M.S. Humanitarian Engineering and Science: Environmental Engineering
Broadly defined, Humanitarian Environmental Engineering focuses on applying the principles of environmental engineering to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities and the natural environments in which they live.
Humanitarian Environmental Engineering spans a wide range of topics including
- Effective sanitation
- Air quality management
- Sustainability
- Safe drinking water
- Water resource management
- Environmental remediation and monitoring
Practitioners work to develop sustainable socio-technical solutions to these challenges in collaboration with local scientists, communities and government stakeholders.
Application Requirements
- A BS degree in a science or engineering discipline is required. Pre-requisites include two semesters of college calculus, one semester of college physics, two semesters of college chemistry and one semester of college statistics. Candidates will need to have completed the necessary prerequisites for the Environmental Engineering and Science degree, also found in the Mines graduate catalog.
- Statement of purpose, updated curriculum vitae or resume and transcripts for post-secondary degrees are required for all students.
- Three letters of recommendation are required for students pursuing the MS thesis option.
- Non-native English speakers must meet one of the following minimum requirements: TOEFL iBT score of 79; TOEFL paper-based test score of 550; TOEFL computer-based test score of 213; IELTS score of 6.5 or have received a prior degree from an English-speaking university.
- Mines undergraduate students may count up to six credits from their undergraduate program toward a combined BS/MS degree. External applicants may substitute approved electives with courses brought from elsewhere with written permission from the HES program director.
Required Courses
Required Environmental Engineering courses for professional (non-thesis) students:
GPGN577 | HUMANITARIAN GEOSCIENCE | 3.0 |
CEEN550 | PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY | 3.0 |
CEEN580 | CHEMICAL FATE AND TRANSPORT IN THE ENVIRONMENT | 3.0 |
Two of the following:
Environmental Microbiology |
||
MOLECULAR MICROBIAL ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT |
3.0 |
|
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOMICROBIOLOGY |
3.0 |
|
MICROBIAL PROCESSES, ANALYSIS AND MODELING |
3.0 |
|
Treatment |
||
ONSITE WATER RECLAMATION AND REUSE |
3.0 |
|
WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT |
3.0 |
|
HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE REMEDIATION |
3.0 |
|
MNGN 556 |
MINE WATER AND ENVIRONMENT |
3.0 |
Hydrology
CEEN555 |
LIMNOLOGY |
3.0 |
WATERSHED SYSTEMS MODELING |
3.0 |
|
GEGN582 |
SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY |
3.0 |
GEGN584 |
FIELD METHODS IN HYDROLOGY |
3.0 |
Required courses for thesis students:
GPGN577 | HUMANITARIAN GEOSCIENCE | 3.0 |
At least three courses of the following: | ||
CEEN550 | PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY | 3.0 |
CEEN580 | CHEMICAL FATE AND TRANSPORT IN THE ENVIRONMENT | 3.0 |
Environmental Microbiology
|
||
CEEN560 | MOLECULAR MICROBIAL ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | 3.0 |
CEEN562 | ENVIRONMENTAL GEOMICROBIOLOGY | 3.0 |
CEEN566 | MICROBIAL PROCESSES, ANALYSIS AND MODELING | 3.0 |
Treatment
|
||
CEEN472 | ONSITE WATER RECLAMATION AND REUSE | 3.0 |
CEEN570 | WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT | 3.0 |
CEEN575 | HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE REMEDIATION | 3.0 |
MNGN556 | MINE WATER AND ENVIRONMENT | 3.0 |
Hydrology
|
||
CEEN555 | LIMNOLOGY | 3.0 |
CEEN581 | WATERSHED SYSTEMS MODELING | 3.0 |
GEGN582 | INTEGRATED SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY | 3.0 |
GEGN584 | FIELD METHODS IN HYDROLOGY | 3.0 |
And | ||
CEEN707 | GRADUATE THESIS / DISSERTATION RESEARCH CREDIT | 6.0 |
Electives for all students: The following courses can be substituted for required track courses if incoming students have already taken some of the required courses:
- CEEN 401 Life Cycle Assessment
- CEEN 477 Sustainable Engineering Design
- CEEN 479 Air Pollution
- CEEN 501 Life Cycle Assessment
- CEEN 556 Mining and the Environment (cross-listed as Mining, Water & Environment)
- CEEN 573 Reclamation of Disturbed Lands
- CEEN 575 Site Remediation
- CEEN 581 Watershed Systems Modeling
- Other CEEN 500- or 600-level courses as approved by the CEEN Program Coordinator

