Master of Science in Civil & Environmental Engineering

Program Overview

As one of the fastest-growing fields in the U.S. and developing countries, new methods and technologies are emerging in civil and environmental engineering.

Environmental engineering students use one of the world's largest wastewater treatment plants as a real-world laboratory to improve the water quality of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Structural engineering students study earthquake engineering, extreme event design of structures, and bridge design on a state-of-the-art, six-degrees-of-freedom earthquake simulator. And transportation engineering students learn from faculty and experts at GW's National Crash Analysis Center and the Federal Outdoor Impact Laboratory.

Master's Degree Program Requirements

Besides the requirements listed in the Graduate Programs Bulletin, you should demonstrate familiarity with computers and evidence of capacity for graduate study to apply for this program. If you choose the thesis option, you must complete 24 credit hours of course work and 6 hours of thesis research; with the non-thesis option, you must take 33 credit hours.

Areas of Focus

Select any of the areas of focus below to see their course requirements:

• Environmental Engineering
• Geo-environmental Engineering
• Mechanics and Materials Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Transportation Engineering
• Water Resources Engineering

Admissions Requirements

• Successful submission of online application form, exam scores and other documents as outlined in the admissions requirements.

All applicants - first-time or transfers - to a Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) program at the School of Engineering & Applied Science must meet the admissions requirements to be considered for any of the programs at SEAS.

Application Checklist

Applicants must provide the following materials to be considered for any graduate program at SEAS:

1. Complete online application form
2. Transcripts
3. GRE exam scores
   • International applicants: TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic scores
4. Letters of Recommendation
5. Statement of Purpose
6. Resume/CV
7. Application Fee

English Language Exam Requirements

• All visa-seeking international applicants are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic scores to SEAS to be considered for admission.
• Please provide only your most recent test scores. Scores may not be more than two years old.

Minimum Score Requirements

IELTS

• 6.0 overall with no individual score below 5.0.
• Applicants to the graduate programs in Engineering Management, Systems Engineering or Data Analytics are required to have a minimum score of 7.0 with no individual score below 6.0.
• Applicants who would like to be considered for funding opportunities must have an overall band score of 7.0 with no individual score below 6.0.

TOEFL

• 80 on the Internet exam (iBT) or 550 on the paper exam
• Applicants to the graduate programs in Engineering Management, Systems Engineering or Data Analytics are required to have a minimum score of 100 on the Internet exam.
• Applicants who would like to be considered for funding opportunities must have a 600 on the paper-based exam or 100 on the Internet-based exam.

PTE Academic

• 53. Applicants who would like to be considered for funding opportunities must have a minimum score of 68.

Exceptions

Exceptions are granted to applicants who:

• Hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution in which English is the language of instruction AND the official language of the country in which the university is located

• Hold a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an institution located in a country that qualifies for the English language exam exemption.