaching assistant
or taken as a course for academic credit. Students must contact
the Student Affairs Office to plan for completion of this requirement.
The Ph.D. Candidacy Examination is the second examination
required of Structural Engineering doctoral students. In preparation
for the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination, students must have completed
the Departmental Comprehensive Examination and the Departmental
Teaching Experience requirement, obtained a faculty research adviser,
have identified a topic for their dissertation research, and have
made initial progress in that research. At the time of application
for advancement to candidacy, a doctoral committee responsible for
the remainder of the student's graduate program is appointed by
the Graduate Council. In accordance with Academic Senate Regulations
715(D): A doctoral committee of five or more members shall
be appointed by the dean of Graduate Studies under the authority
of the Graduate Council. The committee members shall be chosen from
at least two departments, and at least two members shall represent
academic specialties that differ from the students chosen
specialty. In all cases, each committee must include one tenured
UCSD faculty member from outside the students major department.
The committee conducts the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination, during which
students must demonstrate the ability to engage in dissertation
research. This involves the presentation of a plan for the dissertation
research project. A short written document describing the research
plan must be submitted to each member of the committee at least
two weeks before the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination. The committee
may ask questions directly or indirectly related to the research
project and general questions that it determines to be relevant.
Upon successful completion of this examination, students are advanced
to candidacy and are awarded the Candidate in Philosophy degree.
The Ph.D. Candidacy Examination is an oral examination.
The Dissertation Defense is the final Ph.D. examination.
Upon completion of the dissertation research project, the student
writes a dissertation that must then be successfully defended in
an oral examination and public presentation conducted by the doctoral
committee. A complete copy of the student's dissertation must be
submitted to each member of the doctoral committee at least four
weeks before the defense. While the copy of the dissertation handed
to the committee is expected to be complete and in final form, it
should be noted that students are expected to make changes in the
text per direction of the committee as a result of the defense.
This examination cannot be conducted earlier than three quarters
after the date of advancement to doctoral candidacy. Acceptance
of the dissertation by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research
and the university librarian represents the final step in completion
of all requirements for the Ph.D.
Ph.D. Time Limit Policy. Pre-candidacy status is limited
to four years. Doctoral students are eligible for university support
for six years. The defense and submission of the doctoral dissertation
must be within seven years.
Evaluations. In the spring of each year, the faculty evaluate
each doctoral student's overall performance in course work, research,
and prospects for financial support for future years. A written
assessment is given to the student after the evaluation. If a student's
work is found to be inadequate, the faculty may determine that the
student cannot continue in the graduate program.
Structural Engineering
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