All civil engineering graduate applicants must submit the following materials.
- Application Form
- Application Fee
If paid at the Bursar’s Office, submit your receipt to Civil Engineering.
- Statement of Purpose
This may be included on your application form.
- Transcripts
We require one official copy of each previous transcript.
- References
We require three references (4th optional).
- Letter of Support
Applicants need a letter of support from one of our faculty, stating a willingness to serve as their dissertation advisor and outlining the plan for their financial support. This letter may (or may not) be one of the three required for a complete file.
Additional documents are required in special cases:
- International applicants must submit an official GRE report to Institution Code 4875, Department Code 1102. See GRE requirements below.
Prerequisite Coursework
All graduate students are expected to have completed the prerequisite requirements relevant to their specialization within civil engineering. These requirements are in addition to the coursework required for the graduate degree. Missing prerequisites may be resolved by taking an equivalent course at CU Denver, or an equivalent institution, or by submitting documentation of equivalent coursework to the student’s academic advisor after admission.
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
All applicants are encouraged to submit GRE scores, and they are strongly recommended for any applicant whose GPA is below 2.75, which is our normal lower limit for provisional admission. Use Institution Code 4875, Department Code 1102.
Strong candidates will have verbal plus quantitative scores exceeding 315, with a minimum of 300 expected. For tests taken prior to 2011, these scores are equivalent to 1200 and 1000, respectively.
University of Colorado Alumni
Graduates of a University of Colorado undergraduate program (any campus) need not submit transcripts, nor submit original transcripts from other institutions, as long as the transfer credit appears on their University of Colorado transcript.
Deadlines
We have rolling admission. However, applicants must make arrangements to ensure all their materials (including transcripts, references, and any required test scores) have been delivered in hard copy to the Civil Engineering office by the relevant deadlines below.
| Applicant |
Degree |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
|---|
| domestic |
doctoral |
May 15 |
October 1 |
February 15 |
| international |
doctoral |
April 15 |
September 1 |
January 15 |
We do not offer rush or priority service for late applications, which will be processed for the following semester. In this circumstance, applicants may wish to temporarily enroll as a non-degree student.
How to Apply
Domestic applicants should submit all credentials directly to the Department of Civil Engineering. Online applicants should complete their application form online, but should send all other credentials to the following address:
Graduate Admissions Committee
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Colorado at Denver
Campus Box 113
PO Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364
International applicants must apply through International Admissions.