Graduate Application Details

 The Civil Engineering Department offers two master's degrees: Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in Environmental Engineering, each with a thesis and non-thesis option.  All MS programs require 31 credit-hours of applicable coursework.  Our curriculum consists primarily of traditional on-campus courses to take advantage of our outstanding labs and teaching facilities. All master's students take courses tailored specifically to their topic area and career goals. The student forms an advisory committee of three professors and works with the committee to select appropriate coursework. The Civil Engineering Department Head approves all programs of study. 

The Civil Engineering Department administers three options (civil engineering, environmental engineering and applied mechanics) within the Ph.D. in Engineering degree offered through the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.     

The Department encourages broad participation in civil and environmental engineering by all people, regardless of background and identity. We support a professional workplace and classrooms that are inclusive and equitable and believe the lack of diversity in Civil and Environmental Engineering is not due to lack of talent, but instead lack of opportunity. Thus, we encourage all qualified applicants including those from under-represented and marginalized groups to apply to our program and we commit to fostering a supportive academic home for all our students.  The Graduate School at MSU and the Department are committed to developing an equity-based holistic review process for admission to our program and selection of individuals for competitive teaching and research assistantships.  See The Graduate School website for more information on MSU’s efforts to promote equity and inclusion in our graduate programs.  

Funding Details

The Department provides financial support to graduate students through graduate research and teaching assistantships.  Funding is provided on a competitive basis to students admitted to the graduate program.  Applicants are encouraged to contact individual faculty concerning specific research topics and projects. The Department research webpage lists faculty research areas.

Application Timeline

Applications for graduate admission will be accepted at any time.  However, students seeking financial support through research or teaching assistantships are encouraged to have complete applications submitted by January 15 for admission and support consideration for the fall semester or September 15 for admission and support consideration for the spring semester.  Students seeking admission, but no financial support, should submit a complete application 30 days before the start of the semester they plan to begin study.  Due to common delays in the visa process, international students should plan to apply one year in advance of their anticipated start date. 

All applications are online and require a non-refundable application fee.  Applications are valid for one year.  The application fee will not be waived, deferred, or refunded for any reason. The application fee must be paid before the application will be processed.  More application information is available from the Graduate School (https://www.montana.edu/gradschool/admissions/apply.html). 

Leveling Courses

Leveling courses are intended to provide students without an accredited bachelor's degree in civil or environmental engineering, or a closely related field, with sufficient background in civil or environmental engineering to be eligible for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and ultimately professional registration.  Leveling courses are also pre-requisites for graduate level courses.  Students with a BS degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering would typically be exempt from taking leveling courses.  Students with a different accredited engineering bachelor’s degree typically have fewer leveling course requirements than students without an engineering background. 

 The following table lists the leveling courses that will typically need to have been completed in the applicant’s undergraduate degree or taken at MSU as part of the Master's program of study.  A program plan that includes any required leveling courses will be developed in consultation with your graduate committee after admission to the Master's program.  General questions on leveling courses prior to application should be directed to Dr. Mohammad Khostavi at [email protected] or individual faculty in each research area. 

Civil Engineering

 Required Leveling Courses (or equivalent)

Environmental Engineering

Required Leveling Courses (or equivalent)