Environmental Engineering Graduate Program

The Environmental Engineering Graduate Program provides fundamental and applied training in the applications of chemistry and biology to environmental problems and systems, including lakes, rivers, groundwater, and engineered processes, and development of alternative environmentally-friendly technologies. Prospective students with an interest in the program should contact one of the core faculty listed below.

Core Faculty

Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Engineering are offered to students with bachelors' degrees in engineering and science. Special requirements are established for students with a bachelors degree in sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics, geology, or microbiology who wish to earn MS or PhD degrees in engineering. Prospective students may also be interested in Environmental Chemistry and Technology (formerly Water Chemistry) and Limnology and Marine Science, two interdepartmental graduate programs that also offer MS and PhD degrees. Several of the core Environmental Engineering faculty are also affiliated with these programs and can advise students in them.

Admission requirements, instructions, and deadlines can be found at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department webpage. The chair of admissions for the Environmental Engineering Program is Professor Trina McMahon (tmcmahon@engr.wisc.edu).

Degrees offered in Environmental Engineering

MASTER OF SCIENCE (MS) IN CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department offers three different programs leading to MS degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering:

Program A — Thesis Option

This program is available to students with BS degrees in engineering. It requires a minimum of 24 credits, including at least 16 credits of graduate level course work and an average grade of B or better in all course work. Course requirements for the Environmental Engineering program are listed below. A thesis worth 5-8 credits is also required. A faculty committee will conduct a final examination on the thesis research.

Program B — Independent Study Option

For students with BS degrees in engineering, this program requires a minimum of 30 credits, including at least 24 credits of graduate level course work and an average grade of B or better in all course work. Course requirements for the Environmental Engineering program are listed below. An advanced independent study (CEE 999) worth 3-6 credits is also required. A written research report is required upon completion of the independent study credits. A faculty committee will conduct a final examination on the independent study project.

Program C — Students without a BS degree in Engineering

This program is designed for non-engineering students, and thus, it requires the fulfillment of basic undergraduate requirements for Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). Students completing this program earn a MS in engineering and are prepared to become practicing environmental engineers, although we cannot guarantee that such students will be able to become licensed Professional Engineers. See also this link for more information. Prospective students without a BS in engineering are strongly encouraged to contact the admissions chair before applying (Trina McMahon, tmcmahon@engr.wisc.edu).

The program requires a minimum of 40 graduate level credits and offers thesis (5-8 credits) and independent study (3-6 credits) options. A final examination on the thesis or independent study project is conducted by a faculty committee. At least 30 graduate level credits should be in CEE. Thesis (CEE 790) or independent study (CEE 999) credits are counted within this 30-credit rule. An average grade of B or better in all the course work is required. Course requirements for the Environmental Engineering program are listed below. In addition, to satisfy deficiencies in undergraduate-level requirements, students must take the following courses or demonstrate equivalent credits earned elsewhere:

Since these are fundamental requirements within the CEE undergraduate program, credits earned in any of these courses (with the exception of the design course) will not count towards the MS degree. Admission with deficiencies may be granted to students that do not satisfy these minimum requirements, provided they fulfill them in addition to the 40 graduate level credits. As a general rule, students with more than 12 credits in deficiencies are not admitted to the program. Rather, they are encouraged to enroll as undergraduate or special students until the deficiencies are satisfied. All plans of study within this option must be approved by the departmental faculty.

Note that CEE 310, 311, 320, and 330 are considered CEE undergraduate courses, and thus, credits earned from these courses do not count towards the minimum credit requirements in any of the MS programs outlined above.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PhD)

The academic program for each doctoral student is planned on an individual basis. Advanced course work in a major area of environmental engineering and science is required. Upon entry to the program, students will prepare a major course plan with their research advisor. The core course requirements for the MS in Environmental Engineering are a suggested starting point, but may be modified based on the students' interest or background. In addition, students must complete a minor of 10-12 credits outside the major program. At least one course in technical writing in English and another course in technical presentations in English are required. Courses with grades lower than B will not count towards the degree.

The doctoral program consists of three stages. The first stage requires the completion of the major course plan and a successful qualifying exam. This exam should be taken within the first 18 months after the initiation of the PhD program. The second stage comprises the completion of additional coursework requirements and a successful preliminary examination. The completion of this second stage confers a dissertator status. The final stage comprises the preparation of the dissertation and the final examination.

PHD MINOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Follow this Ph.D. minor guidelines link to find information on the requirements to pursue a Ph.D. minor with emphasis in Environmental Engineering.

Course requirements for an MS in Environmental Engineering

All students pursuing an MS in Environmental Engineering must complete the following coursework:

Required Core Courses

Typical Electives (suggestions to fulfill remaining credit requirements)

Still have questions?

Additional questions about applying to the program should be addressed to the admissions chair (Professor Trina McMahon, tmcmahon@engr.wisc.edu) or to the CEE Admissions Team (cee.gradadmissions@uwalumni.com).