Abstract: A higher order combined finite element-boundary element method is used to study the interaction between waves and an elastic plate. The fluid region is solved by a boundary element method, whereas the hydroelastic structural response is obtained by finite element method based on Mindlin’s plate theory. The modal superposition technique is adopted to decouple the interaction between waves and the elastic plate. In order to validate this numerical model, a rectangular elastic plate is considered. Computational results show a good agreement with that of published experimental and numerical data. Then a circular elastic plate is calculated by this numerical model, and the convergence properties of elastic responses are studied.