PhD in Civil Engineering

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Complete transcripts for all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

  • Baccalaureate Field Civil engineering or a related field.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
  • Tests Required GRE General, minimum Verbal score of 150 and minimum Quantitative score of 155 or minimum combined Verbal and Quantitative score of 305.

  • English Proficiency Additional information on the English proficiency test requirement for international students can be found on the UIC Admissions website. Minimum test scores for this program are:

    • Exam Score Reading Listening Speaking Writing
      TOEFL iBT 80 19 17 20 21
      IELTS Academic 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0
      PTE Academic 54 51 47 53 56
  • Letters of Recommendation Three required for PhD applicants.
  • Personal Statement Required for PhD applicants.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 108 from the baccalaureate.
  • Coursework Required Courses: Minimum requirement of 56 hours of postbaccalaureate coursework, excluding CME 496, CME 497, and CME 599.
    • Specific Course Requirements: At least 28 hours must be at the 500 level, of which 16 hours must be in the CME department, excluding CME 596 and CME 599.
    • Credit for MS Degree: Those having an MS degree from an accredited institution may be awarded 32 hours of credit towards the PhD degree requirement with 12 hours towards the 28-hour 500-level requirement.
  • Examinations
    • Departmental Qualifying Exam: Required, after the third semester.
    • Preliminary Examination: Required.
  • Dissertation Required. Students must earn at least 52 hours in CME 599.
  • Other Requirements Students must be registered during the semester of intended graduation.