Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering

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 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). Students in the on-Grounds ME program may register for up to 12 credit hours of courses offered through VEO.

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. 

• ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING TRACK (EWRE)
• STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING TRACK (STR)
• TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING TRACK (TRN)
• INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING TRACK (ISE)
• CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT TRACK (CEM)

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.