M.E. in Civil Engineering

The M.E. is a coursework-based graduate professional degree for those wishing to pursue careers in industry, consulting, or government.

Our program is designed to provide a blend of fundamental knowledge and professional skills needed by practicing engineers. It is an intensive, non-thesis program that may be completed on-Grounds as a full-time student or online as a student in VIRGINIA ENGINEERING ONLINE (VEO).

See below for information on the Civil Engineering ME program or download the CEE GRADUATE HANDBOOK.

Are you interested in learning more about the ME program in CEE at UVA? 

If so, please consider attending our ME Visit Day! The date for Spring 2024 is Friday, April 19. 

Visitors will spend the day meeting with the CEE ME Program Director, other faculty members who teach in the program, and current students. The agenda will include an info session, facilities tour, department seminar, and lunch with current students. The event will start at approximately 9:30 am and conclude by 2:30 pm. 

Pre-registration is requested. Please use this form to let us know if you will be attending. We will send out detailed agendas, directions, and parking information in advance to all pre-registered attendees. We look forward to meeting you! For questions, please contact civil-programs@virginia.edu.

Are you interested in the University of Virginia Master of Engineering program in civil engineering?

Please complete this PRE-APPLICATION FORM so we may give you guidance regarding your eligibility and the next steps in the application process. Information you provide through this form is secure.

We will send you an individual response, and we will not add you to a general mailing list. (Note: People who have substantial experience and have been out of school for a while may not remember exact dates or grades earned in courses. It is permissible to omit questions or list your best guess. We will follow up with you.)

The deadlines for ME applications for U.S. citizens and permanent residents are Aug. 15 for fall semester and Jan. 15 for spring semester. The deadlines for non-U.S. citizens are Mar. 31 for fall semester and Sept. 30 for spring semester. We seek motivated students from DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS who are eager to partner with us in education and discovery. Information about academic eligibility and the admissions process is available on the UVA ENGINEERING SCHOOL’S GRADUATE ADMISSIONS webpage. All applications are submitted online. Application FEE WAIVERS are available to eligible applicants.

Through the generosity of our friends and alumni, our department is pleased to award scholarships to select exceptionally qualified ME candidates. Recipients receive $5,000 per academic year. All candidates are evaluated by the graduate program directors on academic performance, and at their discretion, the recipients are selected. The selected recipients are notified with a letter from the department.

A candidate for the ME degree must fulfill the general requirements of the Engineering School and complete an approved plan of study consisting of at least 30 credit hours. The plan of study must be prepared under the guidance of the faculty advisor by the end of the first semester of study. It then must be approved by the graduate program directors.

The approved plan of study may be revised if necessary but must be submitted for approval.

Up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses may be transferred. Only courses with a grade of B or better that have not been applied toward another degree may be transferred. The request for credit transfer must include the following documents: a completed Request Approval of Transfer Credits form, a description of course content and level, and an official transcript. The documents are provided to the ESE Student Services Coordinators to facilitate the processing of the request. If the student is already admitted into a UVA program, then the request for credit transfer must be pre-approved before the course is taken. All transfer credits are subject to the approval of the student's advisor and the Engineering School dean’s office.

VEO students may transfer up to 15 credits from other schools participating in the VEO program toward their UVA ME degree. The other VEO institutions are George Mason University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and State University (Virginia Tech).

Time limit: All requirements for the ME/VEO degree must be completed within seven years after matriculation to the graduate program.

The ME degree in CE program offers five tracks, each corresponding to a subspecialty within CE. Click on the track listed below to view the corresponding plan of study. Note that each plan of study contains a footnote summarizing the required prerequisite undergraduate courses for the track. In some instances, certain prerequisites can be taken concurrently with graduate courses. Also, each of the tracks can be modified with approval from the student’s graduate advisor and the CE graduate program director. 

 

For each track, students complete 30 credits of graded graduate coursework. A thesis is not required; however, all students are encouraged to pursue a research-based project or a paid/unpaid professional internship for course credit as CE 6995. Each of the five tracks can be completed in as little as one year by students who have a BS in CE or a closely related field.

Students pursuing a BS in Engineering at UVA are encouraged to start the CE ME program during their fourth year, with appropriate guidance from their academic advisor and approval from course instructors (as necessary). As 4000-level classes may not be used toward the ME degree, students are encouraged to take 5000- or 6000-level classes with instructor approval.

Students without a BS in Engineering may apply for admission to the CE ME program; however, they must complete certain prerequisite or corequisite courses. Each track has its own prerequisites, which are noted in the links above. If accepted, the student will work with their academic advisor to map out an appropriate sequence of courses toward the degree.

Upon admission to the program, the student is assigned to the ME program faculty advisor. The student should meet with ME program advisor to plan their course selection and career objectives before the start of each semester.

Seminars: Students are expected to attend and participate actively in scheduled ESE and UVA seminars.

It is important that graduate students submit administrative forms related to degree requirements in a timely manner to the ESE student services coordinators. These forms can be found on the Engineering School’s webpage for current engineering graduate students.

The UVA Master of Engineering Advantage

Earning a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Virginia will give you a competitive advantage in today's marketplace.

Earn Your Master's Degree on Your Terms

You can earn your Master of Engineering degree on your schedule through our highly ranked Virginia Engineering Online program or in person on the beautiful Grounds of the University of Virginia. And thanks to our consortium with other Virginia universities, students can accelerate their degrees.

Buy Low, Sell High

Did you know that professional engineers who hold master's degrees make as much as 13% more than those with bachelor's degrees? With highly competitive tuition rates through Virginia Engineering Online, earning a UVA Master of Engineering degree is an investment that will pay excellent dividends

Try a Course

Are you interested in trying out a course before fully committing to a degree program? We invite you to sign up to be a visiting, non-degree student.

Apply Now

If you are ready to apply for the UVA Master of Engineering program, please click here to fill out an official application. We have rolling admissions for our Master of Engineering programs in civil and systems engineering, so apply as soon as possible for an upcoming semester.

The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only.  The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found here.

Licensure Disclosure

  • As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)).
  • Upon completion of an engineering degree program which prepares graduates for licensure or certification, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state. Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))
  • Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).