Civil and Environmental Engineering MS, Engineer and PhD

Stanford University School of Engineering (with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability) · Stanford, CA

Field: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Degrees: Master's, PhD
Application fee: $125
GRE: Not accepted
Letters: 3 (recommendations)

Deadlines

Application fee waiver request deadline: Nov. 17, 2026
PhD, MS and coterm application deadline, all materials (11:59 pm PST): Dec. 1, 2026

Essays

Statement of purpose (1 to 3 pages single-spaced; recommended 2 pages (about 1,000 words))

Succinctly describe your reasons for applying, which may include preparation and motivation, research and work experience, program features that make Stanford a good fit, and possible career areas; PhD applicants should add possible research areas, faculty whose research interests you, and relevant background such as obstacles overcome, service and leadership.

Resume/CV

Editor's notes

Everything, including letters, is due December 1, and fee waiver requests must be in by November 17, so start early. The statement of purpose can run to three pages, but the department recommends about two pages and suggests opening with a summary paragraph rather than an anecdote. PhD applicants should name faculty whose research interests them and may be invited to interviews. GRE scores are not considered, so put that effort into the statement and into choosing recommenders who know your research well.