Graduate Admissions
The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering offers graduate degrees in:
Applications for ALL 2025 applications will open August 1. We admit students for the Spring and Fall terms only (not summer).
MS Graduate of Environmental Engineering Dani Zabelean currently she issues construction and operating permits for drinking water facilities across Utah. Learn more→
After creating an account, applicants must upload all documentation required for a complete application.
Note: The GRE is not a mandatory component of our admission criteria. However, providing your scores may markedly elevate your application's position in our selection process, and may also increase your funding opportunities.
Submission Deadlines.
| Start Term | Review Begins | Submission Deadline | |
| Fall Semester (August): | January 1 | First Consideration for Funding. | |
| March 1 | Considered for Available Funding. | February 28, 2025; 11:59 PM Mountain Time | |
| Spring Semester (January): | September 1 | All Applicants. | August 31, 2024; 11:59 PM Mountain Time |
Unofficial transcripts are those that you, the student, can obtain without the assistance of your University. The unofficial transcript is a record of the grades received and the classes that these correspond with. You likely can retrieve this information through a student service portal. If admitted, that is when official transcripts are required from all higher education institutions attended.
In this application system, once you click submit, an inquiry is sent to the contacts you have provided information for. It is at this time these individuals are prompted to provide information about you as a student and a professional. Please include a reference from the most recent institution attended.
Recommendation : Notify these individuals in advance of approximately when you expect to submit your application. This way these contacts can be aware of when to expect this prompt.
This statement may address why you have interest in studying at the University of Utah, or studying under the direction of a particular professor. If there's one professor of particular interest, explain why the research they conduct is valuable or interesting to you. Mention how will this degree help you to attain your professional goals.
Provide the review committee information about you at a glance. This should include education, publications, research or pertinent professional experience, awards received and any other information that helps the admission committee understand your qualifications as a student and a professional.
GRE
- The GRE is not a mandatory component of our admission criteria. However, providing your scores may markedly elevate your application's position in our selection process, and may also increase your funding opportunities.
- If submitted, the GRE test date must be within 5 years of the admissions decision date.
English Language Proficiency (IELTS; TOEFL; DuoLingo)
- Duolingo 105 or higher
- iBT/TOEFL 80 or higher
- IELTS 6.5 or higher (IELTS Indicator is not approved for admissions at this time.)
Notes:
- Official test scores can take 2-3 weeks from the time requested, to be received electronically at the University of Utah.
- University of Utah school code 4853. No department code.
- Further information on scenarios in which English Language Proficiency Testing is not required.
Pay the appropriate application fee.
| Domestic MS | $55 | International MS | $65 |
| Domestic PhD | $0* | International PhD | $65 |
- The application fee for domestic PhD applicants has been waived by the College of Engineering. Please use the following waiver code: CE2021CVEEPHD
- The Department and the College of Engineering do not currently have a way to waive the application fee, even for applicants experiencing financial hardship. Individuals who choose to submit a complete application will be thoughtfully reviewed.
What are appropriate GRE scores to apply to this program?
For students applying for Admission to the Masters and PhD program we seek a cumulative GRE score of 300 and above. (This is the sum of Verbal and Quantitative scores.) For analytical writing we seek a score of 3.5 or better.
Students applying for Admission to the Direct Admit PhD, (BS to PhD) we seek a GRE verbal score of 150 and above, a quantitative score of 155 and above, a score of 3.5 and above in the analytical writing section.
What GPA is appropriate for applicants to this program?
For students applying for admission to the Masters and PhD program we seek a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better (on the 4.0 grading scale). For students applying for Admission to the Direct Admit PhD, (BS to PhD) we seek a GPA of 3.5 and above (on the 4.0 grading scale).
I've completed my application, however it is still showing as "incomplete" What is the problem??
The most common reasons this may be listed as incomplete are (1) not all letters of recommendation have been submitted or (2) test scores have not yet been marked as received by university staff. This is an manual process and does not happen instantaneously.
Who is required to provide proof of English Proficiency?
The University of Utah has thorough guidelines regarding which applicants must submit information demonstrating English Proficiency.
The guidelines are linked here.
Is there funding available for graduate students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Utah?
| Program | Civil | Nuclear | Construction | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | MS Non-Thesis | MS Thesis | PhD | MS Non-Thesis | PhD | MS Non-Thesis | |
| Funding Available? | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
All MS-Thesis and PhD students admitted to the program are considered for financial assistance.
I have transcripts that are in another language. Do I need to provide the University with a translation?
No. This is not required. The staff in the Office of Admissions are trained to evaluate transcripts in other languages. If you choose to submit a translation, a service that is commonly used is wes.org. Please note, a translation does not fulfill the requirement of a transcript from the institution.
What is tuition benefit?
Tuition benefit comes into play as the "funding available" to support students. Most often students will work as a research assistant to a faculty member on a specific project. There is a formal arrangement made that documents the work expected of the student and the financial support the student will receive in return. This compensations comes in the form of tuition benefit, health insurance coverage and salary. Students eligible for tuition benefit, must meet all of the criteria for the cost of tuition to be waived. These regulations are available here.
What if I do not know which faculty member I would like to work with?
We encourage all applicants to become familiar with research conducted by our faculty to identify research related to your own academic interests. The ApplyYourself application portal allows applicants to list three faculty members you have interest in studying with. This does not limit or bar you from the possibility of working with other faculty in a related academic area. This can be used to communicate which professors you have interest in working with.
I applied by January 1st, why have I not heard yet?
Applications that are complete on or before January 1 are evaluated beginning on January 2nd. This process takes a minimum of six weeks.
I completed my undergraduate education in a field other than civil engineering. May I still pursue a graduate degree in this field?
Yes! However, students with a bachelors degree in another academic area must complete the remedial coursework to meet the minimum course requirements. Coursework must be completed with a final grade of 'B' or better.
I understand I have remedial coursework to take, how do I enroll in these?
Apply to the University of Utah as a "Non-matriculated student". This designation is used for students who are most often completing coursework as a prerequisite to a higher level program. It is important to know, the University of Utah limits graduate students to nine credit hours completed as a non-matriculated student that can be applied to a graduate degree.
The Office of Admissions is a useful resource for students applying to the University of Utah.
They can help with:
- Questions regarding I-20's.
- Locating an official transcript and/ or test scores (GRE/TOEFL/IELTS) .
- Payment of applications fees.
- And much more.
Contact their office at:
Office of Admissions:
Phone: (801) 581-8761
Toll-free: (800) 685-8856
Fax: (801) 585-7864
Website: https://admissions.utah.edu/
Email: admissions@utah.edu
Domestic Student Admissions: graduate@sa.utah.edu
International Student Admissions: iao@sa.utah.edu
If you have further questions, please schedule an appointment with the graduate advisor.