Admission prerequisites: graduate programs

samples in petri dishes

In addition to minimum admission requirements for all prospective graduate students who are applying to UW, the UW Civil & Environmental Engineering Department has specific requirements for master’s degree specialty areas.

Minimum requirements

Bachelor’s degree

To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, its equivalent from a foreign institution or a Bologna bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 180 European Credit Transfer System credits.

GPA

A 3.0 minimum GPA (based on 4.0 scale) from the last 60 graded semester hours or last 90 graded quarter hours in undergraduate or post-graduate academic coursework is required. In practice, substantially higher grades may be necessary for admission to the graduate program. View admission statistics for the past autumn.

English proficiency

Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting official TOEFL test scores. For more information and minimum score requirements, refer to the Graduate School’s English Language Proficiency Requirements. A score higher than the minimum may be needed in order to be competitive for admission.

Specialty area admission prerequisites

In addition to minimum admission requirements, the UW Civil & Environmental Engineering Department has specific requirements for master’s degree specialty areas.

Note: Students admitted to the graduate program without an engineering undergraduate degree will be eligible to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam after the MSCE degree has been granted. However, additional coursework or self-study may be needed in order to pass the exam. Refer to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Exam Specifications.

Construction, Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure

Prospective master’s students must have a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or related engineering degree. Applicants who do not meet this criteria may be eligible to apply to the Construction Management Department, in the College of Built Environments.

Environmental Engineering

Prospective master’s students are expected to have a bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) or related field at an accredited program in the United States, or an equivalent degree at a foreign institution.

The following coursework, or equivalent, must be completed prior to admission:

One-year Calculus series, MATH 124/125/126, or equivalent
One year of calculus-based Physics, equivalent to PHYS 121/122/123
Two academic terms (semesters or quarters) of Chemistry, equivalent to CHEM 142/152
One academic term (semester or quarter) of CEE 347 Fluid Mechanics (may be completed in the first quarter of the master’s program)
One academic term (semester or quarter) of CEE 350 Mass and Energy Balances in Environmental Engineering or CEE 357 Environmental Engineering (may be completed in the first quarter of the master’s program)

Geotechnical Engineering

Prospective master’s students who do not have a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, or other related engineering degree, must complete the following prerequisites, or equivalent, prior to enrollment:

MATH 124/125/126 Calculus with Analytical Geometry
MATH 207 (or MATH 307) Differential Equations
MATH 208 (or MATH 308) Matrix Algebra
CHEM 142/152 General Chemistry
PHYS 121/122/123 Mechanics, Electromagnetism, and Waves
AA 210 Statics
CEE 220 Mechanics of Materials
ME 230 Kinematics & Dynamics
CEE 367 Geotechnical Engineering

Recommended courses: INDE 315 or STAT 390 Statistics, and CEE 436 Foundation Design (may be completed in the master’s program).

Hydrology & Hydrodynamics

Prospective master’s students do not need a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) degree. Applicants must complete the following coursework, or equivalent, prior to admission:

One-year Calculus series, MATH 124/125/126
One year of calculus-based Physics, PHYS 121/122/123
Differential Equations, MATH 207 (or MATH 307)
One academic term (semester or quarter) of CEE 347 Fluid Mechanics

Recommended courses: Introductory courses in Hydraulic Engineering and Environmental Science/Engineering (may be completed in the master’s program)

Structural Engineering

Prospective master’s students who do not have a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, or other related engineering degree, must have completed the following prerequisites prior to enrollment:

One year Calculus series, equivalent to MATH 124/125/126
Two terms calculus-based Physics, equivalent to PHYS 121/122
AMATH 301 - Beginning Sci. Computing – preferred or CSE 142 - Computer Programming I
MATH 208 (or MATH 308) - Matrix Algebra
AA 210 - Engineering Statics

Required courses (may be taken prior to enrollment, or in the master’s program; however, many are prerequisites for graduate level structures classes)

CEE 220 - Mechanics of Materials, 4 credits
CEE 377 - Intro to Structural Design, 5 credits
CEE 378 - Structural Analysis, 5 credits
CEE 451 - Design of Metal Structures, 3 credits
CEE 452 - Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures, 3 credits

Recommended courses (may be completed in the master’s program)

CEE 337 - Construction Materials, 5 credits
CEE 367 - Geotechnical Engineering, 5 credits
CEE 436 - Foundation Design, 3 credits
CEE 453 - Prestressed Concrete Design, 3 credits
CEE 454 - Design of Timber Structures, 3 credits
CEE 457 - Advanced Structures I, 3 credits

Transportation Engineering

Prospective master’s students do not need a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) degree. Applicants must complete the following coursework, or equivalent, prior to enrollment:

One-year calculus series, MATH 124/125/126

Required course (may be taken prior to enrollment, or in the master’s program):

Statistics, IND E 315 or STAT 390, or equivalent