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College of Engineering and Applied Science

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at UC Denver
 

Civil Engineering

Master of Science


Master of Science Degree

Master of science degrees are a great tool for students to develop a thorough knowledge in a specific area of civil engineering. The master of science (MS) degree is structured for students who have previously earned an undergraduate degree in engineering. Students in the master of science degree program can choose from the following specialized areas of study

  • Environmental and Sustainability Engineering
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Hydrology and Hydraulics
  • Structural Engineering
  • Transportation Engineering

For more detailed information, please visit our specialty areas pages.

All civil engineering graduate applicants must submit the following materials.

  1. Application Form
  2. Application Fee
    If paid at the Bursar’s Office, submit your receipt to Civil Engineering.
  3. Statement of Purpose
    This may be included on your application form.
  4. Transcripts
    We require one official copy of each previous transcript.
  5. References
    We require three references (4th optional).

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 master June 15 November 1 March 15
international master May 15 October 1 February 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.

There are two separate plans that students can follow to complete their degrees.

Plan 1: Master’s Thesis

This plan requires that students complete 24 credit hours of courses and 6 credit hours of master’s thesis work. Students should develop a curriculum plan of courses to take with their thesis advisor’s guidance.

Plan 2: Master’s Report

This plan requires 27 credit hours of course work and 3 credit hours of master’s report work. Students should develop a curriculum plan of courses to take with their thesis advisor’s guidance.

All students must satisfactorily complete a written comprehensive exam and an oral defense of either the master’s thesis of master’s report to a committee of three or more graduate faculty members. Exams and defenses should be schedule through your advisor. Students should also contact their advisors or the civil engineering office the semester before they graduate to make sure that they have completed all requirements.

Degree programs must be completed within seven years from the date the degree is started. Degrees taking longer than seven years will require course recertification.

Coursework Assesment Form