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To be able to confer any graduate degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, students must achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 in the Stanford courses counted toward their degree.

Students cannot apply transfer units to the MS program.  Only completed course units may be counted toward the University residency requirement.

Students admitted to graduate study with a BS in Civil Engineering, or equivalent, from an accredited curriculum can satisfy the requirements for the MS degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering by completing a minimum of 45 units beyond the BS. All 45 units must be taken at Stanford. A minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA) is required for candidates to be recommended for the MS degree. All CEE MS programs are course-based, and no thesis is required.

• The faculty of the department must approve the program of study. It 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.

• At least 30 units must be at the graduate level (courses numbered 200 or above) and at least 24 units must be from the School of Engineering. In addition, each of the CEE program areas has specific coursework and requirements designed to ensure the course of study has sufficient focus on appropriate CEE topics.

• No thesis is required for the Master’s degree.

• Units earned in courses below the 100-level are not accepted toward the minimum requirements for the MS degree. Non-technical courses, such as remedial English-language instruction (those checked as required on the Report on English Screening), music courses, or physical education courses, may not be included in the 45 units of required course work. Students may take any courses they wish beyond the 45 program units.

• Additional program area requirements are available on the department website.

Candidates for the MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering who do not have a BS in Civil Engineering may, in addition to the above, be required to complete those undergraduate courses deemed essential to their graduate programs.

Graduate Units and Residency Requirement       
Each graduate degree at Stanford has a unit-based residency requirement opens in a new tab. The MS degree requires 45 units that must be completed at Stanford.  

The CEE graduate degree programs place further restrictions on the specific course work or combination of course work, research, and thesis units required for each graduate degree. All units counted towards graduate degrees in CEE must be from courses at or above the 100-level.

Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree

No degree can be recommended for conferral unless a Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree has been filed and represents an accurate program of study. Meet with your advisor during your first quarter of graduate study to agree upon a proposed program of coursework. All students must submit a Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree opens in a new tab by the end of their first quarter in the program. 

If your actual course work changes after submitting the Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree, you must submit an updated proposal that will be reviewed for approval by your academic advisor and the department. This form must also be submitted before the end of the second week of the final quarter of your program of study to verify that no changes to the proposed coursework have been made. You should also discuss changes to your proposed plan with your advisor whenever they occur to ensure that your modified course of study still satisfies the program requirements.

For coterminal students, 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.

Requirements for Remaining in Good Academic Standing in CEE

• Students enrolled for 11 or more units must pass at least 8 units per term that count toward their degree by the end of each term. Those registered for 8-10 units must pass at least 6 units per term that count toward their degree by the end of each term

• MS students must enroll in at least one course offered by the CEE department each quarter to remain in good academic standing.

Program Duration  
International students must complete their CEE MS program by Spring Quarter of their second year. The CEE department does not approve I-20 extensions. International students will only be approved to be on a Leave of Absence for one quarter during their program. U.S. Citizens must complete their CEE MS degree within three years, and honors cooperative students (HCP) must complete their CEE MS degree within five years.

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 before the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.