ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants to the master's of science programs in Civil Engineering are required to have a bachelor’s degree or be in the process of completing a bachelor's degree. Degrees in any engineering or engineering-related disciplines are frequently represented among our program applicants, including but not limited to the following:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Engineering Mechanics
• Mechanical Engineering

Applicants without a Bachelor’s degree in the preferred majors listed above will only be considered with coursework and demonstrated proficiency in the acceptable courses listed below (or equivalent). 

Applications are reviewed holistically; simply taking these courses does not guarantee admission.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following materials are required to be included with your online application:

• Transcripts
• Resume/CV
• Personal Statement
• Letter of Recommendation (optional)

NOTE: The GRE is not required for 2024 applications.

For tips on completing your application visit
Ready to Apply

The following link will take you to an overview of the tuition & fees for graduate engineering students, including payment information. Both on-campus and DEN@Viterbi students pay the same tuition

Estimated Cost of Attendance - 27 Unit Program

Download the Cost of Attendance to see a summary of tuition and fees by semester. The document is a typical example and the number of courses, and time to complete the program, will vary by student.

   SEAN DEMPSEY

After spending five years as a mechanical engineer at an aerospace component manufacturing firm, Sean Dempsey realised it was not his true calling. He moved to Mexico and joined The Anglo Mexican Foundation as an English teacher. “I knew I didn’t really enjoy what I did as a mechanical engineer and wasn’t passionate about it. So, I went to Mexico. I liked living abroad and teaching,” says Dempsey. But that wasn’t his true calling either. After a year in Mexico, Dempsey moved to the U.S. and pursued a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering (Water and Waste Management) at the University of Southern California.

During his search for his true interest, Dempsey also spent time as a volunteer with Engineers Without Borders USA. “That’s when I developed an interest in water and wastewater management,” he recalls. Dempsey completed his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After receiving acceptance letters from University of Colorado and USC, Dempsey chose USC for his graduate studies. “USC admissions team was aggressive in the recruitment process and their advisors were very responsive and helpful. They even flew me down to Los Angeles to check out the college and its resources,” says Dempsey. And that’s not the only reason. Having done his undergrad in a “small college town”, as Dempsey puts it, he wanted to do his Masters in Los Angeles which is known for its job prospects, great weather and interesting places to discover.

For Dempsey, graduate studies was a completely different experience and it revealed a different side of his personality. “I was a shy student in undergrad. But I had much better interactions while at USC and got along very well. I enjoyed smaller class sizes and great professors who knew me by my name and gave me constant support,” he remembers. During his first semester at USC, he joined the Salsa club where he learnt the fundamentals of the Latin dance style. In his free time, he also practiced Jiu-jitsu -- Brazilian martial art -- at one of the renowned gyms in Los Angeles.

During his first year at USC, Dempsey worked at the USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research. “They field-tested backflow preventers. I would put together pipe assemblies of various diameters and test different companies’ backflow preventer prototypes to check that they are in accordance with the standards set by USC.”Later, he also worked with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering’s Environmental Engineering division. He also completed a fellowship with DIGDEEP, a human rights non-profit which works to deliver clean running water to Americans.

After successfully finishing his graduate studies, Dempsey signed up to take on logistical and water and sanitation projects for Doctors Without Borders USA. Looking back at his decision to switch his line of interest, from mechanical engineering to civil engineering, Dempsey believes he took the right decision at the right time which helped him land internship opportunities and connect with people from different walks of life.

Want to find out where our graduating class of 2020/2021 Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's students did their internships and where they went after commencement? Visit our Civil and Environmental Engineering Employment Outcomes page.

• For courses within this program that may be online, please visit the USC Schedule of Classes (courses will have a DEN@Viterbi section)
• For a full list of the 40+ engineering graduate programs available online, please visit Online DEN@Viterbi Offerings