Admission to the Master of Science Program
The applicants to the M.Sc. program must possess the equivalent of a B.Sc. degree in Civil and/or
Environmental Engineering, or in a related field of science or engineering, from the University of
Cyprus or other accredited institution or program.
The candidates must submit a formal application to the Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering within the announced time limits. The application to the M.Sc. program
consists of:
• An application form, completed with comprehensive information about the applicant’s
background, past performance and other qualifications;
• A statement of purpose detailing the applicant’s motivation, goals and objectives, plans for an
intended focus area and expectations from the graduate studies;
• Letters of recommendation by qualified individuals familiar with the applicant’s past
academic work and future promise;
• Other supportive documentation as evidence of the applicant’s qualifications.
All applications are evaluated by the Graduate Committee of the CEE Department which makes
suggestions to the Council of the Department for final approval of the selected="true" candidates. The
applicants to the Ph.D. program are selected="true" according to the following criteria, while the CEE
Department reserves its right to fill only as many announced graduate student positions as the
Department considers being appropriate:
• Quality of the applicant’s background in breadth and depth, and past performance in his/her
undergraduate or graduate studies;
• Evidence of ability for original and innovative research in the proposed area of study;
• Relevance of the proposed field of research to the interests of the department, the university
and the society;
• Availability of graduate positions in the program and the necessary infrastructure and
resources to support the proposed M.Sc. work.
• Knowledge of the English language is required for admission to the graduate programs of the
CEE Department.

Research Areas
The major research areas of the CEE Department are the following:
• Materials and Mechanics
• Structural and Earthquake Engineering
• Construction Management
• Computer-Aided Civil Engineering
• Geomechanics
• Transportation Systems
• Management of Water Resources
• Treatment and Disposal of Solid and Liquid Waste
• Environmental Pollution (soil, water, air)

Financial Support
The University of Cyprus supports many graduate students through teaching assistantships, the
number of which depends on the teaching needs of the Department. There are also additional funding
opportunities, information on which may be available through the Office of Student Affairs. A number
of students can be financially supported through research programs.

Academic Advising
Upon admission to the M.Sc. program and before the first day of registration, each M.Sc. student is
assigned or may select a temporary advisor among the faculty of the CEE Department to arrange an
academic plan covering the first semester of study.
Prior to registering for subsequent semesters, the M.Sc. student must identify a permanent thesis
advisor who agrees to assume the role of academic advisor, and with whom a suitable thesis topic and
the remaining plan of study are arranged. Prior to submitting a thesis proposal the student, in
consultation with his/her academic advisor must also form a thesis committee. The thesis committee
consists of the thesis advisor as the head of the committee; at least one other faculty member from the
department; and at least one other faculty member from inside or outside the university. Outside
members can be faculty from other accredited institutions, or other qualified experts holding a Ph.D.
degree or equivalent. The committee members should be selected="true" because of their abilities to assist in
the student’s thesis research.
The schedule of advising is as follows:
• Temporary advisor – meets with student prior to first registration to plan first semester of
study.
• Thesis advisor – selected="true" by the student prior to registering for subsequent semesters.
• Thesis committee – formed by the student and his advisor prior to submitting a thesis
proposal. Consists of thesis advisor, at least one more member of the faculty of the
Department, and at least one more faculty member inside or outside the university.
This schedule ensures that students are well advised and actively engaged in research at the early
stages of their program.

Course of Study
The program of studies at the University of Cyprus is based on the European Credit Transfer and
Accumulation System (ECTS). The ECTS is a student-centered system based on the student workload
required to achieve the objectives of a program by attaching credits to its components.
The course of study leading to the M.Sc. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering
requires the completion of at least of 110 ECTS units, from graduate level courses, beyond the
Bachelors degree, and research work distributed as follows:
- Coursework: total of 30 ECTS units:
- Graduate courses in CEE (related to the M.Sc. program) 18 ECTS units
- Graduate course in/outside of CEE 12 ECTS units
- Thesis research (CEE 680): 55 ECTS units
- Combination of at least two of the following: 25 ECTS units
- Additional coursework
- Graduate seminar (CEE 610)
- Independent Studies (CEE 650)
TOTAL: 110 ECTS units
Although the student has the flexibility to distribute, in consultation with her/his advisor, the
last 25 ECTS units, as shown above, in either case, the result of the thesis research (CEE 680) must be
a completed M.Sc. thesis.
The CEE graduate courses that can be selected="true" to fulfill the course requirements for civil or
environmental engineering are presented in relevant tables in the paragraph that describes the graduate
courses.
Students should select, in consultation with their advisors, the courses that will help them in the
completion of their M.Sc. thesis, and the course selection must be approved by the CEE Department.
Coursework eligible for the M.Sc. program should include graduate courses. However, one
undergraduate course outside the CEE can be acceptable only after prior approval by the CEE
Department, following a justified petition by the student, signed by his/her academic advisor. In order
to count towards the M.Sc. program requirements, the Graduate Committee of the CEE Department
must approve the petition before the student registers for the respective course.

Master of Science Thesis
An original research study and a thesis are required for the M.Sc. degree. The subject of the student’s
research is chosen in consultation with his/her advisor. The student must submit and defend a thesis
proposal at least 2 semesters before the intended date of graduation. Upon written approval of the
proposal by the advisor, the CEE Department will appoint a thesis committee which will consist of the
student’s advisor and two additional faculty members with related research interests. The student’s
advisor will be the chairperson and coordinator of the thesis committee. Midway towards the
completion of his/her research the student must submit a progress report to the committee members for
feedback. Upon successful completion of his/her research the student must write an appropriate thesis
and submit a draft to the committee for feedback. When the thesis is complete, the student must
present his/her work in front of an open audience. This audience can be the graduate seminar attendees
or a wider attendance. After the presentation, the student must defend his/her work to the thesis
committee in a closed door session. If the defense is satisfactory, the thesis committee will sign the
thesis and submit two original copies, one for the Department records and one for the Library. An
electronic version of the thesis in PDF format will also be submitted for the Department records and
for dissemination.

Proposal
Each M.Sc. student must prepare a brief written proposal of his/her intended M.Sc. research, and make
an oral presentation on the proposed work, that demonstrates understanding of the thesis topic, the
relevant literature, the techniques to be employed, and the issues to be addressed. The proposal must
be made at least two semesters before the intended date of defense. Both the written proposal and oral
presentation are presented to the thesis committee. The written proposal must be handed to thesis
committee at least one week before the oral presentation. The prepared portion of the oral presentation
should not exceed 30 minutes, and 60 minutes should be allowed for discussion. Students can continue
their research only if the proposal is approved by the thesis committee.

Research
The M.Sc. thesis must address current and valid scientific and/or technical issue(s) by fundamental
and/or applied research, leading to the creation of new engineering knowledge and/or prototype(s)
previously unavailable to the technical community. Development aspects, leading to an application of
this research, may also be included as a secondary component of the thesis. The basic/applied research
aspects must be novel and original, and of high scholarly standards, qualifying it as acceptable for
publication in recognized academic journals. The intellectual merit of the thesis must be based on
research findings by the M.Sc. candidate, distinguished clearly from the work of others, testifying to
the candidate’s personal contribution, and acknowledging support by others in or outside the
University. In addition, the broader impacts of the research must also be highlighted in the thesis, in
terms of addressing new engineering areas or issues, and generating new technical applications and
innovations. Broader impacts also must be indicated in promoting learning innovation, education at all
student levels and training of the workforce; involving underrepresented groups in science and
engineering; establishing physical infrastructure (laboratory resources, software programs etc. and
virtual resources (centers, networks etc); setting dissemination plans through publications and
presentations, and outreach through the media to the public etc; and indicating societal implications of
the work, including public health and safety, security, environmental impacts etc.
Further details on the requirements, format and the posting procedures of the M.Sc. thesis can
be obtained by the candidate from the CEE Department secretary.

Defense
Each M.Sc. candidate is required to defend the originality and quality of research during an oral thesis
defense that is administered by the thesis committee. The defense is open to public participation and
consists of a presentation by the candidate no longer than 45 minutes, followed by a 45-minute open
discussion, including a concluding closed session of the thesis committee for making a decision on the
M.Sc. work. At least one week prior to the defense, the candidate must provide a copy of the thesis to
each member of the thesis committee. At the same time, the candidate must make an additional copy
available for members of the university community wishing to read the thesis prior to the defense, and
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he/she must also arrange for public notification of the defense to be given by the CEE graduate
secretary. The thesis committee will determine the acceptability of the candidate’s thesis and oral
performance, and propose modifications to the written thesis if appropriate, as well as a time plan for
the candidate to address such changes, in mutual agreement with his/her advisor. In this case, the
thesis advisor will determine the successful and timely conformance of the candidate to the
modifications suggested by the thesis committee. If the defense is satisfactory, the thesis committee
will sign the thesis, and the candidate must submit two original hard copies, one to the university
library and one for the CEE Department records, as well as an electronic version of the thesis to the
MME department for documentation and dissemination. If the thesis is rejected, the candidate is
entitled to request a repetition of the thesis one more time. In this case, the timing and terms of the
resubmission of the thesis are determined by the thesis committee.

Sample Program for M.Sc. Studies
The selection of the appropriate combination of courses, research, seminars for each semester is done
by the academic advisor of the graduate student in coordination with the student. The following table
presents an indicative example for an M.Sc. program of studies that can be completed in 1,5 year,
assuming that the graduate student will conduct research work during the summer months between the
2nd and the 3rd semester of the M.Sc. program.

1st Semester (Fall) 2nd Semester (Spring)
4 courses CEE 5ΧΧ 4x6="24" ECTS
CEE 680 M.Sc. Research 6 ECTS
Total: 30 ECTS
2 courses CEE 5ΧΧ 2x6="12" ECTS
CEE Graduate seminar 2 ECTS
CEE 680 M.Sc. Research 16 ECTS
Total: 30 ECTS
Summer Term 3rd Semester (Fall)
CEE 680 M.Sc. Research 20 ECTS
Total: 20 ECTS
1 courses CEE 5ΧΧ 1x6="6" ECTS
CEE Graduate seminar 2 ECTS
CEE 680 M.Sc. Research 22 ECTS