Master's degrees may be awarded for graduate work to students who have received a recognized bachelor's degree. Master's degree involves advanced training gained through intensive study, beyond the bachelor's degree, in a special field (or major) supplemented by study in supporting subjects. A thesis or engineering report is required. At the option of the department, the degree may be awarded to candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy degree who have passed the comprehensive examination, provided they write a thesis or engineering report. The department offers programs leading to the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees with a major in Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. Work is directed toward research and professional development in such areas as engineering mechanics, engineering materials, highway engineering, hydraulics and fluid mechanics, geomechanics, geo-technical engineering, water resources, structural engineering, and transportation engineering. Certain interdisciplinary options such as regional development and urban planning, and environmental engineering are available by combining various areas of the program with programs in other departments. The department also offers a degree in Master of Science, Masters of Engineering, an Accelerated Masters Degree in both MS and ME degrees and has three certificate programs, Advance Transportation, Geoengineering and Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering.