Academics / PhD ProgramEnvironmental Engineering & Science PhD Specialization
Environmental engineers are the technical professionals who identify and design solutions for environmental problems. They seek 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.
Traditionally, environmental engineers provided safe drinking water, treated and properly disposed of wastes, maintained air quality, controlled water pollution, and remediated sites contaminated by hazardous substances. They continue to do this as well as monitor the quality of the air, water, and land, while developing new environmental control technologies.
The PhD in environmental engineering and science is a research degree involving novel, creative, and extensive approaches to problem solving. It prepares students for advanced, independent research and teaching in academic, industrial, governmental, and other settings.
Student Research Highlights
Northwestern’s environmental engineers are committed to identifying and designing solutions for today’s environmental problems. Their research is committed to protecting the environment from the harmful effects of human activity, protecting human populations from adverse environmental events such as floods and disease, and restoring environmental quality for ecological and human well-being. Some of the faculty are researching ways to pursue safe drinking water, treating and properly disposing of wastes, maintaining air quality, controlling water pollution, and remediating sites contaminated by hazardous substances.
Faculty performing research in this area include:
- Ludmilla Aristilde
- Neal Blair
- Jean-François Gaillard
- Kimberly Gray
- Erica Hartmann
- Aaron Packman
- George Wells
View faculty who are recruiting PhD students for fall 2025
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.