Admission and Funding

Master’s programs: Applicants normally have an undergraduate degree in civil engineering. We require a four-year (60 units) baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) from a recognized institution with a B+ average (6.0/9.0 GPA) in the last two years (30 units) of academic study.   

PhD program: Admission to PhD candidacy is reserved for those able to present evidence of superior academic and research ability. A PhD candidate will normally hold a master's degree in science or engineering. Transfer to a PhD program prior to completion of a master’s is permitted in certain circumstances.

We conduct interdisciplinary research and we value students of diverse academic backgrounds. Depending on your background additional courses may be required. The most important thing is that you have the necessary skills and knowledge for your research project and group.

Applicants need a supervisor in order to gain acceptance into our MASc and PhD programs. Here are a few suggestions to help you find a supervisor.

• Look through our faculty page to see if there is a faculty member conducting research in your area of interest.
• Visit their website, look them up online, and read their publications to gain a broad sense of their research.
• Once you have selected a potential supervisor contact them by email.
• Keep your email brief and include the following items: your name, academic background, GPA, research experience, and awards. Explain how your research goals and interests are similar to theirs and make it very clear that you are familiar with their research.
• Speak from the heart and allow your passion for the subject matter to come through.

The expectations and responsibilities in the supervisory relationship are outlined in the Graduate Supervision Policy .

The application deadline is 3 months prior to the desired entry point; however, we recommend that international students apply nine months before their preferred study period to account for study permit processing time.

Submit an online application along with the following documents once you have a supervisor (i.e. s/he/they have agreed to supervise you and invite you to formally apply).

Our funding and teaching assistant policies are included in our handbook (unit funding policies section) and can be discussed with potential supervisors. Students are responsible for paying tuition and details can be found on the Graduate Tuition & Costs page. Questions regarding tuition and fees should be directed to tuition@uvic.ca.

What degrees do you offer?

If you are asking this question, we are a bit worried about your research skills.

Can I apply without a supervisor?

While you can technically apply without a supervisor, we don’t recommend it. We can only accept students into our MASc and PhD programs if they have a supervisor since both programs are research based.

I contacted faculty members to be my supervisor and I haven’t received a response. What should I do?

Faculty members receive multiple inquires a day and are unable to reply to most emails they receive. Many factors come into play in determining whether or not a faculty member can accept students such as space, funding, their current projects etc. The most important thing is to write clear, concise, personal emails that catch their attention about why you are great and a great fit. If you don’t get a response after two emails, don’t email again.