Master of Science in Environmental Engineering
The Master of Science in Environmental Engineering program is oriented toward students who wish to develop more knowledge in multiple areas of environmental engineering. The program provides students with opportunities to gain experience in a variety of environmental engineering domains, including water and wastewater treatment, water resources engineering, indoor and outdoor air quality, hazardous waste management, environmental health and safety and industrial hygiene, and environmental sustainability.
There are two degree options: coursework-based (no research or thesis required) and thesis-based (coursework coupled with research and thesis required).
The program is intended for preparation for advanced engineering practice or research, rooted in the principles of physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, to develop and analyze solutions to environmental problems, including air and water pollution control, water and wastewater treatment systems design, climate change, resource depletion, and more.
Students with a variety of academic backgrounds are eligible to apply for the program, including those with undergraduate degrees in engineering disciplines (e.g., civil, chemical, or mechanical engineering) and also non-engineering but related disciplines (e.g., environmental science, biology, chemistry, geology, or others). All admitted students are expected to have completed undergraduate coursework or equivalent in chemistry, physics, mathematics through differential equations, and fluid mechanics. If students have not completed these courses, they may be required to take proficiency courses in their first year of study or in the summer before their first year of study. Each applicant will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis during the application review process to determine any proficiency course requirements.
Curriculum
Degree Options
The Master of Science in Environmental Engineering program has two degree options:
- Coursework-based: For students who wish to prepare for professional practice in environmental engineering, all credit hour requirements are fulfilled by coursework. No research or thesis is required.
- Thesis-based: For students who wish to prepare for professional practice and/or a research-based career in environmental engineering, credit hour requirements are fulfilled by a combination of coursework and research and thesis credits (ENVE 591) earned for conducting mentored research and completing a master's thesis and oral thesis defense.
For both degree options, up to 12 credit hours of 400-level courses can be applied to the program.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | (12) | |
| Select minimum of 12 credit hours from the list below: | 12 | |
| Environmental Chemistry | 3 | |
| Chemodynamics | 3 | |
| Global Environmental Change and Sustainability Analysis 2 | 3 | |
or ENVE 422 | Global Environmental Change and Sustainability Analysis | |
| Geoenvironmental Engineering 2 | 3 | |
or ENVE 423 | Geoenvironmental Engineering | |
| Modeling of Environmental Systems | 3 | |
| Physicochemical Processes in Environmental Engineering | 3 | |
| Indoor Air Pollution | 3 | |
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 2 | 3 | |
or CAE 439 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | |
| Statistics/Data Analysis Requirement | (3) | |
| Select 3 credit hours from the list below: | 3 | |
| Statistical Analysis of Engineering Data | 3 | |
or CHE 426 | Statistical Tools for Engineers | |
or MATH 474 | Probability and Statistics | |
or MATH 564 | Regression | |
or MMAE 500 | Data Driven Modeling | |
or BME 533 | Biostatistics | |
or STAT 514 | Applied Computational Statistics for Analytics | |
| Major Electives | (6) | |
| Select a minimum of 6 credit hours of major electives from the list of required courses or from the list of electives below: | 6 | |
| Renewable Energy Technologies | 3 | |
| Energy, Environment, and Economics | 3 | |
| Introduction to Water Resources Engineering | 3 | |
| Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Design | 3 | |
| Water and Wastewater Engineering | 3 | |
| Introduction to Air Pollution Control | 3 | |
| Environmental Capstone Design | 3 | |
| Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety 2 | 3 | |
or ENVE 403 | Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety | |
| Biotechnological Processes in Environmental Engineering | 3 | |
| Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage | 3 | |
or ENVE 444 | Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage | |
| Design of Environmental Engineering Processes | 3 | |
| Hazardous Waste Engineering | 3 | |
| Special Problems | 0-4 | |
| General Electives | (3) | |
| Select 3 hours of general electives 1 | 3 | |
| Additional Electives or Thesis Research Credits | (6) | |
| Select 6 hours from the following depending on degree option: | 6 | |
Coursework-based: | ||
Select additional 6 credit hours of major or general electives 1 | 6 | |
Thesis-based: | ||
| Research and Thesis M.S. | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
- 1
General electives are 400- or 500-level courses in CAE, CHE, CHEM, CS, ECE, EMGT, ENVE, MATH, MMAE, SAM or other disciplines with advisor approval
- 2
Up to 12 credit hours of 400-level courses can be applied to the program. For courses that are cross-listed with both graduate and undergraduate sections, students in the program should prioritize taking the graduate (500-level) section. Accelerated master's students can take either section that best fits their plan of study.
