Requirements for Admission

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester (August)
Application Deadline to be considered for Assistantships and Tuition Grants: February 15th
Final Application Submission: April 1st

Spring Semester (January)
Final Application Submission: October 1st

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering seeks the following from applicants to the Master’s programs in Civil Engineering:

  • An earned undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering for the MSCE master’s program or a closely related field for the MSE master’s program
  • An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
  • A professional Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • An acceptable TOEFL score as required by UNC Charlotte for international students
  • And any other appropriate credentials as required by the Graduate School

Doctoral applicants who hold a relevant master’s degree in Civil Engineering or related field, either from UNC Charlotte or another institution, may be eligible to pursue the Ph.D. degree with Advanced Standing. Eligibility for this accelerated option must be made at the time of admission to the program, and is subject to review by the Graduate School. Requirements for admission include:

  • An earned master’s degree in Civil, Environmental, Structural, or Transportation Engineering, or a closely related Engineering master’s degree
  • A master’s degree GPA of 3.0 or better
  • A professional Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • A statement of purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • An acceptable TOEFL or IELTS score as required by UNC Charlotte for international students. In addition, TOEFL iBT must be a minimum score of 18 on each section of the test while the IELTS must be a minimum score of 6.5 in each section
  • Any other appropriate credentials as required by the Graduate School

Doctoral applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in Civil and/or Environmental Engineering, either from UNC Charlotte or from an ABET-accredited college or university, may be eligible to pursue the Ph.D. degree. Requirements for admission include:

  • An earned bachelor’s degree in Civil and/or Environmental Engineering from an ABET-accredited college or university
  • A bachelor’s degree GPA of 3.0 or better
  • A professional Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • A statement of purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • An acceptable TOEFL or IELTS score as required by UNC Charlotte for international students. In addition, TOEFL iBT must be a minimum score of 18 on each section of the test while the IELTS must be a minimum score of 6.5 in each section
  • Any other appropriate credentials as required by the Graduate School

Application

UNC Charlotte uses gradadmissions.charlotte.edu/apply – an online application portal. The application is completed online and supporting documents are submitted electronically.

UNC Charlotte Graduate Application and Instructions

Applications of US citizens, US Permanent Residents, Asylees and Refugees are processed as domestic applications. Applications of students on, or intending to be on, temporary visa status in the USA (i.e. F-1, H-1, H-4, etc), as well as Pending Permanent Residents, are processed as international applications. Applicants should follow the application instructions accordingly.

International applicants are encouraged to review the information for international applicants carefully.

Supporting Documents

  • Transcripts: Upload an unofficial transcript from each institution attended in the online application. Applicants offered admission will be required to submit one official (original, certified true) copy of their transcripts (as well as official certified translations of the transcripts/mark sheets and degree certifications if the degree was earned outside the U.S.) to the Graduate School.
  • English Language Proficiency: Official TOEFL scores are required of all students whose native language is not English and who have not earned a post-secondary degree from a US institution. A minimum score of 557 (220 computer-based, 83 Internet-based) is required for admission to the university. The TOEFL institutional code for UNC Charlotte is 5105.
    • Note: IELTS scores are also accepted. A 6.5 overall band score is the minimum required score.
  • Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must provide three letters of reference, at least two of which must be from faculty members. All three must be from professionals working in the applicant’s field of interest.
  • Statement of Purpose: Applicants should prepare a statement of purpose which reflects their experience and objective in undertaking graduate study in the chosen field.
  • Professional CV: All applicants need to provide a professional Curriculum Vitae.