Program Overview

Coterminal Program in Civil & Environmental Engineering

The coterminal degree program allows Stanford undergraduates to study for a master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s degree(s) in the same or a different department.

Coterms must be both undergraduate and graduate students at the same time for at least one quarter prior to undergraduate degree conferral. For most students, spring quarter is the overlap quarter. However, students do not have to start taking graduate-level classes towards their MS degree in spring, even though their coterm program is active. Most coterm students are admitted to the coterm program in the spring quarter of their undergraduate senior year, graduate with their BS degree in spring, take a summer break, and then start taking their required MS courses from autumn quarter.

University Coterm Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for admission to a coterm program at Stanford, applicants must meet all of the following conditions:

• Completion of 120 units towards graduation as shown on the undergraduate transcript, including credit earned from transfer credit, Advanced Placement exams, and other external test credit.
• Completion of six non-Summer quarters at Stanford; or two non-Summer quarters at Stanford for transfer students.
• Declaration of an undergraduate major.
• An admitted coterm student must have a minimum of one quarter overlap between the undergraduate and graduate programs. If this is not possible, students should consider applying as an external candidate via the annual general admissions process. Such applicants are not coterm students, and coterm policies do not apply.
• Students may apply to one coterm program per quarter and may not apply to another coterm master’s program until the admissions process for the initial application has been completed, including the student’s response to the offer of admission (if admitted).

Program Details

The university minimum requirements for the coterminal bachelor’s/master’s program are 180 units for the bachelor’s degree plus 45 unduplicated units for the master’s degree. Students admitted to the Civil & Environmental Engineering coterm program are eligible to apply to transfer applicable coursework from quarters after and including the first quarter of the Sophomore year of the undergraduate career.

Funding Opportunities

The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering generally does not provide department funding for the coterm program. However, there are available funding opportunities:

• Dean's Office Engineering Coterminal Fellowship Program: Eligibility requires students to be admitted to an engineering coterm program.
• Coterm Funding Opportunities: Includes information on assistantships and enrollment qualifications.
• Coterm Financial Aid Concerns: Provides details on undergraduate vs. graduate definitions and requirements.