Civil & Environmental Engineering MEng/MS/PhD | Admission Details

Admission Requirements

Master of Science (MS) or Master of Engineering (MEng) in Civil & Environmental Engineering

• Eligible for admission to Portland State University.
• Bachelor of Science in an engineering field, science, or closely related area.
• Undergraduate GPA OF 3.00 or higher.
• Completion of courses in calculus through differential equations, physics and chemistry, computer programming, and all the necessary prerequisites for the graduate courses that comprise the student’s program of study. 

Admission is selective and holistic; meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. If you do not meet the GPA or course requirements, you may be considered for conditional admission as long as you have an undergraduate 2.75 GPA or higher by completing the required steps listed below.

If you do not have a BS in one of these areas, review the details below for guidance.

Doctorate (PhD) in Civil & Environmental Engineering

• Eligible for admission to Portland State University.
• Master of Science degree in an engineering field, science, or closely related area.
• All applicants must contact a CEE faculty member prior to submitting an application seeking a PhD advisor. For admission, a student must have a CEE faculty member agree to be his/her PhD advisor.

CEE Funding Opportunities

Financial support, when offered, typically starts in fall term.

• Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA): GTA positions are determined by the Admissions Committee and may be available to students admitted for fall term. Any additional GTA positions will be open to all admitted students to apply and will be announced by the department 1-2 months before the start of fall, winter, and spring terms.  
• Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA): GRA positions can be made available by faculty based on available research. If you are interested, reach out to any faculty you would like to work with to learn more about funding opportunities in their research groups.

Admissions Timeline

The CEE department admits graduate students in fall, winter, and spring terms. All applications must be fully completed by the supplemental materials deadline in order to be evaluated. PSU operates on a quarter system. For future or specific term dates, refer to the PSU Academic Calendar.

Admission decisions are typically issued via email within 4-6 weeks of the application deadline for completed applications. You can check the status of your letters of recommendation or any other requirements by logging back into your application portal. The deadlines for international students are anticipated to account for the time required to obtain visas.

How to Apply

If you are ready to start your application, log in or create a new account in Portland State University’s application portal. Fill out the application and submit the required application materials listed below.

Application Materials

Below is the list of the materials and information you will need to provide as part of your application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application. The master’s programs do not offer application fee waivers. Doctoral applicants who have a confirmed faculty advisor prior to submitting the application are eligible for an application fee waiver, contact ceedept@pdx.edu to get the fee waived.

• Your degree option (MEng, MS - Project, MS - Thesis, or PhD) and your selected concentration area (Structural, Transportation, Geotechnical, Engineering & Preservation of Existing Structures (MS/PhD only) or Environmental/Water Resources).
• Statement of Purpose: Your statement of purpose (one page) should describe your long term career goals and why you are applying to the graduate program. You should clearly describe your research interests and strengths. This is an important statement. PhD applicants must also list a supervising advisor preference for admittance.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• References: Contact information for three carefully selected references.
  • At least one reference should be a faculty member from a previous degree program/academic institution who is familiar with your academic performance.
  • Your recommenders will each receive a recommendation request via email. You will be able to check the status of your letters of recommendation, send reminder emails to recommenders, and send requests to new recommenders by logging in to your online account.
  • It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that letters of recommendation are submitted by the deadline to submit all application materials.
• GRE scores (required for MS and PhD applicants who do not have a previous degree from a university in the United States, not required for MEng applicants). In addition to entering your scores on the application, you must also have official scores sent directly to PSU from ETS using the following codes:
  • PSU School Code: 4610
  • CEE Department Code: 1102

Conditional Admission Criteria

If you have an undergraduate GPA below 2.75, you may submit a petition to enroll in CEE graduate courses. You will need to identify a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 12 graduate credits to be taken, and supply a supporting statement. If you are interested in submitting the petition, contact the department at ceedept@pdx.edu. If approved, you will enroll in the approved pre-admission graduate credits as a non-degree seeking student. Once you have completed the pre-admission courses, you can apply for admission to the Master of Science (MS) or Master of Engineering (MEng) in the Civil & Environmental Engineering graduate program. If you are admitted, the approved pre-admission graduate credits can be applied toward your graduate degree.

While completion of the courses listed on the approved petition will strengthen your application, it does not guarantee admission to the program.

Qualifying for admission to the graduate program without a Bachelor of Science in an engineering field, science, or closely related area

If you have discovered an interest in civil or environmental engineering after completing your first bachelor’s degree or after deciding you want to make a career change, we can advise you to develop an academic plan that meets your goals but maintains the rigor, quality, and standards that are expected by PSU and employers for graduates of our programs. Review the details below before contacting the department, as you may find that obtaining a graduate degree without an undergraduate degree in the field is not the best option for your career goals.

• Employer Expectations: Employers often expect those with graduate degrees in civil and environmental engineering to have the fundamental knowledge and skills obtained during the corresponding undergraduate curriculum. Most traditional careers in civil and environmental engineering require professional licensure for advancement and promotion (more likely in transportation and environmental/water resources fields). We do not advise someone to consider a career in the structural or geotechnical fields who did not earn a bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering.
• Explore Career Paths: Seek out professionals in your field of interest and ask for informational interviews and meetings to discuss career options based on their unique situation or attend professional association meetings such as ASCE, ITE or similar. Some government positions may list specific criteria such as “BS degree from an ABET-accredited university” or similar. You may want to browse position postings in the field you are considering to get an idea of typical entry requirements.
• Obtaining a Professional Engineering License: It may be possible to obtain a professional engineering license if you have a master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and do not have a bachelor’s degree in either field. However, the traditional path to licensure requires a bachelor’s degree from an ABET-accredited program. Without a bachelor’s degree, you will need to read rules posted by the state boards since they control the licensing process and it differs in each state (Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, and National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEES)). You will likely need to meet additional criteria to sit for the professional engineering exams.
• Earning a Second Bachelor’s Degree: Since most undergraduate coursework that is required will need to be completed before starting a graduate program, you should consider how much effort (in time and money) would be necessary for any required coursework or a second Bachelor’s degree and what is required to complete a graduate degree. Obtaining a second bachelor’s degree eliminates licensure ambiguity and employer concerns about the breadth and depth of your knowledge, but may increase your overall costs and time commitment. Your first bachelor’s degree will presumably give you additional marketability.
• How to Self-Evaluate the Courses Needed for a Second Bachelor’s Degree: To determine the amount of coursework required for a second bachelor’s degree, review the prerequisite courses in table below in your area of interest. For each prerequisite shown, if you do not have an equivalent course you will need to also take that course.

Prerequisites

Completed coursework should include calculus through differential equations, physics and chemistry, computer programming, and all the necessary prerequisites below for the graduate courses that comprise your intended program of study.

Master of Science (MS) or Master of Engineering (MEng) in Civil & Environmental Engineering Prerequisites by Specialization

Other Resources

• Civil & Environmental Engineering MS/PHD
• Civil & Environmental Engineering Program Details
• Transportation Graduate Certificate