Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Admission Requirements

Thank you for your interest in our Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate program at UC Irvine. The application for the Fall 2024 admission cycle will be available on Oct. 2, 2023. Applications must be completed, and all supporting material submitted by Jan. 31, 2024 (5:00 p.m. PT). 

The department receives a large volume of graduate applications each year and the selection process is extremely competitive. Minimum requirements are as follows:

GPA

  • MS Applicants: A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 during undergraduate study
  • PhD applicants: Typically, a graduate GPA of at least 3.6


GRE

We do not require GRE scores for Fall 2024, but you may submit GRE scores if available. To send an official GRE test score to UCI, please select institution code 4859.


TOEFL

International applicants must take either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams. Please select institution code 4859 to have your official score sent to UCI.

For the TOEFL exam, international applicants must obtain a minimum score of 80 on the Internet-based Test (IBT) or 550 on the paper-based test (PBT). The requirement for the IELTS exam is an overall minimum score of 7 for admission, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module. If an international applicant has obtained a Bachelor's degree in the United States, without any units transferred in from a foreign institution, this requirement may be waived.


Transcripts

Applicants must upload unofficial transcripts directly to the online application for all institutions attended since high school. If an applicant is admitted, official transcripts will be requested only from the institution(s) where a degree was earned. Official transcripts should be submitted directly to the UCI Graduate Division office in 120 Aldrich Hall.


Statement of Purpose

This is required of all applicants.


Personal History Statement

This is optional for all applicants.


Letters of Recommendation

3 letters of recommendation must be uploaded digitally; paper LORs will not be accepted.


Fees & Tuition


Financial Verification Requirement for International Applicants

International students must certify that they have support of approximately $54,139 for the first year of academic study to obtain a student visa. More information pertaining to this requirement is forwarded to international applicants upon acceptance.

Because research and teaching assistantships are limited, they often are not awarded to graduate students until they have been enrolled for at least one quarter and have demonstrated excellent technical ability. In addition, in order to be eligible to TA students must complete the Mandatory TA Training (offered each September) and pass an English Proficiency Exam once enrolled at UCI.

The faculty in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are actively involved with many research projects. Most employ graduate student researchers, who work closely with faculty on various research topics. Some of these positions provide financial assistance in the form of payment of fees, tuition, or a salary. Assistance varies from project to project. Additionally, the Department employs a number of Teaching Assistants every quarter. Your application will be considered for scholarship/assistantship when you indicate accordingly on the application itself.

Please note that admission to the university is separate from an offer of financial aid. In other words, you should not expect any financial assistance from the department unless you are officially notified in writing of such an award by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, or by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Such letters usually do not accompany the admission letter itself, but are sent a short time after the admission letter.


Fee Waivers

Please visit UCI Graduate Division's website for further information on fee waivers. Note: Fee Waivers are available to qualified domestic applicants only.

 

Application Resources

To apply visit: https://grad.uci.edu/admissions/index.php

Frequently Asked Questions: https://grad.uci.edu/admissions/faq/

Please direct any questions to the CEE Graduate Department at ceegraddept@uci.edu

Contact Info

ceegraddept@uci.edu 
(949) 824-5333