Overview
Although small by most standards, with a total enrollment of about 15,000, the University of Arkansas has a big time atmosphere without the students feeling disconnected. In particular, the Department of Civil Engineering has a strong family atmosphere. Students, faculty members, and staff members experience an unusual sense of belonging and camaraderie. The department was founded in 1897 and has a strong history of producing excellent, practical engineers who have been successful at all levels.

The department typically has approximately 220 undergraduate and 45 graduate students. Most of the undergraduates are from Arkansas. Roughly 40 percent of the graduate students are international students representing many South American countries, India, and several Asian countries.

The Community
The University is situated in the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks, an area known for its beauty and the quality of life. Wooded hills, pristine streams, and lakes provide abundant outdoor recreation. Yet, the area is one of the fastest growing in the country, with international headquarters for Wal-Mart and Tyson's food.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The Department of Civil Engineering offers three master's degrees and the Ph.D. The master's degrees are the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (M.S.C.E.), the Master of Science in Transportation Engineering (M.S.T.E.), and the Master of Science in Environmental Engineering (M.S.En.E.).

The M.S.C.E. program is intended for students possessing a B.S.C.E. degree from an ABET-accredited institution. Graduates of other engineering disciplines can be accepted but should expect to take some undergraduate prerequisite courses. Areas of emphasis available include geotechnical, environmental, transportation, and structural engineering.

The M.S.T.E. degree is an ABET-accredited engineering program. The program is designed for baccalaureate graduates of any discipline. Those who do not possess an undergraduate engineering degree are required to complete a minimum of 48 hours of undergraduate engineering studies, as well as the prerequisite mathematics and basic sciences.

The M.S.En.E. degree is designed to accept graduates from programs other than engineering. The program is especially well suited for graduates of strong science programs. A minimum of 48 hours of engineering courses must be completed by the nonengineer graduate, as well as the prerequisite mathematics and basic sciences.

All three master's degree programs offer both a thesis and a nonthesis option. The thesis option requires 24 hours of graduate courses plus 6 hours of thesis research. The nonthesis option requires 30 hours of graduate courses plus 3 hours of independent study culminating is a written master's report.

The Ph.D. is essentially a research degree. The degree requires completion of 78 hours of graduate study beyond the B.S. degree, including dissertation research and preparation.

Facilities & Resources
The department's research facilities include fully equipped highway materials and geotechnical labs, a number of static and dynamic load test frames and controllers, and environmental engineering laboratories and climate control chambers. The department maintains four computer laboratories: one for general student use, one for graduate student research, one for research in advanced transportation information/management systems, and one for research in computational mechanics.

Expenses and Aid
Costs: Graduate student tuition is $188 per credit hour for Arkansas residents and $445 per credit hour for nonresidents. Other fees include an engineering lab fee of $23.90 per credit hour and miscellaneous fees of about $115 per semester.

Financial Aid: Graduate assistantships are available for most graduate students. Most assistantships are half-time appointments for nine to twelve months to assist faculty members with funded research. These include a monthly stipend plus the payment of tuition. A few quarter-time appointments are sometimes available. These also pay a stipend but do not cover the cost of tuition; however, students on quarter-time appointment pay only the Arkansas resident tuition regardless of their residency status. About 80 percent of the graduate students receive some type of financial assistance.

Housing/Living Expenses: The expense for living in a University residence hall, double occupancy, with an unlimited meal plan ranges from $2100 to $2450 per semester. Many off-campus apartments are available, with excellent campus bus service. Apartment rents start at about $300 per month.

How to Apply / Application
Admission requires a baccalaureate degree (see descriptions under Programs of Study) with a GPA of 2.70 or better (A = 4.0). The GRE General Test is required, and international students must have a TOEFL score of 550 or above. Applications must be accompanied by a $40 application fee ($50 for international applicants), that is nonrefundable and does not apply toward the registration fee if the applicant is accepted and enrolls.

Steven Burian, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Alabama. Storm water management and water-quality modeling.

Norman D. Dennis, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Texas at Austin; PE. Geotechnical engineering, foundation design, pavement base, and subgrade behavior.

Findlay G. Edwards, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., New Mexico State; PE. Environmental engineering.

Robert P. Elliot, Professor and Departmental Head; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; PE. Pavement design, rehabilitation, and materials; construction quality and specifications.

James L. Gattis, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Texas A&M; PE. Roadway and land development design, traffic operations and safety.

Mark A. Gross, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Arkansas; PE. Water and wastewater treatment specializing in small community systems.

Kevin D. Hall, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; PE. Pavement materials, design, construction, and rehabilitation.

David R. Knowles, Professor; Ph.D., Texas at Austin; PE, RLS. Surveying systems.

E. W. LeFevre, University Professor; Ph.D., Oklahoma State; PE. Public works economics, professionalism, and ethics.

Larry G. Pleimann, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; PE. Structural engineering.

John J. Schemmel, Professor; Ph.D., North Carolina State; PE. Concrete materials, high-performance concrete, structural design, and bridges.

Lois Schwarz, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Northwestern. Geotechnical engineering, engineering behavior, and property improvement of soils.

R. Panneer Selvam, Professor; Ph.D., Texas Tech; PE. Computational mechanics, wind engineering, tornado analysis, pollutant transport.

Thomas S. Soerens, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Oklahoma; PE. Environmental engineering.

Melissa S. Tooley, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Arkansas; PE. Transportation engineering, transportation planning, ITS, professionalism and ethics.

Kelvin C. P. Wang, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Arizona State; PE. Management systems, automated data acquisition, computer applications.

Rodney D. Williams, Visiting Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Arkansas; PE. Environmental engineering, water quality, nonpoint source pollution.

James C. Young, Research Professor; Ph.D., Stanford; PE. Anaerobic treatment, respirometry for waste characterization, filtration.

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