Research-Based Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering

Claire Farmer

"The faculty that makes up the EVEN program has created a welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds. I had such a positive experience during my undergrad that I decided to stay for a master's!"

Claire Farmer, MS student, Environmental Engineering, CU Boulder

The requirements for the Research-Based Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering are:

  1. At least 24 semester hours of graduate-level courses, including Environmental Engineering and Science core (6 hours), emphasis area (9 – 18 hours), and elective (0 - 9 hours) courses, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.
  2. A minimum of 4 and maximum of 6 semester hours of thesis credit, with a sum of course and thesis credit of at least 30 hours.
  3. Two semesters of Environmental Engineering graduate seminar, a non-credit seminar requiring attendance at 2/3 of the seminars each semester for satisfactory completion.
  4. Satisfactory completion and defense of a M.S. thesis under the supervision of a research advisor who is a member of the Environmental Engineering faculty.

The common core for Environmental Engineering consists of two courses:

  1. CVEN 5464 Environmental Engineering Processes
  2. CVEN 5404 Water Chemistry or CHEM 5151 Atmospheric Chemistry

The requirements for recommended emphasis areas are:

A. General Environmental Engineering

  1. CVEN 5484 Applied Microbiology and Toxicology
  2. One of:
    a) CVEN 5524 Water Treatment
    b) CVEN 5534 Wastewater Treatment
    c) CVEN 5474 Hazardous Waste Management
  3. One of:
    a) CVEN 5554 Fundamentals of Air Quality Management
    b) MCEN 5131 Air Pollution Control
  4. One of:
    a) CVEN 5537 Numerical Methods
    b) CVEN 5454 Quantitative Methods
    c) CVEN 5834 Analytical Methods for Environmental Engineering

B. Drinking Water, Wastewater and Water Reuse Treatment

  1. CVEN 5484 Applied Microbiology and Toxicology
  2. CVEN 5524 Water Treatment
  3. CVEN 5534 Wastewater Treatment
  4. One of:
    a) CVEN 5537 Numerical Methods
    b) CVEN 5454 Quantitative Methods
    c) CVEN 5834 Analytical Methods for Environmental Engineering

  For Water Reuse specialization

  1. CVEN 5594 Water Reuse
  2. Any of the following

a) CVEN 5834 Advanced Physical Chemical Treatment
b) CVEN 5624 Sustainability Engineering Design
c) CVEN 5424 Environmental Organic Chemistry
d) CVEN 5393 Water Resources Systems and Management
e) CVEN 5834 Water Reuse Planning and Implementation

C. Emphasis in Natural Waters

  1. CVEN 5424 Environmental Organic Chemistry
  2. CVEN 5353 Groundwater Hydrology
  3. CVEN 5333 Hydrology
  4. CVEN 5323 Applied Stream Ecology
  5. One of:
    a) CVEN 5537 Numerical Methods
    b) CVEN 5454 Quantitative Methods

D. Emphasis in Global Engineering

  1. CVEN 5484 Applied Microbiology and Toxicology
  2. CVEN 5919 Global Development for Engineers
  3. Select three one-credit modules from those listed on this courses page
  4. CVEN 5939 Global Development Field Practicum
  5. CVEN 5969 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
  6. One of:
    a) CVEN 5524 Water Treatment
    b) CVEN 5534 Wastewater Treatment
    c) CVEN 5474 Hazardous Waste Management
    d) CVEN 5554 Fundamentals of Air Quality Management
    e) MCEN 5131 Air Pollution Control

E. Emphasis in Air Quality

  1. MCEN 5131 Air Pollution Control
  2. One of:
    a) MCEN 5021 Fluid Mechanics
    b) CVEN 5313 Environmental Fluid Mechanics
    c) ATOC 5050 Introduction to Atmospheric Thermodynamics and Dynamics
  3. One of:
    a) MCEN 5141 Indoor Air Pollution
    b) MCEN 5161 Aerosols
    c) CVEN 5484 Applied Microbiology and Toxicology
  4. One of:
    a) CVEN 5537 Numerical Methods
    b) CVEN 5454 Quantitative Methods

F. Emphasis in Environmental Change Adaptation Engineering

  1. One of:
    a) CVEN 5484 Applied Microbiology and Toxicology
    b) CVEN 5323 Applied Stream Ecology
  2. One of:
    a) CVEN 5353 Groundwater Hydrology
    b) CVEN 5333 Hydrology
    c) GEOG 5321 Snow Hydrology
  3. CVEN 5565 Life Cycle Engineering of Civil Infrastructure Systems
  4. One of:
    a) CVEN 5373 Water Law, Policy, and Institutions
    b) ENVS 5000 Policy, Science and the Environment
    c) MCEN 5228 Environmental Law
    d) ATOC 5000 Critical Issues in Climate and the Environment

Elective courses will be determined in consultation with your faculty advisor.

For students who have undertaken prior graduate study, up to 9 hours of relevant graduate-level coursework may be transferred to meet the course requirements for the MS degree, following the rules established by the Graduate School for transfer credit.