Master of Science in Environmental Engineering Degree Program
The requirements listed here apply both to the Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and the Master of Science in Civil Engineering with a concentration in EWRE, unless specifically stated otherwise. Students must meet the general Graduate School requirements for the M.S. degree, and the program-specific requirements which include a minimum of 31 graduate credits to be earned by all degree candidates.
Research Option
The graduate course requirements for students in the research-based MS in Environmental Engineering program are described below. All degree candidates must earn a minimum of 31 graduate credits.
Core Courses
The required course for an MS degree is: CEE 691/692 (Seminar), 1 cedit Master's Project
The student is required to write a research report and present an oral defense before a Master’s Committee on a topic determined in consultation with the advisor. The content of the report normally derives from the research conducted by the student as part of their research assistant duties. Six (6) credits, taken as CEE 689, must be earned under the Master’s Project and are part of the 31 total credit requirement; more than 6 credits of CEE 689 may be earned, but only 6 credits apply to the 31 credit total required for the M.S .degree. The Master’s Committee consists of the student’s advisor and at least one other EWRE faculty member.
Electives
In addition to the Core Courses and Master’s Project, the student completes a minimum of twenty credits of electives taken in areas relevant to the student's professional objectives. All elective courses must be taken at the graduate level (500 level or higher). Students may take graduate level electives in other departments at the University; however, no more than 9 graduate credits taken outside the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department can be counted toward the 31 credit requirement.
Transfer Credits
No more than six graduate credits can be transferred from courses taken at another institution. These credits must be at the graduate level and must not have been utilized to have met prior undergraduate or graduate degree requirements.
Coursework Option
This option is similar to the Research Option, but there are some significant differences. It has a 31 credit requirement. Students are able to complete this degree in a 12 month period rather than the 18 to 24 month period which is typical for the research option for a student with a BS in Engineering. This shorter time frame is possible since students are not employed as teaching or research assistants. Financial aid is not offered for this option.
Core Courses
The core courses for the coursework option are the same as those for the research option as described above (total of 1 credit).
Electives and Transfer Credits
There are 30 credits of electives. All electives must be taken at the graduate level. As noted above, up to 9 credits of graduate level electives may be taken outside of the CEE Department. Also, up to six credits of graduate level coursework from other institutions may be formally transferred as long as those credits were not required to earn any prior degree.
600 level requirement
Graduate students who do not write a master's thesis must earn a minimum of twelve (12) credits in the 600-800 course level range.
Students with Non-engineering Baccalaureate
To be awarded the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering, students without a BS in engineering degree must make up prerequisite coursework at the undergraduate level; this coursework does not receive graduate credit. The coursework can be completed prior to entering or during the student’s UMass MS program. A summary of these prerequisites is shown below.
Required prerequisite courses/subjects for the MS degree program:
- Calculus I
- Calculus II
- Calculus III (multivariate)
- Differential Equations
- Probability & Statistics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Thermodynamics
- Engineering Economics
- Statics
- Fluid Mechanics
- Introductory EWRE course(s)
Online Coursework
Several of our graduate courses are offered in parallel in-person and online sections. In such cases, students in residence must take the ‘in-person’ section. On an ad hoc basis and with the approval of the student’s advisor, the course instructor, and the GPD, a student may take the online version to accommodate a unique circumstance.