Areas of Specialization - Geotechnical & Geophysical Engineering
The Geotechnical and Geophysical Engineering specialty area within Louisiana State University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has been developed to train students in the discipline required to improve the infrastructure systems serving the State of Louisiana and the nation. This program is designed to produce graduates who are well educated in fundamental disciplines, have a sound knowledge of relevant basic engineering practices, can adapt to change, and have the vision and insight needed to implement creative and cost-effective solutions to growing demands. Graduate studies in Geotechnical and Geophysical Engineering provide the framework for a new generation of professionals who are well prepared to plan, design, build, and maintain our vital infrastructure systems far into the 21st century.
Graduate students enrolled in the program come from around the country and abroad, and also from the large population of practicing engineers in the public and private sectors of Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. These students bring with them a variety of training and work-related backgrounds, a diversity that enriches the educational environment. In addition, the seminar series coordinated by the faculty will regularly bring visiting researchers and professionals to LSU, exposing students to a variety of intellectual perspectives.
Fields of Study and Research
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees
with specialization in Geotechnical and Geophysical Engineering. The Department’s
offerings are enhanced by access to the facilities and resources of the Louisiana
Transportation Research Center (LTRC).
The Master's degree is designed as a broad-based curriculum that covers all aspects
of Geotechnical and Geophysical Engineering. The Doctoral degree is designed as an
in-depth specialty degree that permits students to choose specific areas of concentration
to pursue at significantly greater depth.
Requirements and Course Work
Core Course Requirements
MS and Ph.D core course requirements: CE 7300 and CE 7310
Major Field Courses
CE 7300 -- Advanced Geotechnical Engineering I (Stress Distribution, Seepage, Compressibility
and Consolidation, Biot’s Consolidation Theory, Shear Strength, Soil Plasticity, and
Bearing Capacity)
CE 7310 -- Advanced Geotechnical Engineering II (Slope Stability, Retaining Wall,
and Foundation Engineering)
CE 7315 -- Principles of Soil Behavior
CE 7335 -- Soil Improvement and Stabilization
CE 7340 -- Theory and Practice of Geotechnical Laboratory/Field Experiments
CE 7700 -- Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering
CE 4300 – Geotechnical Engineering II (Shallow and Deep Foundations)
CE 4780 -- Coastal Geotechnics
Related Field Courses
CE 4250 -- Ground Water
CE 4320 -- Coastal Engineering
CE 4440 -- Advanced Mechanics of Materials
CE 4450 -- Finite Element Methods
CE 4520 – Advanced Surveying
CE 4670 -- Fundamental of Pavement Design
CE 7410 -- Structural Reliability
CE 7455 -- Finite Element Method in Engineering
CE 7475 -- Solid Mechanics
CE 7480 -- Plasticity and Viscoelasticity: Theory and Applications
CE 7701 -- Coastal and Ecological Design
CE 7701 -- High-performance Computing Applications in Environmental Flows
CE 7701 -- Pavement Evaluation and Rehabilitation
EVEG 4120 -- Design of Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Systems
EXST 7004 -- Experimental Statistics I
EXST 7014 -- Experimental Statistics II
EXST 7060 -- Probability and Statistics
GEOL 4068 -- Reflection Seismology
GEOL 7134 -- Clay Mineralogy
MATH 4038 -- Mathematical Methods in Engineering
MATH 7320 -- Ordinary Differential Equations
Articulation Courses
CE 2200 -- Fluid Mechanics
CE 2450 -- Statics
CE 3300 -- Geotechnical Engineering I
CE 3350 -- Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory
CE 3400 -- Mechanics of Materials
CHEM 1202 -- Basic Chemistry
MATH 1550 -- Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
MATH 1552 -- Analytic Geometry and Calculus II
MATH 2057 -- Multidimensional Calculus
MATH 2065 -- Elementary Differential Equations