The Geography and Environmental Engineering Master of Science is open to students with undergraduate degrees in engineering, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and other scientific disciplines. The degree is designed to allow students, with the assistance of the their faculty advisor, the opportunity to construct a curriculum that will best suit their individual goals.
Students pursuing this degree may choose between one of the two tracks for the M.S., Environmental Science or Environmental Science and Policy, or may choose to follow any of the M.S.E. track curricula.
Program Requirements
The M.S. degree program includes the following general requirements:
- a minimum of 30 graduate credits including no more than 1 credit of seminar, 1 credit of intersession course work or 1.5 credits from CLE (with advisor approval), and 6 credits of independent research counting toward the 30 credits.
- All WSE graduate students are required to complete AS.360.624 Responsible Conduct of Research (Online) as well as EN.500.603 Graduate Academic Ethics in the first semester that they are enrolled as a student.
- at least 50% of the required 30 credits must come from courses within the department. The Department of Environmental Health and Engineering's course codes are 570, 180-5, and 187-8.
- students are permitted to apply up to two classes with a grade of “C” toward their degree.
- up to four courses from AAP or EP may be taken and counted to receive a master’s degree as long as there is sufficient rigor and prior approval as deemed by the advisor. Students must have written consent from advisor (an email will suffice) prior to signing up for the course.
- students will earn credits for BSPH courses according to this BSPH-WSE credit conversion:
- 3 WSE credits for a 4 or 5-credit BSPH course
- 2 WSE credits for a 2 or 3-credit BSPH course
- 1 WSE credit for a 1-credit BSPH course
M.S. students have the option to complete an independent research project, submitted as a formal essay. A minimum of two semesters is required to complete the M.S. degree without the research project option. Three to four semesters are typically required to complete the degree with a research project.
M.S. students are strongly recommended to take mathematics- specifically differential equations and computing skills- as prerequisites for the M.S. program. Additionally, M.S. students who choose to follow Environmental Engineering and Science, Data Science and Analytics, Environmental Management and Economics, or Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering tracks are encouraged to take an introductory fluid mechanics course. Whether introductory fluid mechanics will count towards an M.S. student’s graduation credits is decided on a case-by-case basis by the department. Each individual’s program of study is planned by the student in consultation with department faculty and must be approved by the faculty advisor.
Tracks for the M.S. Degree
Environmental Science
This track provides a broad yet rigorous background for environmental professionals. Using the department’s areas of interest, study, and research as guides and in consultation with their advisors, M.S. students can construct their own track that complements and expands their interests and professional goals.
To complete this track, it is recommended to take the following courses in environmental science:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.570.644 | Physical and Chemical Processes | 3 |
| EN.570.648 | Physical and Chemical Processes II | 3 |
| EN.575.706 | Biological Processes for Water & Wastewater Treatment | 3 |
Other recommended courses for this track include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.570.615 | Current Trends in Environmental Microbiology | 3 |
| EN.570.626 | Groundwater, Porous Media, and Hydrogeology | 3 |
| EN.570.643 | Aquatic and Biofluid Chemistry | 3 |
| EN.575.645 | Environmental Microbiology | 3 |
| EN.570.690 | Solid Waste Engineering and Management | 3 |
| EN.570.691 | Hazardous Waste Engineering and Management | 3 |
The final courses will be a project or electives in environmental science that are appropriate to the student’s goals and approved by a faculty adviser.
Environmental Science and Policy
This track is similar to Environmental Science but includes economics and systems courses.
It is recommended to take the following two courses in environmental policy:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.570.695 | Environmental Health and Engineering Systems Design | 3 |
| EN.570.697 | Risk and Decision Analysis | 3 |
Choose at least two from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.575.645 | Environmental Microbiology | 3 |
| EN.570.643 | Aquatic and Biofluid Chemistry | 3 |
| EN.570.691 | Hazardous Waste Engineering and Management | 3 |
Choose at least one from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PH.317.605 | Methods in Quantitative Risk Assessment | 4 |
| EN.570.607 | Energy Policy and Planning Models | 3 |
| EN.570.657 | Air Pollution | 3 |
| EN.570.616 | Data Analytics in Environmental Health and Engineering | 3 |
Additional recommended courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.570.644 | Physical and Chemical Processes | 3 |
| EN.570.648 | Physical and Chemical Processes II | 3 |
The final courses will be a project or electives in environmental science, engineering, policy, statistics or systems that are appropriate to the student’s goals and approved by a faculty advisor.