Our faculty members include one winner of the National Medal of Science and two members of the National Academy of Sciences.Academics / Master's ProgramEnvironmental Engineering & Science Master's Specialization
The environmental engineering and science specialization for the master of science in civil and environmental engineering is designed to train professionals to address the wide range of issues that arise in the development of sustainable urban communities. Students are prepared to move into careers where they will reinvent urban infrastructure to shield the environment from the harmful effects of human activity, protect human populations from adverse environmental events such as floods and disease, and restore environmental quality for ecological and human well-being.
Through cross-disciplinary coursework, students will explore critical issues such as:
- Resource and energy recovery
- Water scarcity and quality
- Environmental microbiome and “omics”
- Urban eco-cycles
- Antimicrobial resistance
Curriculum Overview
Coursework and activities in the specialization include:
- Fundamental courses providing the core knowledge required to design sound solutions. Areas of study include: chemistry, microbiology/microbiome, transport processes, modeling, and policy.
- Interdisciplinary courses that bridge key components of civil and environmental systems, such as high performance structural architecture, sustainable urban developments, and infrastructure systems analysis. Students may also apply these courses to minors in either management, computational methods, or entrepreneurship.
- Seminars offered weekly on exciting findings regarding pressing contemporary issues from speakers in either academia or various industries and governmental organizations.
- Community-based design research in which students have the opportunity to work with a faculty mentor on environmental design projects for local communities within the Chicago region.
Eligibility and Admission
The program looks for students whose academic preparation and work experience support their development in the environmental area.
Superior students who hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in environmental engineering, civil engineering, or chemical engineering are eligible for admission to the graduate program without remedial coursework. Superior students with degrees in other engineering disciplines or chemistry, biological sciences, geology, and other scientific disciplines are eligible for admission, but they may be required to take remedial courses that do not confer graduate credit.
The minimum coursework background required for all students is:
- Full sequence in differential and integral calculus (Math 220, 224, and 230)
- Differential equations (Math 250)
- Classical physics (Physics 235-1 and 2)
- One year of chemistry (Chemistry 101, 102, and 103)
- Computer programming (Computer Science 110)
- Fluid mechanics (Mechanical Engineering 241)
The courses in parentheses are given at Northwestern University. They can be used to assess equivalency or can be taken on a remedial basis, thus not for credit.
Questions?
Contact us with questions about this specialization at civil-info@northwestern.edu.