Structural Engineering

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STUDENT AFFAIRS: 240 Science and Engineering Research Facility (SERF), University Center
http://www.structures.ucsd.edu

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 bachelor’s 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 is 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 advisors 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 department’s 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 student’s 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 your local Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors or visit http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels.

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 Bachelor’s 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	HSS	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	SE 9²	HSS

JUNIOR YEAR
SE 121	SE 120	MAE 170
SE 125	MAE 101A	TE³
SE 110B	SE 130A	SE 130B
HSS	HSS	HSS

SENIOR YEAR
SE 101C	SE 131	SE 140
TE	TE	FS
FS⁴	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 Students admitted to the university prior to fall 2010 who have completed MAE 9 are not required to take SE 9.

³ 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.

⁴ Students must take one full-focus sequence (FS) in: (a) Civil Structures, (b) Aerospace Structures, (c) Renewal of Structures, or (d) Earthquake Engineering. Students should note that not all focus sequence classes will be offered every year. Students admitted to the university prior to fall 2010 will be allowed to use the courses outlined in past focus sequences from the catalog year in which they entered the university.

Engineering Sciences (Non-Accredited Program)

FALL	WINTER	SPRING

FRESHMAN YEAR
Math. 20A	Math. 20B	Math. 20C
SE 1	HSS	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	SE 9 ²	HSS

JUNIOR YEAR
SE 121	SE 120	MAE 170
SE 125	MAE 101A	TE³
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

² Students admitted to the university prior to fall 2010 who have completed MAE 9 are not required to take SE 9.

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 department’s 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.

**Refer to the UCSD General Catalog to select major prerequisite requirement for computer language courses.

No transfer credit will be given for courses similar to SE 1, SE 2, and SE 9. SE 1, SE 2, and SE 9 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 advisor 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 advisor 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 department’s undergraduate advisor and their assigned faculty advisor 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. Students should refer to the four-year plan and course prerequisite map on the department Web site at http://www.structures.ucsd.edu.

In addition to the advising 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 advisor is assigned to each Structural Engineering student. All Structural Engineering students are required to meet with their faculty advisor 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 member’s 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.

Bachelor’s/Master’s Program

The department offers a bachelor’s/master’s 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 bachelor’s/master’s 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 benefits—the 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 student’s advisor. 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). In addition, an M.S. degree in structural health monitoring, prognosis, and validated simulations has been activated. 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) Structural Health Monitoring, 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. International applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate proficiency in English by taking the TOEFL exam. The minimum TOEFL score required is 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), and 80 (Internet-based text [iBt]). Based on the candidate’s 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 Extension’s concurrent registration program are advised to refer to the “Graduate Studies Transferring Credit” section of the UCSD General Catalog for clarification.

Master’s 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 master’s thesis. The M.S. Comprehensive Examination Plan involves course work and culminates with a report and a public oral presentation related to the courses the student has taken. The topic is selected by the student’s advisor, and must draw on at least two focus sequences the student has taken. The student will be required to prepare a final written report on the topic that must be approved by the student’s advisor and must be presented orally to a committee of three faculty members (one being the student’s advisor) during the final quarter of study. The written report must be submitted to the advisor two weeks before the oral presentation and to the other committee members one week before the oral presentation.

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 master’s 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 advisor, 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 advisor 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 a seminar course each quarter dealing with current research topics in Seminar in Structural Engineering (SE 290).

Focus Sequences

FOCUS SEQUENCE	COURSES

Structural Analysis	Advanced Structural Analysis
	Structural Stability
	Structural Dynamics
	Structural Reliability and Risk Analysis

Structural Design	Advanced RC/PC Design
	Advanced Structural Steel Design
	Bridge Design

Earthquake Engineering	Structural Dynamics
	Random Vibrations
	Earthquake Engineering
	Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
	Advanced Seismic Design of Structures

Advanced Composites	Sequence A: SE 253A Composite Mechanics I* SE 253B Composite Mechanics II** SE 253C Mechanics of Laminated Anisotropy Plates and Shells
	Sequence B: SE 253A Composite Mechanics** SE 251A Processing Science of Composites SE 251B Mechanical Behaviors of Polymers and Composites

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
	Structural Health Monitoring Principles

Students taking the Advanced Composites option have the opportunity of taking either one or both of the following sequences: Sequence A: Mechanics of Composites, and Sequence B: Composite Materials and Processing.

To complete each sequence, a student must take three courses listed below:

Suggested Sequence A.

SE 253A Composite Mechanics*
SE 253B Composite Mechanics II**
SE 253C or other class approved by advisor

Suggested Sequence B.

SE 253A Composite Mechanics I**
SE 251A Processing Science of Composites
SE 251B or other class approved by advisor

*Students who have previously taken an equivalent course must take SE 251B or other course approved by advisor and graduate chair.
**Students who have previously taken an equivalent course must take SE 251A, SE 251B, and a third class approved by their advisor and graduate chair to complete the sequence.

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 student’s 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.

M.S. Degree in Structural Engineering with Specialization in Health Monitoring, Prognosis, and Validated Simulations (SHMP&VS)

The M.S. degree in SHMP&VS provides specialized multidisciplinary knowledge in the three technology areas of (1) sensing technology, (2) data interrogation, and (3) predictive modeling. Many courses currently offered within the Jacobs School of Engineering may be grouped into numerous focus sequences within each technology area, as shown in the following list:

A. Sensing Technology Area

FOCUS SEQUENCE	COURSES

Sensing Methodologies	SE 252 Experimental Mechanics and NDE
Sensing Methodologies	MAE 261 Sensors and Measurements
	MAE 268 MEMS Materials, Fabrication, and Applications

Data Acquisition Systems	ECE 257B Principles of Wireless Networks
Data Acquisition Systems	ECE 258A-B Digital Communications
	ECE 259CN Advanced Coding and Modulation for Digital Communications
	MAE 261 Sensors and Measurements
	CSE 237A Introduction to Embedded Computing
	CSE 237B Software for Embedded Computing
	CSE 237C Validation/Testing of Embedded Systems
	CSE 237D Design Automation and Prototyping for Embedded Systems

Controls	MAE 280A Linear Systems Theory
	MAE 280B Linear Control Design
	MAE 282 Adaptive Control
	MAE 284 Robust and Multi-Variable Control
	MAE 285 Optimal Control and Estimation

B. Data Interrogation Technology Area

FOCUS SEQUENCE	COURSES

Signal Processing	ECE 161A/SIO 207A Introduction to Digital Signal Processing
	ECE 251AN/SIO 207B Digital Signal Processing I
	ECE 251BN/SIO 207C Digital Signal Processing II
	ECE 251CN Filter Banks and Wavelets
	ECE 251DN or SIO 207D Array Processing
	ECE 253A Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing
	ECE 253B Digital Image Analysis
	ECE 254 Detection Theory
	ECE 255AN Information Theory

System Identification	MAE 283A Parameter Identification: Theory and Methods
	MAE 283B Approximate Identification and Control
	ECE 256A-B Time Series Analysis and Applications
	ECE 275A Parameter Estimation I
	ECE 275B Parameter Estimation II

Pattern Recognition	CSE 250A Artificial Intelligence: Search and Reasoning
	CSE 250B Artificial Intelligence: Learning
	CSE 253 Neural Networks for Pattern Recognition
	CSE 254 Statistical Learning
	CSE 255 Data Mining and Artificial Intelligence Applications
	ECE 270A-B-C Neurocomputing

Statistical/ Probabalistic Methods	MTH 281A-B-C Mathematical Statistics
	CSE 254 Statistical Learning
	SE 206 Random Vibrations
	SE 224 Structural Reliability and Risk Analysis

C. Predictive Modeling Technology Area

FOCUS SEQUENCE	COURSES

Structural Analysis	SE 201 Advanced Structural Analysis
	SE 202 Structural Stability
	SE 203 Structural Dynamics
	SE 204 Structural Reliability and Risk Analysis

Finite Element	MAE 232A Finite Element Methods in Solid Mechanics I
	MAE 232B Finite Element Methods in Solid Mechanics II
	MAE 232C Advances in Materials Computations
	SE 274 Nonlinear Finite Elemental Methods

Solid Mechanics	SE 271 Solid Mechanics for Structural and Aerospace Engineering
	SE 272 Theory of Elasticity
	SE 273 Theory of Plasticity and Viscoelasticity
	SE 252 Experimental Mechanics and NDE
	SE 235 Wave Propagation in Elastic Media

Material Behavior/ Modeling	MAE 233B Micromechanics
Material Behavior/ Modeling	MAE 233C Advanced Mechanics of Composite Materials
	MAE 232C Advances in Materials Computations
	MAE 250 Fatigue, Fracture, and Failure Analysis in Engineering Materials
	MAE 273A Dynamic Behavior of Materials
	SE 245 Constitutive Modeling and Numerical Implementation

Advanced Structural Behavior	SE 205 Nonlinear Mechanical Vibrations
Advanced Structural Behavior	SE 206 Random Vibrations
	SE 224 Structural Reliability and Risk Analysis
	SE 252 Experimental Mechanics and NDE
	SE 265 Structural Health Monitoring Principles

Earthquake Engineering	SE 203 Structural Dynamics
Earthquake Engineering	SE 206 Random Vibrations
	SE 221 Earthquake Engineering
	SE 222 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
	SE 223 Advanced Seismic Design of Structures

Advanced Composites	SE 142 Design of Composite Structures
Advanced Composites	SE 251 Processing Science of Composites
	SE 253 Mechanics of Laminated Composite Structures
	MAE 233C Advanced Mechanics of Composite Materials
	SE 254 FRP Rehabilitation of Civil Structures

Two degree plans in SHMP&VS will be offered: M.S. Thesis Plan and M.S. Comprehensive Examination Plan. Students in both plans must complete forty-eight units of credit for graduation. For both plans, students must complete thirty-six units of course work consisting of one focus sequence from each of the three technology areas A, B, and C listed above. Any three of the courses listed under a specific topic area constitute a focus sequence. Courses must be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor. The remaining twelve units must be completed as graduate research SE 299.

For the M.S. SHMP&VS Comprehensive Examination Plan, the twelve-unit graduate research SE 299 must be conducted as a mentored research project. This project is intended to provide a mentored practicum whereby students integrate knowledge learned from their technology areas into comprehensively solving a problem from structural health monitoring/prognosis or model validation and uncertainty quantification, at their discretion. This project will emphasize professional practice, with both oral and written communication of technical data, and will include a strong design component. The project will be presented to a committee of two faculty members in Structural Engineering and one from another department within the Jacobs School of Engineering or an adjunct faculty member in an appropriate area of focus.

For the M.S. SHMP&VS Thesis Plan, the twelve-unit graduate research SE 299 culminates with the preparation of a research thesis. The thesis must be successfully defended in an oral examination and public presentation conducted by a committee composed of three faculty members. The committee will consist of two faculty members in Structural Engineering and one from another department within the Jacobs School of Engineering or an adjunct faculty member in an appropriate area of focus. A complete copy of the student’s thesis must be submitted to each member of the M.S. thesis committee at least two weeks prior to the defense.

Because of the inherent multidisciplinary nature of the M.S. SHMP&VS degree, research within SE 299 can be conducted at outside locations (industry or government facilities). In this case a scientist on location, with an adjunct faculty appointment at UCSD, will be part of the student’s committee.

All students in the M.S. SHMP&VS program are required to take a seminar course (SE 290) each quarter they are registered.

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 advisors, 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 student’s 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 student’s area of research, and (c) one minor focus area outside the Department of Structural Engineering. An update list of sample focus areas for Ph.D. students is available in the Structural Engineering Graduate Handbook. 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 the Department of 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 251BN, 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 Structural Engineering 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 in focus areas offered or approved by the department. A list of focus areas is available in the Structural Engineering Graduate Handbook. 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 advisor, 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 student’s chosen specialty. In all cases, each committee must include one tenured UCSD faculty member from outside the student’s 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.

UC San Diego General Catalog: 2008-2009