Masters Degrees in Environmental Engineering, USA

See the Department website - http://www.rit.edu/kgcoe/program/sustainable-engineering-0

Sustainable engineering refers to the integration of social, environmental, and economic considerations into product, process, and energy system design methods. Additionally, sustainable engineering encourages the consideration of the complete product and process lifecycle during the design effort. The intent is to minimize environmental impacts across the entire lifecycle while simultaneously maximizing the benefits to social and economic stakeholders. The master of engineering in sustainable engineering is multidisciplinary and managed by the industrial and systems engineering department.

The program builds on RIT’s work in sustainability research and education and offers students the flexibility to develop tracks in areas such as renewable energy systems, systems modeling and analysis, product design, and engineering policy and management. The program is offered on campus, and available on a full- or part-time basis.

Educational objectives

The program is designed to accomplish the following educational objectives:

- Heightened awareness of issues in areas of sustainability (e.g., global warming, ozone layer depletion, deforestation, pollution, ethical issues, fair trade, gender equity, etc.).

- Clear understanding of the role and impacts of various aspects of engineering (design, technology, etc.) and engineering decisions on environmental, societal, and economic problems. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential trade-offs between environmental, social, and economic objectives.

- Strong ability to apply engineering and decision-making tools and methodologies to sustainability-related problems.

- Demonstrated capacity to distinguish professional and ethical responsibilities associated with the practice of engineering.

Plan of study

Technical in nature, the program equips engineers with the tools they need to meet the challenges associated with delivering goods, energy, and services through sustainable means. In addition to basic course work in engineering and classes in public policy and environmental management, students are required to complete a capstone project directly related to sustainable design challenges impacting society. Many of these projects can be incorporated into sustainability themed research by RIT faculty in the areas of fuel-cell development, life-cycle engineering, and sustainable process implementation.

Students must successfully complete a total of 36 credit hours through course work and a capstone project. This program is designed to be completed in three semesters.

Curriculum

- First Year

Fundamentals of Sustainable Engineering
Engineering of Systems I
Renewable Energy Systems
Lifecycle Assessment
Engineering Elective

- Second Year

Engineering Elective
Social Context Elective
Technology Elective
Engineering Capstone

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Sustainable engineering refers to the integration of social, environmental, and economic considerations into product, process, and energy system design methods. Additionally, sustainable engineering encourages the consideration of the complete product and process lifecycle during the design effort. The intent is to minimize environmental impacts across the entire lifecycle while simultaneously maximizing the benefits to social and economic stakeholders. The MS in sustainable engineering is multidisciplinary and managed by the industrial and systems engineering department.

The program builds on RIT’s work in sustainability research and education and offers students the flexibility to develop tracks in areas such as renewable energy systems, systems modeling and analysis, product design, and engineering policy and management. Course work is offered on campus and available on a full- or part-time basis.

Educational objectives

The program is designed to accomplish the following educational objectives:

- Heighten awareness of issues in areas of sustainability (e.g., global warming, ozone layer depletion, deforestation, pollution, ethical issues, fair trade, gender equity, etc.).

- Establish a clear understanding of the role and impact of various aspects of engineering (design, technology, etc.) and engineering decisions on environmental, societal, and economic problems. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential trade-offs between environmental, social, and economic objectives.

- Strong ability to apply engineering and decision-making tools and methodologies to sustainability-related problems.

- Demonstrate a capacity to distinguish professional and ethical responsibilities associated with the practice of engineering.

Plan of study

Technical in nature, the program equips engineers with the tools they need to meet the challenges associated with delivering goods, energy, and services through sustainable means. In addition to basic course work in engineering and classes in public policy and environmental management, students are required to complete a research thesis directly related to sustainable design challenges impacting society. Many thesis projects support the sustainability-themed research being conducted by RIT faculty in the areas of fuel-cell development, life-cycle engineering, and sustainable process implementation.

Students must successfully complete a total of 33 semester credit hours of course work comprised of five required core courses; two graduate engineering electives in an area of interest such as energy, modeling, manufacturing and materials, transportation and logistics, or product design and development; one social context elective; one environmental technology elective; two semesters of Graduate Seminar I, II (ISEE-795, 796); and a thesis. This research-oriented program is designed to be completed in two years.

Curriculum

- First Year

Fundamentals of Sustainable Engineering
Engineering of Systems I
Renewable Energy Systems
Graduate Seminar I
Lifecycle Assessment
Engineering Electives
Graduate Seminar II

- Second Year

Technology Elective
Social Context Elective
Research and Thesis

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Offered through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering helps students approach, evaluate and devise solutions to some of the largest problems facing modern infrastructure and the environment today.

Students may choose to pursue their studies in one of the following areas of focus:

• Environmental engineering
• Geoenvironmental engineering
• Mechanics and materials engineering
• Structural engineering
• Transportation engineering
• Water resources engineering

Course Structure

• Credit hours: 33 (without thesis) or 30 (with thesis)
• Thesis options: Students who choose to complete a thesis take 24 credit hours of coursework and 6 credit hours for conducting thesis research. Students who choose the non-thesis option take 33 credit hours of coursework.
• Duration: Two years (full-time) or three years (part-time)

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See the department website - http://www.rit.edu/gis/academics/ms-sustainability/

The MS degree in sustainable systems focuses on sustainable production systems, which create goods and services using processes that are non-polluting; conservation of energy and natural resources; economic viability; and safety and health for workers, communities, and consumers. Course work and research take a systems level and interdisciplinary approach to solving sustainability problems, as opposed to single disciplinary and locally optimized approaches destined to yield marginally positive impacts.

Graduates are prepared to pursue careers in their chosen field with an understanding of basic sustainability principles and the expertise to analyze and solve complex sustainability issues.

Plan of study

Students must complete 24 semester credit hours of course work plus a 6 semester credit hour thesis or capstone project. Full-time students may complete the degree in one year (two semesters plus one summer term).

Tracks

Students have the option of choosing one of four tracks: sustainable manufacturing, sustainable mobility, sustainable energy systems, and sustainable built environments. Students can also create additional tracks using elective courses (selected in consultation with the student's adviser) from a wide variety of courses offered by the Golisano Institute for Sustainability or any one of RIT's other colleges.

Admission requirements

To be considered for admission to the MS program in sustainable systems, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:

- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution,

- Have fulfilled the following curriculum requirements: one year of college science and one year of college mathematics (including calculus and statistics),

- Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0,

- Participate in an interview with the academic department,

- Submit official transcripts (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work,

- Submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE),

- Submit two letters of reference,

- Submit a personal statement of educational objectives,

- Submit a current resume, and

- Complete a graduate application.

- International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Minimum scores of 600 (paper-based) or 100 (Internet-based) are required. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores will be accepted in place of the TOEFL exam. The minimum acceptable score is 6.5.

Additional information

- Non-matriculated students

An applicant with a bachelor’s degree from an approved undergraduate institution and the appropriate background is permitted to take graduate courses as a non-matriculated student. If the student is subsequently admitted to the graduate program, a limited number of credit hours from courses taken at RIT as a non-matriculated student can be transferred to the degree program. Any applicant who wishes to register for a graduate course as a non-matriculated student must obtain permission from the chair of the graduate program and the course instructor.

Curriculum

- First Year

Fundamentals of Sustainability Science
Industrial Ecology
Economics of Sustainable Systems
Risk Analysis
Sustainability Practice
Electives
Technology Policy and Sustainability

Choose one of the following:
- Capstone
- Thesis

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The Berkeley College of Environmental Design's Global Access Program (CED-GAP) provides unique access to top-notch Berkeley faculty, courses and networks within the innovation ecosystem of the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. Through CED-GAP, qualifying international students gain the knowledge, skills and connections necessary to excel as innovators and thought leaders in the fields that encompass sustainable environmental design. Built for both design majors (architects and landscape architects) as well as students seeking a broader understanding of the built environment, the core curriculum emphasizes sustainability, design, innovation, social equity and the history of cities and landscapes. A key program feature for design majors is the opportunity to take an integrated design studio, while non-design majors enjoy a broad range of classes from across the College.

In addition to a formal course of study, CED-GAP students are integrated into the San Francisco Bay Area through field trips, site visits to museums, firm visits and college activities - these might include public lectures, symposia, clubs, social events and conferences.  While at Berkeley, CED-GAP students also have an opportunity to explore their own professional development, learn about graduate school admissions, participate in cohort lunches and explore California through field trips that combine experiential education and fun.

Students take 4 courses (12-15 units) per semester. Upon completion, students will receive a transcript from the University of California, Berkeley Extension and a Certificate of Completion from Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design. Programs may also be customized to meet curricular needs of students. 

Apply online for the CED Global Access Program

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