CEE-MS - Civil and Environmental Engineering (MS)

Coterminal M.S. Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering

 Stanford undergraduates who wish to continue their studies for the Master of Science degree in the coterminal program at Stanford must have earned a minimum of 120 units towards graduation. This includes allowable Advanced Placement (AP) and transfer credit. Applicants must submit their application no later than the quarter prior to the expected completion of their undergraduate degree and are expected to meet the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering application deadlines for coterminal applicants for graduate study (the third Friday of January). Applications are considered once a year during Winter Quarter. An application must display evidence of potential for strong academic performance as a graduate student. 

It is recommended that students who contemplate advanced study at Stanford discuss their plans with their advisers in the junior year.

University Coterminal Requirements

Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in this bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal master’s degree are described in the Coterminal Master's Degrees section. University requirements for the master’s degree are described in the Graduate Degrees section of this bulletin.

After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Transfer of courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case by case basis.

In this master’s program, courses taken during or after the first quarter of the sophomore year are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career; the timing of the first graduate quarter is not a factor. No courses taken prior to the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.

Course transfers are not possible after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred.

The University requires that the graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The University also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.

Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering

The following programs are available leading to the M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering:

• Atmosphere/Energy

• Environmental Engineering

• Structural Engineering and Geomechanics

• Sustainable Design and Construction

Students admitted to graduate study with a B.S. in Civil Engineering or equivalent from an accredited curriculum can satisfy the requirements for the M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering by completing a minimum of 45 units beyond the B.S. All 45 units must be taken at Stanford. A minimum 2.75 grade point average (GPA) is required for candidates to be recommended for the M.S. degree. No thesis is required. 

CR grades are acceptable only for classes completed in the 5 quarters between Spring 2020 and Summer 2021.

The program of study must be approved by the faculty of the department and should include at least 45 units of courses in engineering, mathematics, science, and related fields unless it can be shown that other work is pertinent to the student’s objectives. Additional program area requirements are available on the department web site and from the department’s student services office (Y2E2 room 316). 

Candidates for the M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering who do not have a B.S. in Civil Engineering may in addition be required to complete those undergraduate courses deemed important to their graduate programs. In such cases, more than three quarters is often required to obtain the degree.

Faculty advisors serve as intellectual and professional mentors to their graduate students. They are expected to provide knowledgeable support concerning policies for graduate studies, help prepare their students to be competitive for employment, maintain a high level of professionalism, and establish expectations concerning advisor/advisee relationship consistent with University and department standards. General University policies on advising and the conduct of research can be found at VPGE's Advising and Mentoring website.

It is important to distinguish between master's and doctoral advising. Master's students are assigned academic program advisors randomly, unless they explicitly request a specific faculty to advise them. The process by which a master's student can change advisors is flexible and can be done without any paperwork, provided that the change of advisor is made within the same program. The student, however, is expected to inform their old and new academic advisors, as well as the department's students services office, of such a change. Doctoral students, on the other hand, are expected to be advised by the faculty member who admitted them throughout the duration of their doctoral studies. Any change in advisor requires a formal admission letter from the new advisor that includes an explicit commitment to support the student financially throughout the duration of their doctoral studies.

Master's students are expected to meet with their academic program advisors at the beginning of the school year to discuss their courses and proposed year-long academic plans. They are empowered to request an appointment with their advisor at any time throughout the school year to discuss any problems that arise with their studies, or changes with their academic plans.

For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the Graduate Advising section of this bulletin.

The purpose of the master’s program is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful professional career or for the pursuit of doctoral studies. Students are prepared through course work that is organized into the four program areas of Atmosphere/Energy, Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering and Geomechanics, and Sustainable Design and Construction. Graduate students must master the analytical, quantitative, and interpretive skills necessary for successful leadership in their chosen field.