Hybrid SES MS Admissions Overview

Admissions overview

Each department conferring graduate degrees establishes its own application deadlines. An applicant may apply to only one degree program at Stanford University, meaning the applicant must choose one department and degree program and can have only one active application. All components of an application to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering must be received by the department no later than the appropriate due date. Applications and supporting documentation from external applicants to the hybrid SES MS are accepted in autumn for a spring quarter start. All components of a MS application must be received by the department prior to the due date. 

All applicants must make an official application, using the university's online forms and procedures, and following the directions from the Office of the Registrar, Graduate Admissions. Visit the Grad Admissions site for more information about the graduate admissions process at Stanford and to apply for graduate admission.

What are the application deadlines?

For our hybrid SES MS program, applications and supporting documentation from external applicants are accepted as part of the departmental admission process.

• The application deadline for starting part-time/online with the option to be online in Spring Quarter 2025 (April 2025) is December 3, 2024.

Application Materials

• Completed Online Application
• Statement of Purpose(2-3 pages)
• Recommendations from three people who can knowledgeably discuss your suitability for pursuit of the selected degree.
• Bio-demographic information, educational history and test results (official and self-reported scores and percentages).
• Transcripts (Current, unofficial transcript uploaded in your application. Do not send physical transcripts to the department). Official transcripts will only be required if you are accepted. Communication regarding how to submit your transcripts will be sent as part of your acceptance.

Email: cee-admissions@stanford.edu (for graduate admission inquiries)

Application evaluation

Our admissions committee carefully considers all completed applications to the Hybrid Sustainable Engineered Systems MS program in CEE.  Decisions are based on the student’s academic record and experiences, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose. While most applicants to our advanced degree programs have traditional civil and environmental engineering backgrounds, we do accept applications from students in other related fields: chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, biology and so forth.

If your bachelor’s degree is in another field, do you have sufficient background knowledge in the key engineering concepts required of an undergraduate majoring in civil and environmental engineering and thus would thrive in an advanced degree civil and environmental engineering program? Those with non-traditional backgrounds should expect, if admitted, to spend some additional time as a part-time student taking Stanford courses acquiring the background necessary to complete a graduate degree in civil and environmental engineering.  For reference, the requirements for a Stanford BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering can be found in the Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs

A departmental committee of Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty members makes all decisions regarding admission to our advanced degree programs. Decisions are based on thorough evaluations of all aspects of completed applications, i.e. applications are evaluated in their entirety and within the context of the program pool. Hence, final decisions are not made on a rolling basis, but rather when the pool is complete, on the deadline date.

We are unable to provide informal recommendations or evaluations on the basis of partial information, e.g. a CV or a transcript. Inquiries and materials sent to individual professors will be redirected to administrative staff. We encourage potential applicants to consider discussing their issues with faculty recommenders who know them well and could give better, individualized academic advice.