Engineering 7 (E7) Building on Waterloo's East Campus.
If you’re driven by curiosity and a desire to solve challenging, complex problems, then join the thriving research community at Waterloo Engineering — a top destination for future research leaders.
With the PhD in Civil Engineering program, you’ll undertake independent and unique research, generating knowledge and finding real-world ways to apply it. Currently, the four fields of study available to PhD students are environmental & water resources engineering, geotechnical engineering, structures, mechanics & construction engineering, and transportation engineering.
In the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, we pride ourselves on nurturing a collaborative research environment and conducting multidisciplinary research with students, staff and faculty from the Schools of Architecture and Planning, and the Departments of Earth & Environmental Sciences and Biology.
Upon completion of your degree, you’ll be prepared to critically analyze and present new information in your field of research and will be ready for a career in academia, the public sector, or private industry.
Research areas and degree options
- Environmental and Water Resource Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Structures, Mechanics and Construction Engineering
- Transportation Engineering
Program overview
Department/School: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering
Admit term(s): Fall (September - December), Winter (January - April), Spring (May - August)
Delivery mode: On-campus
Program type: Doctoral, Research
Length of program: 48 months (full-time)
Registration option(s): Full-time, Part-time
Study option(s): Thesis
Application deadlines
- February 1 (for admission in September)*
- June 1 (for admission in January of the following year)*
- October 1 (for admission in May of the following year)*
*NOTE: If the posted application deadline has passed, domestic applicants and international applicants with minimal visa processing times are encouraged to contact civegrad@uwaterloo.ca for alternate deadline information.
Supervisors
- Review the finding a supervisor resources
Admission requirements
- A Master's degree, an 80% average in coursework and evidence of ability to pursue independent research.
Degree requirements
- Review the degree requirements in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree
- Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository - UWspace to see recent submissions from the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate students
Application materials
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Resume
- Supplementary information form (SIF)
- The SIF contains questions specific to your program, typically about why you want to enrol and your experience in that field. Review the application documents web page for more information about this requirement
- If a statement or letter is required by your program, review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completion
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Transcript(s)
- References
- Three references are required; at least two from academic sources
- Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable
- TOEFL 80 (writing 22, speaking 20, reading 20, listening 18), IELTS 6.5 (writing 6.0, speaking 6.0)
Tuition and fees
- Visit the graduate program tuition page on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program
- Review living costs and housing
- Review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students