Construction and Facilities Engineering, M.S.

• Final Deadlines
  • Fall Semester – August 1
  • Spring Semester – December 1
• Priority Deadlines
  • Fall Semester – March 1
  • Spring Semester – October 1
• Summer Deadlines
  • Summer I – May 1
  • Summer II – June 15

Visit the Graduate School’s Application Requirements page to learn about general application requirements, deadlines, fees & waivers, transcripts, test scores and other application recommendations.

The minimum admission requirements for the program are:

• An earned undergraduate degree in construction management, facility management, engineering technology, engineering, architecture or a closely related field
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
• Acceptable scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the GRE
• Positive letters of recommendation
• A minimum score of 83 on the Internet-based TOEFL, a minimum score of 220 on the computer-based TOEFL, a minimum score of 557 on the paper-based TOEFL, or a minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS is required for applicants whose native language is not English and who has not earned a post-secondary degree from a US institution or graduated from an institution in an English-speaking country.
• Differential and integral calculus (MATH 1120 or 1121 and ETGR 2272 at UNC Charlotte or equivalent from other institution)
• Statistics (STAT 1220 or STAT 3128 at UNC Charlotte or equivalent from other institution)
• Other credentials as required by the Graduate School

The GRE requirement will be waived for the following applicants:

• UNC Charlotte students currently enrolled in engineering technology, construction management, engineering, or architecture
• Applicants having earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering or engineering technology from an ABET accredited program; or a bachelor’s degree in construction management, construction science, building construction, or building science from an ACCE accredited program; or a bachelor’s degree in architecture from an NCARB accredited program
• Applicants having an earned graduate degree

The program leading to the Master of Science degree in Construction and Facilities Engineering is a 30 credit hour program.  The program consists of a 9 credit hour common core and a capstone experience, including either a non-research-focused sequence of 21 credit hours of electives or a research-focused sequence of 15 credit hours of electives with a formal 6 credit hour graduate research thesis and completion of the 3 credit hour CMET 6160 course.  At least 15 credit hours must be in courses numbered 6000 or above.  The 30 credit hour degree program is outlined below:

Common Core Courses (9 credit hours)

• CMET 6135 – Advanced Construction Planning and Management (3)
• CMET 6240 – Safety and Risk Management (3)
• CMET 6270 – Operation of Constructed Facilities (3)

Elective Courses (21 credit hours)

Select from one of the following sequences:

Capstone Experiences

Students pursuing the M.S. in Construction and Facilities Engineering have two options to complete the 30 credit hour program:

1. 24 credit hours of coursework plus 6 credit hours of thesis project
2. 30 credit hours of coursework and a comprehensive examination

Both options require the formation of a program committee.  The thesis option is reserved for students who are attending the on-campus program and are performing research under formal graduate research or teaching assistantships.  Students receiving such assistantships may be required to pursue the thesis option.  The thesis option requires students to submit a written thesis and orally defend their work before their program committee.

All non-thesis students must complete 30 credit hours of coursework and successfully complete a formal comprehensive examination.  The comprehensive examination is a written exam.  A student’s exam will be scheduled when they have at least 24 hours of course credit completed or in progress.  The student’s graduate advisor and the examining committee will coordinate the examination (to be offered once in the Fall and once in the Spring semesters), preparing the exam with the assistance of members of the student’s program committee.  The exam will measure the student’s mastery of theories and applications in the selected area of specialization within the discipline.  Students will have only two opportunities to receive passing marks on the examination.

Other Requirements

The program has both a thesis and non-thesis track.  After admission to candidacy, thesis students will complete a comprehensive oral exam while non-thesis students will complete a comprehensive written exam.  Residence will be per Graduate School rules.  There is no language requirement.  While full-time students will typically take three semesters to complete the program, part-time students are expected to take no more than seven years to complete the program, as per Graduate School rules.

Current tuition rates are available through Niner Central. There are several sources of funding available to assist in paying for a graduate program at UNC Charlotte.

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