Civil Engineering

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About Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

About Civil Engineering

Advanced courses of instruction and laboratory facilities are available for Engineering graduate students who wish to proceed to the degrees of M.Eng., M.Sc., and Ph.D.

Graduate studies and research are at present being conducted in the fields of structures; infrastructure rehabilitation; risk engineering; fluid mechanics and hydraulics; materials engineering; soil behaviour; soil mechanics and foundations; water resources engineering; environmental engineering; and transportation engineering.

The master's degree can be pursued as a research degree (M.Sc.-Thesis) or as a coursework-based degree (M.Eng.-Non-Thesis). The thesis degree is for those who wish to undertake research while the non-thesis degree is for those who wish to have a broader and more specialized training in civil engineering.

Civil Engineering Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Admission Requirements

The general rules of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies apply and are detailed in University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures. The minimum academic standard for admission is a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0/4.0 in a recognized program. Alternatively, an equivalent grade point average of no less than 3.2/4.0 over the last two years of the program will be accepted.

Applicants to graduate studies whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction or from a recognized Canadian institution (anglophone or francophone), must write either:

the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language; Applicants must achieve an overall minimum score of 94 on the internet-based test (iBT) with a minimum score of 20 for each component (i.e., Writing, Reading, Speaking, Listening); or
the IELTS (International English Language Testing System); Applicants must achieve a minimum band score of 7 in order to apply.

Test results reach McGill approximately eight weeks after the test is taken; please note that it is the student's responsibility to make the necessary arrangements with the examining board to write the test in their country of residence. Full information and registration forms may be obtained by consulting the TOEFL or the IELTS websites.

Candidates must meet both of these requirements to be eligible to apply. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

The GRE is not required but is highly recommended.

Application Procedures

McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply

See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the Department of Civil Engineering and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/you-apply-mcgill/application-deadlines.

Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.

Note: Applications for Summer term admission will not be considered.

Available Programs

Program Overview

For the Master of Science (M.Sc.) Civil Engineering (Thesis), a two- to three-semester independent research project is undertaken in the field of structures; infrastructure rehabilitation; risk engineering; fluid mechanics and hydraulics; materials engineering; soil behaviour; soil mechanics and foundations; water resources engineering; environmental engineering; and transportation engineering.

The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) Civil Engineering (Non-Thesis) emphasizes interdisciplinary fundamental knowledge courses, practical applications in diverse environmental contexts, and functional skills needed for solving environmental problems through a wide range of technical and non-technical courses offered by collaborating departments and faculties at the University. Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in engineering.

For the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Civil Engineering, Research can be conducted in the fields of structures; infrastructure rehabilitation; risk engineering; fluid mechanics and hydraulics; materials engineering; soil behaviour; soil mechanics and foundations; water resources engineering; environmental engineering; and transportation engineering.

Further information on these programs may be obtained from the Program Coordinator, Department of Civil Engineering.

2025-2026