FAQ for Applicants

How much interaction do Tandon students have with the main campus?

NYU Tandon students have access to two exceptionally motivating locations: Greenwich Village and highly desirable Downtown Brooklyn. Together they form an urban campus without walls, where the classroom meets city, and the learning experience never ends. Nearly all required classes are conveniently offered at the school of engineering campus in Downtown Brooklyn. Students may elect to take an elective course on the main campus or at many of the global network sites.

Can I take some of my courses in a study away site?

NYU is a global network university with many study away locations. Students are encouraged (but not required) to spend a semester at one of these sites. Engineering courses are offered at Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, and London. Many students plan their liberal studies courses at one of the 14 study away sites. For more details, please visit Tandon's Study Abroad page.

What teams and student clubs are available in the Civil and Urban Engineering Department?

NYU has 300+ active student clubs on campus open to all students. The Civil and Urban Engineering student clubs provide limitless opportunities for leadership and to pursue individual interests. In addition, NYU Tandon School of Engineering is home to over 40 student clubs that represent academic, cultural, political, professional, religious, spiritual, service, social, and recreational interests

How diverse is the Civil and Urban Engineering Department?

We welcome you into our diverse undergraduate community (Currently 42% female, 32% under represented minorities, and 10% international).

What opportunities are available for internships and co-op experience?

The majority of undergraduate students do 6-12 months of professional internship at a civil engineering or construction management firm. Students typically find internships through the strong alumni network, faculty contacts, the Wasserman Career Center and NYU Tandon Career Services.

Can international students apply for internships?

Yes. F-1 Students must apply for curricular practical training (CPT). Please visit Tandon's CPT page for general information, and discuss your interest with your academic adviser.

What is the student-faculty ratio in the Civil & Urban Engineering Department?

You will enjoy personal attention due to our small student-faculty ratio of 11. 

What minors are available?

Hundreds of minors are available for Tandon's students to consider. Our Undergraduate curriculum allows 12 credits of free electives and 9 credits of civil engineering electives. With some planning, most students can complete up to two minors. The following minors are offered:

• Civil & Urban Engineering department minors
• Tandon School of Engineering minors
• All cross-NYU minors listed alphabetically

Do you offer a B.S. in Environmental Engineering?

The B.S. in Civil Engineering allows students to concentrate in environmental engineering. Students can also minor in environmental engineering.

Do you offer a B.S. in Construction Engineering or Management?

The B.S. in Civil Engineering allows students to concentrate in construction engineering and management. Students can also minor in construction management.

 

Is the GRE required from full-time applicants?

All full-time applicants must submit GRE scores for consideration. The GRE exam is waived from NYU Tandon CUE alumni with GPA>3.0 as well as part-time applicants. 

What are admissions requirements for the Master's in Civil Engineering?

All applicants are considered individually for admission.  A Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering with a strong undergraduate record from an accredited institution is generally required for admission to our M.S. programs in Civil Engineering.  Applicants to all M.S. degree programs must satisfy the general Tandon School of Engineering admission requirements. 

My undergraduate degree is not in Civil Engineering, can I still be admitted to the Master's in Civil Engineering?

Applicants with degrees from fields other than Civil Engineering may be admitted. Those admitted typically have a strong background in math, science, or engineering. Others may have to complete additional pre-requisite courses to achieve a comparable background. Courses required to achieve this status are specified as part of the admission evaluation. Undergraduate courses specified for this purpose cannot count toward credits for the graduate degree.

Depending on your undergraduate major, some of the master's degrees offered by the CUE department may not require any pre-requisites. Please explore all graduate study areas and degrees offered by the CUE department.

Is a thesis required?

No. The Thesis is optional. Students may be considered for a Master's Thesis or Master Project based on their scholastic achievement after completing two semesters at Tandon.

What is the difference between a Master's Thesis and a Master's Project?

• The main difference is that a Thesis is 6 credits, while a Project is 3 Credits. Thus, the Thesis is expected to involve twice the effort of a project.  
• A Thesis is an original investigation in the student’s principal field of study prepared and closely supervised by a faculty adviser. Candidates must successfully defend theses orally. Registration for a minimum of 6 credits is required. 
• The project involves analytical, design or experimental studies in civil engineering guided by a faculty adviser and following departmental guidelines. A written report is required. Registration for a minimum of 3 credits is required. 
• A thesis must be submitted as four bound paper books, while a project can be submitted electronically to the adviser.

Do I need to register for CPT if I am doing an internship On-Campus?

No. However, if the on-campus internship is part of a course that you wish to take credits for, you must register for one of the Principles of Professional Practice courses.

What is the difference between Master's in Environmental Engineering and Environmental Science?

• M.S. Environmental engineering is an engineering degree while M.S. in Environmental Science is a science degree.
• The environmental scientist takes an analytical perspective to focus on what caused the particular condition. The applicants to the environmental science program must have a strong science background.
• The environmental engineers must have an engineering or science background. Environmental engineers are expected to analyze the issue and determine ways to correct the problem. This might include design requirements on all aspects of a project. 
• Environmental scientists explore subjects such as climate change, air pollution, geomatics and global positioning system, life cycle analysis, water quality, hazardous materials affecting humans and animals. They venture into a variety of areas that affect the earth’s resources.  
• Environmental engineers’ responsibilities overlap with their counterparts in environmental science.  Engineers are also involved in soil and water contamination, air pollution, and wastewater treatment. Their knowledge finds solutions for these adverse environmental issues. Using engineering principles, they determine the means to clean up water, design sewage treatment plants, and remediate contaminated soil and groundwater. Environmental engineers must have a strong background in fluid mechanics, water resources engineering, soil and materials engineering, and differential equations.  

What are the admission requirements for Master's of Environmental Engineering/Science?

• To be granted admission to the M.S. in Environmental Engineering applicants typically hold a B.S. degree in a related engineering discipline (e.g., environmental, civil, chemical, mechanical, etc.), and meet all other admission requirements. Students holding B.S. degrees in another engineering discipline, or physical, chemical or biological science, may be admitted if they have achieved the technical background necessary to pursue advanced work in Environmental Engineering. This background includes: (1) three semesters of calculus including ordinary differential equations, (2) a semester of each of the following: college statistics, calculus-based physics, college chemistry, fluid mechanics, water resources engineering or hydrology, (3) problem-solving work using computers, and (4) background in environmental process engineering. 
• To be granted admission to the M.S. in Environmental Science students typically hold a B.S. degree in environmental science, biological science, or a related discipline. Students holding B.S. degrees in other disciplines may be admitted if they have achieved the technical background necessary to pursue advanced work in Environmental Science. This background includes: (1) semesters of calculus, college statistics, calculus-based physics, college chemistry, hydrology, (2) problem-solving work using computers, and (3) background in environmental process engineering. 
• Applicants are expected to have completed these requirements prior to the admission. However, the requirements of fluid mechanics, water resources engineering or hydrology and exposure to environmental process engineering can be completed by taking the following undergraduate courses and Tandon while being enrolled for the M.S. degree: 
  • CE-UY 2213, Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics 
  • CE-UY 3223, Environmental Engineering 
  • CE-UY 3243, Water Resources Engineering

What is the difference between Transportation Management and Transportation Planning and Engineering M.S. degrees?

• The M.S. Degree in Transportation Planning and Engineering is for those individuals who work or want to work in a transportation consulting firm, transportation agency (such as a DOT), or a transportation technology company (such as Uber or Lyft). You will learn how to analyze existing transportation systems; to use and analyze big data for existing systems as well as to plan and engineer future systems, such as for autonomous vehicles.
• The M.S. Degree in Transportation Management is for those individuals who work or want to work in public transit, such as NYCT or MTA. You’ll learn how to manage projects and other management skills and techniques specifically as applied to public and private transit organizations.

What is the difference between the admission requirements for Transportation Management and Transportation Planning and Engineering?

Both programs require a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. The typical applicant for transportation planning and engineering has a degree in an engineering field, urban planning, computer science, mathematics or physics. That is, they have a quantitative background. For the transportation management degree, any undergraduate degree (B.A. or B.S.) is acceptable.

What are the requirements for a Ph.D. degree?

• A Ph.D. degree is a research-based degree. No one graduates without discovering or inventing new knowledge in civil engineering or a related discipline.
• A Ph.D. degree is 75 credits beyond the bachelor's or 45 credits beyond the master's degree. A minimum of 21 dissertation credits is required.

How do I know what Ph.D. positions are available?

• Some Ph.D. positions are advertised on the available positions page.
• Please reach out to potential faculty advisors in your graduate study area with questions. Note that adjunct and industry faculty do not typically support Ph.D. students.

Are all Ph.D. positions funded?

• No. We try to support all Ph.D. students, but admissions is not related to funding.  Funding is available for Full-time students only.  NYU funding is provided through either NYU fellowships or external grants and contracts that students are expected to contribute to. Some students provide their own funding.

Can my Ph.D. admission be deferred?

• Yes, for up to one year.   However, funding must be re-evaluated based on the availability of grants and fellowships.

Can I apply for a Ph.D. without a master's degree?

Yes. However, you must demonstrate a prior interest in research, and interview with the graduate adviser. In addition, you must meet all admission requirement including: (1) superior academics, (2) advanced English language proficiency, and (3) outstanding GRE scores.

Is there a difference in the Ph.D. requirements at the New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai campuses?

• No. There is one Ph.D. program
• If funding is provided by NYU Abu Dhabi or NYU Shanghai, you are expected to spend the first 9-18 months in New York, and the balance of your time in the funding campus.

What is the tuition cost and what are other fees?

To get a detailed overview of the tuition, please visit Tuition and fees page. More information about other charges can be found here. 

Where can I find more information about student housing and associated costs?

You can find more information on the Housing page. 

Nearly all alumni land excellent jobs by the time they graduate, and progressively advance in their careers. Visit Career Services for more information. 

Where can I find information about visa requirements?

You can read about the requirements for the international students and visa information at NYU's Office of Global Services. 

Is a CPT offered and what is it?

CPT is defined as employment which is an integral part of the curriculum.  CPT may include : “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.”

Please visit the CUE CPT page, which describes courses requiring a CPT experience.

Is the TOEFL / IELTS required from International Students?

The Office of Graduate Enrollment Management and Admissions reserves the right to request proof of English competency from any applicant. At least one of these exams is required for:

• All International applicants (those who have or will request a visa)
• Applicants who's first language is not English and/or who have not completed a B.S. degree in the United States.

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering requires that graduate applicants achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 90 on the internet-based test, an overall band of 7.0 on IELTS, a 65 on the Pearson PTE Academics exam, or a C1 on the Cambridge English: Advanced exam. TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE scores are valid for two years. The test must be taken again if your score is older than two years at the time of application submission.

Applicants may request a waiver of English Language Proficiency Testing for special cases by submitting a waiver request form. If you have earned a B.S. or M.S. degree from the US institution, you will be reviewed for a waiver and do not need to submit a waiver request form. The request will be reviewed only after transcripts are received.